An Architect’s Salary: It was just a matter of time until I mentioned how much an architect makes again. This is the fourth post I’ve written on the topic, but I haven’t discussed it since January 2013, so it was probably time. I’ve long complained about architects complaining about not earning enough money. They want to increase their earnings because, well, who doesn’t? Most people don’t want to give money away, therefore the question for me is what you’re prepared to do to earn more money. I also think that each individual must strike their own balance between work and what makes them happy in life.
… but that’s just me, and things have changed since I worked there. Now that I’m on the “other side of the table,” so to speak, it’s altered my perspective on determining how much individuals should be paid. So let’s get down to business and discuss “An Architect’s Salary.”
Everyone wants to generate more money, and architects are not alone in this desire. I’m sure you’d want to earn more money, no matter how much you make today.
“I’m not going to tell you everything, but…” (Handcuffs in Gold) [11:41 mark]
This occurred early in my career, when I was working at my second architectural position. I was bored at my present job, so I decided to resign and work for this nice-sounding architectural business, which I’ll refer to as “cool building firm.” The economy was doing well in 1997, and it wasn’t difficult to get work. Despite the fact that I was quite skilled at what I did, all I needed to do to acquire a job was “breathe.
” So I put in my CV, went in for an interview, and two weeks later (after sneaking around at night) I began working at “awesome construction business.” I conducted some study on what they done and felt it was very impressive… But when they offered me 36% more than I was earning previously, I immediately said yes.
[17:45] Value vs. Worth
What makes you believe I want to earn more money? How do you determine what you’re worth and how much you’re worth? Let’s pretend I’m your employer for the purpose of this discussion: I can tell how useful you are, but I can’t tell how much you’re worth. That is all up to you.
I ask you a series of questions to attempt to find out how much you’re worth. At the very least, these are the questions: What is your level of experience? Do you have a licence? What may I charge you for your time? How talented are you? How effective is one hour of labour relative to how much time is spent studying the task?
When determining your value, you should consider if you are a nice person, whether you fit well into the workplace culture, whether you assist out in the community, whether you are a good representation of the company, whether you show up for work, and so on. Even while all of these questions are essential and have a purpose, they are far more difficult for your company to analyse and quantify. Another thing to consider is that the elements that comprise your value are moveable. This means you may carry them with you wherever you work.
The American Institute of Architects conducts a significant employment survey every few years. Based on the responses they get, they create a “salary calculator” that anybody may use for free. Do you want to discover how much someone with your level of expertise earns in your area? This is the place you should start.
Removing the Curtain [35:49]
I never gave much thought to how money flows through an office until I began working there. All I cared about was how much money I was earning and if it corresponded to how much I thought I was worth. In this part, I’ll spend a few minutes discussing some of the factors that a corporation considers when determining a pay. Most individuals are startled to learn that their compensation only accounts for a tiny portion of the entire cost of their cost centre.
We perform excellent job and assess your intangibles. [48:04 mark]
How much does a builder make? Okay, so we do… The beginning wage seems to vary depending on a number of criteria, but as of this writing, someone fresh out of college may earn between $40,000 and $46,000, depending on where they reside in the nation. ** I made a mistake during the podcast recording that I believe has to be corrected. In fact, the state of New York has more licenced lawyers than the whole country of the United States. I said that Chicago had more, but this was not correct. That’s why I’ll return later to double-check the facts.
[53:22] Labor and Statistics Department
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a book called “Occupational Outlook Handbook” that has a wealth of information on architects, attorneys, and any other occupation you could be interested in.
An attorney’s starting income is $57,430, while the average compensation is $119,250. The worst 10% of architects earn $47,480, while the middle 10% earn $78,470. If you simply look at the stats, it seems to be a poor situation, but when you delve a bit deeper, you find a different image. There are around 1,340,000 attorneys in the United States, but only 113,000 architects. Their lowest 10% is larger than the sum of our numbers.
When I’m not at work? [58:28 mark]
We’re back with another hypothetical inquiry, with another seemingly simple assumption…
But is it really that simple?
It’s usually a good idea to have a rough estimate of your value. Most individuals, and I used to be one of them, believe that their income is exclusively determined by how their workplace looks and how much their friends earn. Surprisingly, none of these techniques is insane, but you should understand more about all of the procedures a firm takes to determine an employee’s worth and, by extension, their wage. Many architects earn a decent career for a variety of reasons. Particularly if you have a specialty that is in high demand and cannot be simply replaced by someone less expensive.
The point I’m trying to make is that being paid. What you believe you’re worth in an environment that values you is fantastic and should be your objective. I spent a long time in school and took many difficult examinations. Yet I don’t earn as much as lawyers or doctors. You should go perform their work if you want to earn as much as they do.
