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Salary: The Latest Architecture and News

How To Tell if You've Earned a Raise

One of the rising conversations in the architecture world in recent years has been the issue of architects' salaries. But how much are you worth? When is it time to ask for that much-needed raise? Two key elements to successful salary negotiation are timing and asking for the right reasons.

First, what do you deserve? Raises are earned, but there is a certain amount of money you deserve. For US salary data, check the AIA Compensation Report, which is updated annually. If you live internationally, see if you can find a similar resource for your country or city. Unless you are performing below average (coming in late, not being productive, or worse, setting back the office’s productivity), you shouldn’t be making a below-average salary.

Once you have an equitable starting salary, how can you tell if you’ve earned a raise from there? You may have earned a raise if...

Which Countries Pay the Highest Salaries for Architects?

This article was originally published by Archipreneur as "Architect Salaries by Country: Where Do Architects Earn the Highest Salaries."

While the amount of information about architect salaries in specific countries and cities is abundant, there are many discrepancies between different sourced when it comes to country-to-country comparisons. Having a global overview of architect salaries is also tricky to get because of the many variables that go into the equation. You need to take into consideration the position, experience, size of firm, location, not to mention the relationship between earnings and living costs and various tax, insurance and legal differences among different countries.

11 Architect Salary Negotiation Tips

This article was originally published on Brandon Hubbard's blog, The Architect's Guide.

Many people cringe at the idea of having to negotiate their salary. Often this can result in thousands of lost income opportunity if not handled correctly.

I am not advocating you ask for an outrageous sum, but you should be clear about the value you bring to the table. You need to be aware what your skills and qualifications are worth in the current marketplace. For your reference, I covered those variables in greater detail in a previous article, 5 Factors Affecting Your Architect Salary.

Most of the following tips refer to a new job offer but some also apply to renegotiating your current architecture salary.

Compare Your Salary with the AIA Compensation Calculator

Alongside the release of the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) annual Compensation Report comes a new (free!) Salary Calculator Tool that allows you to compare your income with 17 architectural staff positions - from CEO to Intern 1. You can use the tool to see the overall mean and median salaries throughout the US or by region, and even by firm size (organized by annual firm revenue). Compare your salary here.

RIBA Future Trends Survey Reveals A "Healthy Uplift"

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s Future Trends Survey for March 2015 has "bounced back strongly" in comparison to February, as the workload index rose to +36 from +26 last month. Private housing and the commercial sector remains strong, while uncertainty still surrounds forecasts in the public sector. Workload forecast balance figures have remained high, the highest numbers being reported from practices in London (+42) and in the south of England (+39). In addition, large and medium sized practices have reported confidence about staffing levels, while small practices remain "more circumspect."

RIBA Future Trends Survey Shows UK Public Sector Workloads Dip

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s Future Trends Survey for February 2015 has revealed continued optimism, although the public sector workload forecast has dipped with uncertainty about spending commitments ahead of the UK General Election in May. The workload index fell back slightly to +26 (from +29 in January) and workload forecast balance figures have remained high, the highest numbers being reported from practices in the Midlands and East Anglia (+43) and in Wales and the West (+39). In addition, practices have reported that they are now employing 16% more Part 1 (undergraduate) and Part 2 (postgraduate) students than they were twelve months ago.

RIBA Future Trends Survey Reveals A "Mixed Picture"

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s Future Trends Survey for January 2015 has revealed strong levels of optimism as workload forecasts remain strongly positive across all regions of the UK. Following little change in indexes between November and December 2014, the workload index has once again remained consistent at +29. Workload forecast balance figures have remained high, the highest numbers being reported from practices in Northern Ireland at +67 (from +50) and Scotland at +57 (from +75). Furthermore, practices of all sizes have been responding with positive workload prospects heading into the next quarter.

Interactive Infographic: How Much do Architecture Graduates Earn?

Interactive Infographic: How Much do Architecture Graduates Earn? - Featured Image
The median total lifetime earnings of architecture graduates (highlighted red) compared to all other majors (excluding with graduate degrees). Image Courtesy of the Hamilton Project at The Brookings Institution

Using information collected from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the Hamilton Project at The Brookings Institution has created a set of interactive infographics comparing the lifetime earning potential of graduates of 80 majors. With so much debate over the earning potential of architects, the tool provides us with an invaluable insight into the long-range outlook for members of our profession, charting the both the total lifetime earnings of architects and their average earnings per year over a 42-year career.

Read on after the break for analysis of what the infographics tell us

Young Architects Taking Action at the Venice Biennale

Young Architects Taking Action at the Venice Biennale - Image 1 of 4
Manuel Shvartzberg and Yolande Daniels reading the manifesto of The Architecture Lobby at the protest. Image © The Architecture Lobby

Among the Venice Biennale's two-pronged approach of hype and glamour on one hand, and artistry and theory on the other, it's easy to forget that the event is one of the biggest gatherings of architects around - and as such represents a great opportunity to put the more prosaic concerns of the profession out in the open.

The New York-based Architecture Lobby took full advantage of the opportunity however, holding a protest outside the Giardini on June 7th, the Biennale's opening weekend. Through their protest, they aim to draw attention to declining working conditions in the profession, including low pay, long hours and insecure unemployment - particularly for young architects, who are the most precarious of all.

We reached out to Architecture Lobby member Tyler Survant to find out more about the Architecture Lobby's presence in Venice, and the problems facing the profession. Read on after the break for the interview. 

Architecture in the USA Today - In Infographics

As part of their ongoing ACSA Atlas Project, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has just released a new set of infographics, showcasing a range of statistics relevant to both architecture students and professionals alike. The 10 images cover a range of issues, including: demographic concerns such as race and gender, economic concerns such as salaries and employment futures, and the number of architects and students in each state. Read on after the break for the full set.

Why Do Architects Keep Struggling to Get By?

In this Financial Times article, Will Hunter reacts to another FT article which brands architects as "cling-ons": "middle class but only by the skin of our teeth". Hunter's article looks at the reasons why our profession has suffered so badly, as doctors' and bankers' fortunes have improved dramatically. You can read the full article here.

How Much Do Architects Earn Around the World?

In today's globalized, Recession-reeling world, architects may just be better of changing location - but where is work to be found? And where are the best salaries? Last year, we asked ArchDaily readers where the best places in the world are to find work, and we got hundreds of responses that generated an important conversation. But we need to deepen the conversation - and we need your help.

Read after the break to find out how you can help...

RIBA Future Trends Survey Reveals Decrease in UK Architects’ Salaries

The latest Future Trends Survey, published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), shows a decrease of 3% in average earnings bringing the average salary in the UK to around £40,000. The largest fall in earnings is with sole principals, a quarter of whom are receiving less than £18,500 per annum. This is compared to principals in partnership who continue to average a salary of around £50,000.

AIA Compensation Survey: Architect Salary Increases Minimally from 2011

Though most architecture firms have benefited from a steady upturn in the economy over the past few years, architect salaries remain low. According to U.S. Census Bureau, architecture firms have experienced a 11 percent increase in revenue from 2011 to 2012. However, as reported by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the average total compensation for architecture positions—including base salary, overtime, bonuses, and incentive compensation—has increased only slightly over 1 percent per year between 2011 and 2013. This is barely more than the average increase in compensation between 2008 and 2011 when the construction sector was still in steep decline.

How much do architects earn per hour?

How much do architects earn per hour? - Featured Image

I was asking myself this question a few minutes ago, so went online to do some quick research and Googled “How much do architects earn per hour?”.