If you’re interested in a career in architecture, or you are already one, you want to know what factors will, or are, affecting your salary. Besides, you won’t feel like you are successful enough in your career if you aren’t hitting the numbers you had in mind.
Well, the reality is that these numbers will often feel like they are all over the place, and here are the responsible factors.
1. The Firm’s Size and Specialisation
Whenever you invest in a high-quality pre-licensing architect education course, you expect that it will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to work for a large firm. You definitely want to get a top-quality education, but not necessarily so that you can work in a large firm. That’s because larger firms don’t always offer higher salaries, contrary to the general assumption.
The reality is that larger firms hire more employees on average, and so they have a better understanding of the market conditions. For them, you get paid what you are worth based on the market figures. Smaller firms are actually more flexible as they typically have less salary information to work with.
This doesn’t automatically mean that you should go for the smaller firms. Our advice would be to keep your options open and target the companies that are friendlier as far as negotiation goes.
2. Skills and Qualifications
On average, most of the architecture resumes list the degree conferred, and that’s where it ends. This may work fine if you just recently graduated, but if you want to excel in this field, be sure to update your skills and qualifications.
The best recommendation here is to start working on your licence soon after you’ve graduated. Be sure to enrol in the NCARB’s Intern Development Program (IDP), since this will place you on the right track to success as early as possible. After this, learn more about the different software that architects use to make their work easier and train using these tools as much as you can. You’ll understand why this is so important once you start working.
3. Region
As you can expect, the region in which you will be employed or based will affect the salary range a lot. Areas like New York and others with a considerably high cost of living typically have opportunities that compensate handsomely to cover the living costs. Not only that, but such locations are also known to have a thriving construction industry.
The trick here is usually to identify a high-paying niche that also has a high demand in an area with a higher cost of living.
Once you get an offer and have negotiated a salary you think works great for you, try as much as you can to lower your standard of living. This way, you can save more and enjoy what will look like a higher raise for as long as you are comfortable.
4. Market Conditions
The amount you can earn will also depend on the market conditions and how the economy is performing at that time. A high economic growth often means construction activities are on the rise, and demand for highly-qualified architects follows, leading to higher salary offers. The vice versa is true.
As you can expect, there isn’t much you can do about this. Your best course of action would be to invest in creating multiple sources of income on the side. So, think about building a client base on the side or starting a consultation business. Consider even heading into visualisation work.
Ready to Dive In?
As you can see, plenty of factors affect the amount of money you can make working as an architect. We’ve actually left out a couple of factors, such as the position you hold within the company, public perception, and more. However, the one fact that persists is that the best qualified architects will always get the positions and the money.
This is why you want to invest in top-quality pre-licensing courses like the ones RocketCert offers, to boost your marketability.
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