How do architects’ salaries compare?
Photo by Pixabay.
Did you know that architects’ salaries are typically lower than those of project managers and others in the construction sector?
And that they are also considerably lower than other professions which have five-year degrees with further education and specialisation, such as doctors and lawyers?
Where’s the evidence for these claims?
We can compare salaries across various industries, disciplines and roles by reviewing salary survey reports and employment awards that are readily available online (although it turns out that some of these data sets are much easier to come by than others!).
Let’s start with the construction sector.
According to the Hays Salary Survey from 2023, for the Construction Building sector, salaries in Sydney, NSW, for the following roles were:
Foreperson $140k
Project Manager $190k
Construction Manager $280k
Design Manager $210k
(Source 1 in References below; refer to this report for salary levels in other Australian cities and across other professions).
Now we’ll look at architects.
According to the 2023 ACA National Salary Survey Report, average reported architects’ salaries in 2023 were as follows:
Graduates with up to 2 years’ experience: $70k
Registered with up to 3 years’ experience: $92k
New Director or Principal: $139k
Experienced Director or Principal: $163k
(Source 2 in References, below).
Table 5 from the ACA 2023 Salary Survey provides ranges for a number of different roles and positions across the architecture profession. Find out more via the summary article on the ACA’s website, where members can download the full report.
Now let’s compare the legal profession.
Legal graduates and experienced lawyers earn significantly more than architects.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pixabay.
Referring again to the Hays Salary Survey report from 2023: it states that legal salaries in Sydney, NSW, were as follows:
Graduate: $80k
2-3 years’ experience: $115k
4-5 years’ experience $145k
(Source 1 in References, below)
Medical professionals earn considerably more than architects, even though both undertake 5-year-plus degrees.
Photo by cottonbro studio via Pixabay.
Next up is the medical profession.
These were the hardest figures to find; and they emerged from two different sources. It might be possible to obtain more comprehensive data from the AMA, but their data is for members only.
So, indicative salaries for GPs and specialists are as follows:
Average GP earnings: $334k
(Source 3 in References, below)
Specialist Year 1 $255k
Specialist Year 3 $283k
Specialist Year 5 $305k
(Source 4 in References, below)
That’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?
Seeing the figures in black and white, side-by-side in this way, is actually pretty confronting.
And for a long time, it’s been accepted within the architecture profession that this is the way things have always been, and it’s impossible to change the standing or reputation of architects within the broader construction industry, or across the community more widely.
As Professor Geoff Hanmer – Architect and MD ARINA, Adjunct Professor at Uni of Adelaide, Professional Fellow UTS – wrote on one of my Twitter posts last year:
“Salaries for a graduate architect after a 5-year degree are lower than for a 3 year degree in construction management. That tells you a lot. Developers make the serious cash, builders make a profit and architects make a lasting contribution to society.”
- Prof Geoff Hanmer
Are you resigned to accepting these salary conditions for architects?
You don’t have to look far to find countless examples of the value that architects deliver to their clients, building users and the community more broadly. Yet for a raft of reasons, architects’ professional knowledge, experience, expertise and leadership is often sidelined, overlooked and undervalued.
I’m firmly of the belief that the profession has the capacity to change this perception - that persists within the construction industry and across the broader community - that their work isn’t valuable or worthy of greater financial investment.
It’s no longer necessary to accept this set of conditions as the status quo.
In fact, with the increasing need for better design in our towns and cities, not just here in Australia but around the world - to tackle climate emergency, the global housing crisis; equity and inclusion; and in Australia, Designing for Country - it's actually imperative that architects position themselves at the forefront of these discussions, and take the lead to design, develop and deliver new solutions to complex problems.
And it’s important that architects are adequately remunerated for the vital contributions they have and will continue to make.
Because on the basis of salaries and job satisfaction, why would any young person choose to spend five years studying at university to earn two degrees – when university educations are so expensive! – and then have to undergo a further two years of training on-the-job to become registered – when the return on investment is so low, compared to other careers?
That’s why architecture needs a magic bullet.
And I have a pretty good idea about what that magic bullet is.
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References
1. Hays Salary Guide 23/24, Hays, https://www.hays.com.au/documents/276732/1102429/Salary+Guide+2023.pdf, visited Fri 9 Feb 2024
2. 2023 Salary Survey findings, ACA, 6 July 2023, https://aca.org.au/2023-salary-survey-findings, visited Fri 9 Feb 2024 (The ACA National Salary Survey gathers data on thirty-one different roles within architectural practice. In addition to architectural staff, salary information is gathered for technicians, interior designers and other staff ranging from reception and clerical positions to chief executive officers. Details on salary packages and conditions and geographic location are also collected. This Salary Survey is the only independent survey of salaries within the profession of architecture in Australia, except for those of recruitment companies. It provides significant longitudinal knowledge of workplace conditions. The annual survey usually takes place in April so keep an eye on the ACA website if you’d like to contribute towards the next survey. ACA members can access the full report via the ACA website, via the link above.)
3. 2021/22 GP Salary survey results, Alecto, published May 2023, https://21458955.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21458955/Alecto%20Australias%202023%20GP%20Salary%20Survey%20Results-1.pdf, visited Fri 9 Feb 2024
4. Medical Specialists (Victorian Public Health Sector) (AMA Victoria/ASMOF) (Single interest employers) Enterprise Agreement 2022 – 2026, Fair Work Commission, 27 October 2022, https://www.westernhealth.org.au/Careers/Documents/Awards/Medical%20Officers%20-%20Doctors/Medical-Specialists-VPS-Health-Sector-AMA-Victoria-ASMOF-Single-Interest-Employers-Enterprise-Agreement-2022-2026.pdf, Visited Fri 9 Feb 2024