Introduction to Architect Earnings
The latest survey on architect earnings reveals a positive trend, with unemployment down and earnings up. This year’s survey confirms that the recovery is underway, reaching almost all sectors of the profession, although it’s less even geographically.
Earnings on the Rise
Figures published up to 1 April 2014 show architects’ average earnings standing at £42,000, which is five per cent higher than last year’s figure. This increase is convincingly higher than the £40,000 to £41,000 averages recorded in the previous four years. When comparing with inflation data, the strength of the improvement in the last 12 months is confirmed, with architects enjoying a ‘real’ increase of 3 per cent.
Long-term Context
However, when put into a longer-term context, there is still some way to go until the profession’s earnings catch up with pre-recession levels. Average earnings were higher in 2008 and 2009, so unlike the British economy, which earlier this year saw GDP pass its pre-recession peak, architects’ earnings are still lagging – by seven per cent.
London Leads the Way
In the quest to return to 2009 earnings levels, London is leading the way. This year’s average of £47,825 in the capital is very nearly as high as the 2009 peak value of £48,350. Architects in the South East and the South West & Wales are within five per cent of their 2009 peak. However, average earnings for architects in the Midlands & East Anglia remain 11 per cent lower than the 2009 peak, while in the North of England, they are 14 per cent lower.
Employment Groups
Nationwide, the survey shows that architects’ average earnings have increased by five per cent this year. Most employment groups record an increase over the 12 months, with the largest percentage increase in the earnings of sole principals, which is seven per cent higher than it was last year.
Partners and Directors
For principals in partnership, the figures show no change in average earnings, but both upper and lower quartile figures have increased, each by over four per cent. Salaried architects working in private practice recorded a three per cent rise in their average salaries, with both upper and lower quartile figures increasing.
Public Sector
In the public sector, average salaries are higher by three per cent for local authority architects and by four per cent for central government architects. Private in-house architects also record an average increase of three per cent.
Central Government
Architects working for central government have average earnings now of £51,500, which is well ahead of the £46,389 recorded in 2009. This rise may be due to the fact that there are fewer architects working for central government now than there were five years ago.
Conclusion
The survey reveals a positive trend in architect earnings, with a five per cent increase this year. While there is still some way to go to catch up with pre-recession levels, the profession is moving in the right direction. The top 25 per cent of partners and directors are now earning more than they have at any time in the last six years, and recorded unemployment has fallen back sharply in the last two years. With an estimated 27,700 architects in the workforce, the profession is slowly recovering from the recession.
