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'tis the season...for performance reviews and raises.

molten

I'm getting ready for my yearly performance review/raise. I ask throughout the year how I'm doing to the partners I work with, and I'm anticipating a positive review. However, I'm having a little difficulty determining what I should reasonably expect/ask for in terms of a raise. I am 4.5 years post-grad, licensed, and work mostly independently with limited oversight from partners. I've used the AIA's salary calculator in the past with luck, but as I have become licensed I really don't fit in any of these categories. There is no category for licensed architects with 3-5 years of experience, and the closest match is an architect with 5-8 years of experience -- in my region the median (including bonus) is approximately 73k. Conversely, an unlicensed design professional with 5-8 years of experience clocks in at approximately 62k (including bonus), which matches my yearly salary/bonus.

Thoughts, or maybe someone in a similar situation? I'm in the mid-atlantic region for reference. 

 
Nov 11, 17 8:19 pm
randomised

Your work pre-license was already worth the equivalent of a salary of someone with 5-8 years experience. If licensure normally means an 11k pay raise, simply ask for that. They obviously value you.

Nov 12, 17 1:28 am  · 
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OneLostArchitect

I received a .50 cent raise for my license! Hahahahahaha

Nov 12, 17 6:53 am  · 
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randomised

Per...

Nov 12, 17 8:32 am  · 
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OneLostArchitect

????

Nov 12, 17 10:33 am  · 
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geezertect

When a firm puts a 50 cent premium on being licensed, aren't they saying that you (and they) are in a meaningless occcupation? Freudian slip?

Nov 12, 17 10:57 am  · 
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OneLostArchitect

I was told I was lucky to receive a raise!

Nov 12, 17 2:12 pm  · 
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randomised

You know...50ct per month,week,day or hr ;)

Nov 12, 17 3:54 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

Sorry per year... had to calculate it cause they only gave it to me after 3 years

Nov 12, 17 4:05 pm  · 
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randomised

You're very patient and generous.

Nov 12, 17 6:32 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

Patient yes... not sure how generous that was... more like a slap to the face.

Nov 12, 17 7:20 pm  · 
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randomised

Yep, but you're generous for accepting that "raise". Probably the reason for starting the other thread about quitting ;)

Nov 13, 17 1:40 am  · 
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OneLostArchitect

well I calculated it over 3 years... since I got a raise after three years... so it’s 50 cents per year... and I should be thankful!

Nov 12, 17 2:07 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur
I got 9k when I got licensed.
Nov 12, 17 2:31 pm  · 
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DeTwan

you also got ur gay card when you got licensed...shuu...pineapple juice is my 'safe' word. What's yours?

Nov 12, 17 5:41 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

Wtf

Nov 12, 17 7:20 pm  · 
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curtkram

my safe word is 'don't stop'

Nov 12, 17 8:55 pm  · 
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molten

Actually I got my gay card when I uttered my first word. When did you get yours?

Nov 12, 17 9:17 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

Are all architects this weird?

Nov 12, 17 10:04 pm  · 
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tduds

You need a card to be gay now?

Nov 13, 17 12:36 pm  · 
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DeTwan

No, the card more or less gets you discounts at places like body works, chanel, and starbucks in the mall

Nov 13, 17 5:37 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

I’m scared to ask... but what’s a safe wor
d?

Nov 13, 17 6:18 pm  · 
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thatsthat

People really get raises once they get licenses? I was told in my firm by the managing partner that no one gets a raise simply for earning their license. Do you ask for one the day it's official or wait a year or so and prove that you can do more than you could before?

Nov 13, 17 7:57 am  · 
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spiketwig

My firm offered a bonus ($1,500) for initial license but no pay increase. But I was able to push for an increase of a total of $10k thru in the ~18 months following getting my license. It came incrementally (asked and received an increase about 9 months after getting licensed and then got the max standard increase at annual reviews on top of that).

But the reason for the raise was ostensibly that I had taken on more responsibility - not because of the license per se, but I really only could have taken on the responsibilities WITH the license, so...it's related. 

Nov 13, 17 12:48 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

I got a $1,000 bonus for license plus reimbursement for exams passed, and $5k raise after license. Truth be told, to an owner $5k is not a lot of money especially of you are making then 3x$5k. I think the problem with most people is they get licensed but they are still thinking like a cad drafter employee. but sometimes its a trade off what you are learning/working on compared to a pay increase

Nov 13, 17 2:29 pm  · 
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thatsthat

Thanks for the responses! I've been told no raises for license or other reasons, but am hoping I can show I'm worth it (by taking as much as I can volunteer for) and intend to stick around for the long-term. I love the people I work with and the projects, but it's hard to stay when the pay is below average.

Nov 13, 17 5:09 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

I was told I wouldn't be getting a raise. Firm paid for exams and license. .... A few months later I was talking with the owners casually and they bumped me $10k. A few months later they repeated that. But I think my experience isn't normal. My salary is significantly higher than nearly all of my peers. (And I still don't own a suit).

Nov 14, 17 12:55 am  · 
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s=r*(theta)

thank God Ive made it through the really dark part of this career and have got a little breathing room. But at this point in my career I dont really concern myself w/ raise's & bonus's as much as I do building relationships

Nov 14, 17 5:29 pm  · 
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DeTwan

Architecture license remind me of the scene in Tommy Boy where Chris Farley start talking about how 'anyone can shit in a box and slap a guarantee on it'...

But then again I am a firm owner that clears over $100k in contracts a year, so you could say that I receive a lot of resumes that starchitects receive in their inbox....

I usually start my Harvard grads at $15 an hour and then we see where they stand after a 9 month trial period...most quit in the first 6.

Nov 14, 17 12:06 am  · 
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bowling_ball

Too funny.

Nov 14, 17 12:50 am  · 
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I'm not a robot

$100k revenue a year and you can afford employees?

Nov 14, 17 10:55 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

I remember rejecting my first job offer straight out of grad school... and the offer was $15/hr and that was 10 years ago.

Nov 14, 17 12:21 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

100k in an year hahaha. And you get Harvard graduates? GTFO

Nov 14, 17 5:19 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

Any one can put turds in a box but not everyone has an architecture license, so im hearing you put extreme value on the latter

Nov 14, 17 5:23 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

You guys don't get a consistent yearly raise? I get 1.5% automatically every year.

Nov 14, 17 10:48 am  · 
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randomised

Working in Europe I suppose.

Nov 14, 17 11:13 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

1.5% is typical for me too, as a base for everyone. More than that is dependant on performance.

Nov 14, 17 12:19 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

I know I'm going to hit a ceiling soon, but if I was offered less than ~6% per year, I'd definitely walk. I've averaged over 15% year-over-year, the last 5 years at the same firm. If you get less than 5%, you really don't value your own work (and neither do they).

Nov 14, 17 12:56 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

If I got 6% in the UK every year I'd be in the top 1% earners in the UK.

Nov 14, 17 1:33 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

6% or 15% per year is not sustainable and definitively not a minimum bench mark in any reasonable world. If that's what your getting, you likely accepted a position below market value.

Nov 14, 17 1:55 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

I dont get a consistent raise but I typically always get an annual bonus of $2k or more, one year it was $5k

Nov 14, 17 5:36 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

NS - only slightly true that I took a position for less than I thought I was worth, but I was unemployed and needed work. And at my first review 5 months later, I got a 20% raise. I've more than doubled my salary since starting here in early 2013. I've also become licensed and have taken on huge responsibility. I just wrapped up a $50M job and I'm starting another $35M project right now, both as PM.

Nov 14, 17 6:28 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

Like I said, I'm the exception and I'm fortunate. And I stand by my assertion that at least at the beginning of your career, you should be climbing the pay scale very quickly. I also said that this slows down.

Nov 14, 17 6:29 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

I can't tell if you earn a standard amount and started low or you're one of the top earners in our profession.

Nov 14, 17 6:39 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

I'll clarify further and say that while I took this job for less than I was probably worth, it was still more than my previous job by a couple percent. I have been very fortunate.

Nov 14, 17 6:49 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Bowling, that makes more sense... I can't imagine any junior wanker starting at, say 40k and moving to 46, 52, to nearly 60 in 3 years based on a 15% raise. You need to bring something seriously wicked to the office to get that level scratch.

Nov 14, 17 8:21 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

come to think of it, my raises at year one and two was 6% each time... then licensed in year 3 jumped me up another 20%. That quick increase made the next few years' cost of living only adjustments easier to manage.

Nov 14, 17 8:26 pm  · 
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archiwutm8

It's different but I did double my salary when I went to construction...

Nov 15, 17 2:00 am  · 
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molten

Our firm has a 5k automatic raise when you get licensed. I got licensed two months after my raise at the end of last year (+8.5%). Unless you're an associate/principal, you're billed at 3x your direct expense so the firm is earning no less money as a result of raises. Unless you're inefficient and slow.

Nov 15, 17 10:54 am  · 
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bowling_ball

NS, since I'm anonymous here and open, I'll tell you that I started at 40k in early 2013 and my raise and bonus this coming year will bring in $95k. So yes I'm doing something right, when you look at it that way.

Nov 15, 17 8:34 pm  · 
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spiketwig

^ in response to the annual raise thread

it's varied for me by office (west coast, US), but generally between 5%-10% annual increase is what I've seen. I've been told that 5% is the max allowable annual increase at my current place, but I'm equally confident that that's a line they feed us to keep our expectations low.. 

Nov 14, 17 4:12 pm  · 
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bowling_ball

If they say 5%, remember that 2% is just a straight cost of living increase, in which case you're really getting an increase of 3%. It's something, but it's not much. The largest jumps in salary come by getting a new job.

Nov 14, 17 6:31 pm  · 
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zonker

fees are down and schedules are shorter - more demands - its getting harder to prove value to justify increases

Nov 14, 17 4:34 pm  · 
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spiketwig

not if you can still deliver..

Nov 14, 17 5:49 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

No problems here.

Nov 14, 17 8:19 pm  · 
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Le Courvoisier

Xenakis, sounds like everyone only views you as a CAD monkey. No wonder you're so damn pessimistic.

Nov 14, 17 6:06 pm  · 
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chigurh

dude is the saddest bot on archinect.

Nov 14, 17 6:27 pm  · 
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