ok so we all know architects are underpaid, work long hours, and don't really design til they turn 40...
entry level salary for architects is low. but unlike most careers, the rate in which its salary rises over a period of time increases dramatically.
like what my critic said, i think this is all a process that architects go through. i think the hardwork pays off in the end and allows architects to do things no one else gets to do.
architecture is probably grueling but i think with an architecture degree, you can diversify yourself and explore many new possibilities.
i think a lot of people here on this forum are going through the toughest stage in their career. i know many architects out there who earn very good money and enjoy what they're doing.
but i'm still in high school so i wouldn't really understand. it's depressing knowing that i probably won't be paid all that well and will be working my ass off detailing some door handle or bathroom. but i love architecture, and cannot find myself doing something else that i would really enjoy doing....when i'm 40 of course.
i agree with steven,
though i haven't been working for as long, i couldn't see myself doing anything else. most of my friends have jobs that don't relate to their degrees at all and they hate what they are doing. work sucks sometimes, but every job sucks sometimes.
this week, i actually got a bonus, was interviewed by the weekly newspaper, and sort of enjoy the project i am working on. all things that have made me feel good about what i am doing.
It's not that bad. Just remain focused and concentrate on your priorities (these differ for everyone). Plan ahead so you can be flexible and have more control over your trajectory. One of my professors stressed the importance to have 'F*&^ You' money so that if you ever find yourself in a situation like some of the posts you have seen on this site you can simply walk away. Quit and move on until you find a better fit. There are firms out there that do good work, have fun doing it, and make a decent living too.
The path one's career can take is soo broad. There are architects who seek fame and adoration within the profession. There are those who could care less and still do great work. Its a profession that sometimes seems to market more to itself than to the general public, which I think really skews priorities and value within the profession. In the end you just have to decide where you lie within the spectrum and do what you love to do.
if you go through your career, doing what you're 'supposed to do', building your connections, moving up in your firm, etc...
1. there is a small chance you will actually be able to sustain your own firm.
2. there is a smaller chance you'll actually have full creative freedom (i.e. small chance you will have ideal clients)
the odds are against you if you take the predictable route.
what might be more fulfilling is to design your own unconventional route... design a way out of boring conventions. you might fail, and the odds may be stacked even more against you, but at least you won't be bored.
otherwise be prepared to be asking yourself, "is this as good as it gets?" even when you have achieved success in conventional terms.
justin: most of us on this site are still IN architecture, or at least peripherally related to it, so are generally the ones who do not feel that it's all that bad. It's good enough to keep many of us busy, keep some of us happy at least some of the time, and keep us interested enough to come here to read/write about it. So no, it's not so bad.
But: a lot of your posts seem to center around the monetary aspects. And your statement in this thread that the rate at which salaries increase in architecture is "dramatic" concerns me a little. There's another thread on here today with a link to this article: http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/15/pf/training_pay/index.htm in which it states that the median salary for SENIOR ARCHITECTS is about 68k. This is no dramatic increase. Similarly, the most recent AIA salary surveys show an average salary of about 85k for someone who is at senior managemant level (usually someone with 15+ years of experience.) These are salaries that a person can live on, yes - but in many other fields in which a professional education is required these would be close to average starting salaries - not salaries for seasoned professionals!
Sure, there are a lot of people who make more than the average or mean salaries - but by definition there are also people making less. It's hard to do a lot better unless you're an owner of a firm. And yet that's a very risky business - the majority of small firms fail within the first few years.
I've seen research that states that at least half of people who graduate with B.Arch degrees leave the field within their first five years. This seems to correlate with NCARB data that shows that only about half of all people who start IDP records ever finish their exams.
It's a long, grueling process with comparatively little financial reward. If you're in it for that then RUN. GET OUT NOW. But if you think you can stick it out and that you're in it for other reasons then stick with it and see how it goes.
Aug 16, 05 10:34 pm ·
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is it all that bad?
ok so we all know architects are underpaid, work long hours, and don't really design til they turn 40...
entry level salary for architects is low. but unlike most careers, the rate in which its salary rises over a period of time increases dramatically.
like what my critic said, i think this is all a process that architects go through. i think the hardwork pays off in the end and allows architects to do things no one else gets to do.
architecture is probably grueling but i think with an architecture degree, you can diversify yourself and explore many new possibilities.
i think a lot of people here on this forum are going through the toughest stage in their career. i know many architects out there who earn very good money and enjoy what they're doing.
but i'm still in high school so i wouldn't really understand. it's depressing knowing that i probably won't be paid all that well and will be working my ass off detailing some door handle or bathroom. but i love architecture, and cannot find myself doing something else that i would really enjoy doing....when i'm 40 of course.
we only have one lifetime to live don't we?
comments. criticism. thank you.
we do it because we don't think we can be happy doing anything else.
...and because there are moments that are really good.
keep a positive attitude, justin. i've been at it for two decades now and it's still the only thing i want to do.
i agree with steven,
though i haven't been working for as long, i couldn't see myself doing anything else. most of my friends have jobs that don't relate to their degrees at all and they hate what they are doing. work sucks sometimes, but every job sucks sometimes.
this week, i actually got a bonus, was interviewed by the weekly newspaper, and sort of enjoy the project i am working on. all things that have made me feel good about what i am doing.
It's not that bad. Just remain focused and concentrate on your priorities (these differ for everyone). Plan ahead so you can be flexible and have more control over your trajectory. One of my professors stressed the importance to have 'F*&^ You' money so that if you ever find yourself in a situation like some of the posts you have seen on this site you can simply walk away. Quit and move on until you find a better fit. There are firms out there that do good work, have fun doing it, and make a decent living too.
The path one's career can take is soo broad. There are architects who seek fame and adoration within the profession. There are those who could care less and still do great work. Its a profession that sometimes seems to market more to itself than to the general public, which I think really skews priorities and value within the profession. In the end you just have to decide where you lie within the spectrum and do what you love to do.
see the NY Times article on gossiping
no it's not that bad. you have the same moments in every job. we just like to complain a lot
if you go through your career, doing what you're 'supposed to do', building your connections, moving up in your firm, etc...
1. there is a small chance you will actually be able to sustain your own firm.
2. there is a smaller chance you'll actually have full creative freedom (i.e. small chance you will have ideal clients)
the odds are against you if you take the predictable route.
what might be more fulfilling is to design your own unconventional route... design a way out of boring conventions. you might fail, and the odds may be stacked even more against you, but at least you won't be bored.
otherwise be prepared to be asking yourself, "is this as good as it gets?" even when you have achieved success in conventional terms.
justin: most of us on this site are still IN architecture, or at least peripherally related to it, so are generally the ones who do not feel that it's all that bad. It's good enough to keep many of us busy, keep some of us happy at least some of the time, and keep us interested enough to come here to read/write about it. So no, it's not so bad.
But: a lot of your posts seem to center around the monetary aspects. And your statement in this thread that the rate at which salaries increase in architecture is "dramatic" concerns me a little. There's another thread on here today with a link to this article: http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/15/pf/training_pay/index.htm in which it states that the median salary for SENIOR ARCHITECTS is about 68k. This is no dramatic increase. Similarly, the most recent AIA salary surveys show an average salary of about 85k for someone who is at senior managemant level (usually someone with 15+ years of experience.) These are salaries that a person can live on, yes - but in many other fields in which a professional education is required these would be close to average starting salaries - not salaries for seasoned professionals!
Sure, there are a lot of people who make more than the average or mean salaries - but by definition there are also people making less. It's hard to do a lot better unless you're an owner of a firm. And yet that's a very risky business - the majority of small firms fail within the first few years.
I've seen research that states that at least half of people who graduate with B.Arch degrees leave the field within their first five years. This seems to correlate with NCARB data that shows that only about half of all people who start IDP records ever finish their exams.
It's a long, grueling process with comparatively little financial reward. If you're in it for that then RUN. GET OUT NOW. But if you think you can stick it out and that you're in it for other reasons then stick with it and see how it goes.
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