think of it this way, someone who has never worked in the field at all (like a waiter, or delivery driver) might not have the skills that you have. I would think that your experience in Commercial Interiors and Planning would help you more then some one who has 100 % unrelated experience. You probably have the skills that they are looking for, so you might be able to negotiate

The short answer is "yes".

If you find a firm that needs some help with space planning, you're super-qualified. The danger is being pigeonholed into becoming the office's "space planning guy (gal)" when you want to actually do more general architecture. But you can negotiate that as you work by showing your interest in other areas. In the actual job search, absolutely consider your previous experience as a valuable commodity.

If you're told that you're getting a higher than average starting salary because of your years of related experience, make sure to factor in whether this is a salaried position and if so whether you're actually missing out because of not getting overtime.
Architecture firms often like it when they can concretely establish that someone right out of architecture school actually has some years of experience. This is because ordinarily a person with less than a year of fulltime experience in the field can't be classified as Exempt Professional and so is supposed to be paid time and a half for all overtime. But, if you have the year or more of experience then in most states you can be legally considered exempt and paid straight salary.
So new hires are often happy to hear that the firm "values experience" and is therefore starting them at a higher salary than usual. Only to figure out down the road that if they were getting the standard entry-level hourly rate plus overtime they'd really be making more money.

I do think that many firms will be interested in this experience and that it should serve you well in getting your foot in the door. Just the facts that you've worked in a professional setting, probably have experience dealing with clients, probably have used CAD in an office, etc. will be good to stress - because it's easy for an employer to understand how these things directly transfer to the architecture firm setting. It's so much more difficult with someone who has no experience at all to determine how the school projects they describe in their cover letter have anything at all to do with whether they can function in an office.

Thanks much - this helps a lot! Now here's for pushing it: any rough guesses on what percentage might be reasonable to add, based on said experience, to the basic starting salary?

What job title is it that you are applying for? I might suggest using a Project Manager salary range for NY…seems to fit the bill?

What job title is it that you are applying for? I might suggest using a Project Manager salary range for NY…seems to fit the bill?

I've been in a similar conundrum as to how to quantify my 6 years wasted in hollywood as a set designer and art director. Having project management experience puts you ahead of the game and is the most valuable part of what you did before. a fast and loose rule is to assume that your time in a parallel career is worth 50% of the time when applied to architecture experience. S-bart, this assumes you know your way around CAD, handling meetings, and have a good work ethic...

The other side of the situation is that you don't know the market type and technical parts of creating architecture. even if you accept entry level pay, you should anticipate a meteoric rise in your responsibility and pay that will quickly exceed where you were pre M-arch... So don't dispare if you don't get offered gobs of money, it will follow once you paid your dues and prove your worth.

The first job is the hardest to figure out you're worth to all firms, the next one will be much easier.

A good opening tactict for you is, cite your previous billable rate as a space planner. Your seven years won't have been wasted in the long term.

good luck

Thanks, all!