Hi everyone I was wondering if I could please get some insight here. I am looking to go to graduate school at Pratt Institute for Architecture. I am trying to find out just how the job market is for it and just what I can expect ahead of me in terms of finding a job when I graduate. Thank you all for your insights and if it matters I live in New York State in the Long Island/New York City area. Thanks and take care folks!
nickmarsala
Jul 13, 17 8:56 am
Ok that's a start. Could you go into more detail?
randomised
Jul 13, 17 9:33 am
How will anyone here know what the prospects are in a couple of years, for you personally when you graduate, hell, if you even get in. What if you suck at it and have a shitty portfolio, no boom or bubble is going to save you.
ArchNyen
Jul 16, 17 10:43 pm
=D
nickmarsala
Jul 13, 17 1:00 pm
Ok take it easy. I was just asking what the situation is
tduds
Jul 13, 17 1:07 pm
The situation is... pretty good now but crashes every approx 12 years.
If you want to stay in NY be prepared for higher highs and lower lows. If you're good enough you'll find a good job, but the bar for 'good enough' moves inversely with the economy.
archinine
Jul 13, 17 1:22 pm
Pratt grads have a pretty decent chance in NYC as the school is known locally and of course there is a network. That will not save you from any aforementioned impending doom.
Keep in mind the tuition is very high as are the costs of living. Due to the surplus of architects in NYC the average pay is substantially lower than the national average, further compunding the struggle in affording to live there.
Outside the northeast and some academics at sci arc, pratt isn't that well known. It is however a pretty good school. Grad isn't as good as undergrad but is still better than many. As with any school, you get out of it what you put into it. Expect most of your peers to be moderately to extremely wealthy.
nickmarsala
Jul 13, 17 2:48 pm
Well that is a good point about the salary concerns regarding living in this area. I'm well aware that it's very expensive to live here and that it keeps continuing to go up. That hit that you guys seem to take every 12 years doesn't sound too comforting. Thank you for telling about this.
Miles Jaffe
Jul 13, 17 8:53 pm
Jaffe's Second Law: If you need a lawyer, it's already too late.
Volunteer
Jul 13, 17 9:18 pm
You are going to pay $61,000 a year total costs to go to an expensive private school and study architecture? Perhaps you should read the architect's salary survey where a graduate a few years out with a Master's in Architecture from Harvard reports making $15 a hour. If you must study architecture at least have the smarts to find a good state school you like, move to that state and establish residency, and then attend for about $20,000 a year total.
Wilma Buttfit
Jul 13, 17 9:34 pm
I need to hire a Harvard grad then.
nickmarsala
Jul 13, 17 11:03 pm
Do you really believe architecture graduates are making $15 an hour?
Volunteer
Jul 14, 17 6:22 am
Look, go to the salary survey yourself. You can isolate those respondents any which way you want, i.e. Harvard/Yale/Princeton grads with Masters degree in Architecture or whatever. You will be grossly overpaying for a degree that underpays for a profession. Add in the costs of living in New York City and the loan repayments plus interest and it just isn't feasible. This may not be what you want to hear, in which case please ignore it.
Wilma Buttfit
Jul 14, 17 5:29 pm
I think you could get $20 an hour, maybe more. That's just a wild guess/hope. No data here.
Non Sequitur
Jul 13, 17 9:45 pm
$20k a year is still way too much.
shellarchitect
Jul 14, 17 6:38 am
We have a BS Arch grad making $13 an hour, pretty sad.
Non Sequitur
Jul 14, 17 8:19 am
Ha, that was the first offer I got coming out of grad school back in 2009. I rejected it flat out in front of the principle, then rejected the $15 counter offered by phone the next day. Min wage was $9.50 back then I think. Got a much larger offer two days later anyways.
Josh Mings
Jul 14, 17 12:55 pm
Yeah - I made $15/hr as an intern while in school. I'm hoping that person isn't in a large city.
shellarchitect
Jul 14, 17 12:59 pm
bigger balls than I. made $13 after undergrad in 2006, did that for a summer than was pretty excited to be up to 45k
Wilma Buttfit
Jul 14, 17 5:31 pm
My first job paid $13 an hour too. I wasn't worth much at first but moved up quick enough.
archinine
Jul 14, 17 7:31 am
I believe the going rate in larger cities is closer to $20/hr for an intern. Could be wrong. May be time for some people to stop pandering to the stars and wannabe stars. Don't mcdonalds workers get $15 now? Sad for us. Good for fast food workers.
nickmarsala
Jul 14, 17 11:46 am
Well if people are being paid so little I don't see how or why anyone would go into this.
tduds
Jul 14, 17 12:20 pm
Passion. And not all of us are underpaid. Just privileged untalented suckers.
Non Sequitur
Jul 14, 17 1:19 pm
depends what you consider to be underpaid Nick. My first salary coming out of grad school was already above my city's average. Fools who take unpaid (slave) or low-pay gigs are the ones complaining the loudest.
Josh Mings
Jul 14, 17 1:49 pm
There are definitely some that are underpaid. A friend of mine had (just got hired) been on a job search for a while and she sent me a listing from a firm looking for 5 years experience and preferably licensed but only paying between $35-42k.
randomised
Jul 14, 17 2:21 pm
By all means, please don't, run away as fast as you can.
archinine
Jul 14, 17 5:22 pm
@Chris my thoughts exactly. I took a similar route to non-sequitor. It's important to know when 'no' is the right answer. The same could be said when taking on/dealing with certain clients. Perhaps the greatest failure in our industry...too many yes men.
Peter Normand
Jul 14, 17 11:21 pm
First look up the salary surveys for our profession and compare that to the loan payments (assuming you have loans) and think about the lifestyle you imagine yourself having. Architects don't make a lot when they start out, and we are early casualties when a recession hits so it is a good idea to have an aggressive savings goal until you have a few month in expenses saved up. This cushion is good to bridge the gaps and to cover you if you have to bail on a firm for your own sanity and or career goals.
Also consider the tons of non designer careers that may diverge or detour from architecture.
I say right now for the next year things look good.
Hi everyone I was wondering if I could please get some insight here. I am looking to go to graduate school at Pratt Institute for Architecture. I am trying to find out just how the job market is for it and just what I can expect ahead of me in terms of finding a job when I graduate. Thank you all for your insights and if it matters I live in New York State in the Long Island/New York City area. Thanks and take care folks!
Ok that's a start. Could you go into more detail?
How will anyone here know what the prospects are in a couple of years, for you personally when you graduate, hell, if you even get in. What if you suck at it and have a shitty portfolio, no boom or bubble is going to save you.
=D
Ok take it easy. I was just asking what the situation is
The situation is... pretty good now but crashes every approx 12 years.
If you want to stay in NY be prepared for higher highs and lower lows. If you're good enough you'll find a good job, but the bar for 'good enough' moves inversely with the economy.
Pratt grads have a pretty decent chance in NYC as the school is known locally and of course there is a network. That will not save you from any aforementioned impending doom.
Keep in mind the tuition is very high as are the costs of living. Due to the surplus of architects in NYC the average pay is substantially lower than the national average, further compunding the struggle in affording to live there.
Outside the northeast and some academics at sci arc, pratt isn't that well known. It is however a pretty good school. Grad isn't as good as undergrad but is still better than many. As with any school, you get out of it what you put into it. Expect most of your peers to be moderately to extremely wealthy.
Well that is a good point about the salary concerns regarding living in this area. I'm well aware that it's very expensive to live here and that it keeps continuing to go up. That hit that you guys seem to take every 12 years doesn't sound too comforting. Thank you for telling about this.
Jaffe's Second Law: If you need a lawyer, it's already too late.
You are going to pay $61,000 a year total costs to go to an expensive private school and study architecture? Perhaps you should read the architect's salary survey where a graduate a few years out with a Master's in Architecture from Harvard reports making $15 a hour. If you must study architecture at least have the smarts to find a good state school you like, move to that state and establish residency, and then attend for about $20,000 a year total.
I need to hire a Harvard grad then.
Do you really believe architecture graduates are making $15 an hour?
Look, go to the salary survey yourself. You can isolate those respondents any which way you want, i.e. Harvard/Yale/Princeton grads with Masters degree in Architecture or whatever. You will be grossly overpaying for a degree that underpays for a profession. Add in the costs of living in New York City and the loan repayments plus interest and it just isn't feasible. This may not be what you want to hear, in which case please ignore it.
I think you could get $20 an hour, maybe more. That's just a wild guess/hope. No data here.
$20k a year is still way too much.
We have a BS Arch grad making $13 an hour, pretty sad.
Ha, that was the first offer I got coming out of grad school back in 2009. I rejected it flat out in front of the principle, then rejected the $15 counter offered by phone the next day. Min wage was $9.50 back then I think. Got a much larger offer two days later anyways.
Yeah - I made $15/hr as an intern while in school. I'm hoping that person isn't in a large city.
bigger balls than I. made $13 after undergrad in 2006, did that for a summer than was pretty excited to be up to 45k
My first job paid $13 an hour too. I wasn't worth much at first but moved up quick enough.
I believe the going rate in larger cities is closer to $20/hr for an intern. Could be wrong. May be time for some people to stop pandering to the stars and wannabe stars. Don't mcdonalds workers get $15 now? Sad for us. Good for fast food workers.
Well if people are being paid so little I don't see how or why anyone would go into this.
Passion. And not all of us are underpaid. Just privileged untalented suckers.
depends what you consider to be underpaid Nick. My first salary coming out of grad school was already above my city's average. Fools who take unpaid (slave) or low-pay gigs are the ones complaining the loudest.
There are definitely some that are underpaid. A friend of mine had (just got hired) been on a job search for a while and she sent me a listing from a firm looking for 5 years experience and preferably licensed but only paying between $35-42k.
By all means, please don't, run away as fast as you can.
@Chris my thoughts exactly. I took a similar route to non-sequitor. It's important to know when 'no' is the right answer. The same could be said when taking on/dealing with certain clients. Perhaps the greatest failure in our industry...too many yes men.
First look up the salary surveys for our profession and compare that to the loan payments (assuming you have loans) and think about the lifestyle you imagine yourself having. Architects don't make a lot when they start out, and we are early casualties when a recession hits so it is a good idea to have an aggressive savings goal until you have a few month in expenses saved up. This cushion is good to bridge the gaps and to cover you if you have to bail on a firm for your own sanity and or career goals.
Also consider the tons of non designer careers that may diverge or detour from architecture.
I say right now for the next year things look good.
Over and OUT
Peter N