Yesterday, the AIA released its biennial Compensation Survey, which provides salary data at U.S. architecture firms. The report reveals that average compensation for staff positions rose 3.5 percent since early 2013 (or 1.75 percent per year), with increases for the major architectural staff categories, which include senior design and project management staff; architects and designers; and interns.
The AIA reports that the compensation gains are modest, but have outpaced low inflation levels in the U.S. economy, and are expected to accelerate as the market continues to improve, as shown by healthy growth in the Architecture Billings Index (ABI).
Following the recession, which experienced an average of less than 1 percent in annual compensation increases, this survey shows that the industry is gaining momentum. However, the current pace of growth is also below averages for the profession in the past two decades, when annual compensation increases ranged between 4–5 percent.
In the report, AIA introduced a new feature: a free salary calculator which provides mean and median salaries for 17 architectural staff positions, with breakdowns by geographic region and firm size.
Check out the 2013 report here.
To order the full 2015 report, visit store.aia.org.
Check back for more comprehensive coverage of the report’s findings on industry trends.
