<p>in this economy, you’d be very lucky to even have a job as a starting grad…</p>
<p>But starting salaries for someone with an accredited arch degree generally range from 30k-50k, depending where you work, and what kind of firm (starchitect, small firm, construction company, corporate firm…).</p>
<p>Type of Firm:
Corporate firms pay the best (around 45k in NYC) and starchitect firms usually pay the worst (OMA will pay you 400 euros a month). </p>
<p>Location:
NYC salaries tend to be higher because of the cost of living. In places like Arizona and Ohio where cost of living is low, salaries are generally lower but you probably end up saving a lot more money. </p>
<p>Starting architecture grads earn very little because they come out of school with very little leverage to the industry, unless you have a particular skillset to offer that very few people have. This is why it would be useful to get some internship experience before you graduate. </p>
<p>You have to look at the long term salaries to really understand why starting grads earn so little. Salaries are very dependent on experience because schools don’t teach you what you need to know in the real world. Once you are much more proficient in the profession, you have a much higher earning power because you will be very useful to the firm. But that is not to say that starting grads are useless because they bring in fresh ideas, new perspectives, and new skillsets. Firms usually want to invest in very talented graduates. </p>
<p>People who run their own firm or are principals of the firm can earn a lot of money…but that takes a lot of gut, hard work, persistence, and talent. During a good period, principals at corporate firms (from my observation) can earn around 160k a year + bonus. Partners earn a lot more because they buy part of the firm, meaning they can earn a lot during a good year but also lose a lot in a bad year. </p>
<p>In a down cycle like this one though, even experienced people will be laid off. That is just the nature of the industry</p>