An increasing number of students are choosing to pursue architecture as a career, which is great for the field! But before you start thinking about how much money you will make as an architect, there’s one important thing you should know- what it actually costs to be trained as an architect.

Most people assume that becoming an architect is expensive, but in fact, some schools offer quite inexpensive programs. It is not uncommon to find college degree level courses at affordable prices!

However, this can be misleading, because most colleges have very large tuition fees that are hidden in the overall cost of the education. These additional expenses include things like student loans, living costs, and employment after graduation.

It is extremely difficult to estimate just how much it truly costs to become an architect, so we have compiled some hard numbers here!

We have included total undergraduate program costs, graduate school tuition fees, and average salaries for different levels of architects. So, if you want to learn more about the profession, you are all ready!

Understand that these costs will vary greatly depending on where you live and your personal spending habits, however. A student from the United States may be able to afford less than someone who lives in the Philippines, for example. Also, remember that even though some universities are relatively cheap, you still need to pay for groceries and utilities too!

Held every two years, The European Architectural Awards (EAA) recognize excellence across various architectural categories in Europe.

Infrastructure design

As we mentioned before, architects are paid more than other professionals that relate to architecture such as engineers or planners. This is due in part to two things: their higher education degree and the fact that they are well-paid consultants.

As an infrastructure designer, your job includes designing buildings, homes, parks, roads, etc. according to set standards so people can use them. For example, you would create designs for parking lots, apartment complexes, hospitals, and airports.

These types of designers are called landscape architects, urbanists, civil engineers, or environmental specialists. All of these degrees are considered professional levels because of the nature of what they study.

Landscape architects also collaborate with interior designers to make sure that spaces are aesthetically pleasing and fit the area’s surrounding natural resources.

Interior designers work mostly with space like bedrooms or offices where they can add decoration and features such as furniture. They are not limited to just walls either; they develop concepts for lighting, pool tables, even floor plans!

Architecture students must take courses in both building and non-building fields, which gives them a broad understanding of the field. Plus, being involved in the built environment makes money since everyone uses it every day!

The word “architect” comes from the Ancient Greek words arkhē (translated into English as architect) and technes (technical skill).

Architectural design

Beyond designing buildings, architects also work with other professionals in the field to create spaces that inspire people’s creativity and connect them to nature or culture. This is architectural design.

Mostly, an architect designs a space for someone else to use — a restaurant interior, a bedroom, or a living room. But some designers take control of their own ideas, creating furniture, decorations, or even whole rooms full of things like plates, glasses, and cutlery.

This is called product design. Some examples are the bed sheets at nightstand stores or glassware from pottery factories.

Architecture students usually learn about both types of design during their studies, but most move onto job roles where they only do one or the other. That’s because almost all architecture jobs focus on either product design or architectural design.

Interior design

As we already mentioned, interior designers are professionals who work with merchandise departments in stores to find new styles and designs they can implement into new products or remodel existing ones.

Interior decoration is an integral part of the shopping experience. Companies rely heavily upon creative people for marketing their products through the use of decorations and color schemes.

Marketing experts say that using colors and patterns effectively creates emotional responses in consumers, which may influence buying decisions.

As such, interior decorators get paid well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2013, average pay per hour for all levels of interior designer was $47,000. The lowest level earned around $30,000 per year and the highest $85,000 per year.

The BLS also reports that 80% of interior designers earn more than $50,000 per year. And like any other profession, higher income individuals tend to be more experienced while lower income individuals may not have enough clients to stay afloat.

Architects’ salaries depend on what area of architecture you choose to study and what kind of projects you want to pursue. General architects make less money than planners and urbanists, two specializations within architectural fields.

Urbanists focus on how cities function and plan to improve efficiency by studying things like zoning laws and transportational systems.

Landscape design

As we know, not every career is suited for everyone – especially when it comes to earning a salary. An architect’s income depends largely on two things: their area of expertise and how well they market themselves.

Landscape designers earn more than architects because they are directly interacting with nature. Thus, their services are typically costlier as nature doesn’t easily greet you with a “thank you” note!

On top of that, most landscape designs require much less planning and organization than an architecture project, making it easier to market yourself as a professional designer.

However, even though they don’t have to deal with too many internal politics or deadlines, landscape professionals still need to be organized and detail-oriented to keep up with all of the projects they work on.

Market your self as a professional designer

Just like any other profession, there are ways to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by potential employers. You can do this by establishing yourself as a reliable employee, practicing good time management skills, etc.

Construction management

Another popular way to be an architect is by becoming a construction manager or superintendent. This is typically done at projects that are underway, so there is no formal education needed for this career path.

Construction managers oversee all aspects of project completion. They manage vendors, work with contractors to complete tasks, and make sure everything goes according to plan.

They also keep up-to-date on current trends in design and building technology. Since most architects now have some sort of computer software designed especially to help create architectural drawings, developing your knowledge of these programs is important as you climb the ladder.

Architects who choose this route can earn anywhere from $50K-$100K per year, depending on their department and company!

Be aware though, not every architecture school offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in construction management, so check out what they offer before deciding where to go next.

Public relations

As mentioned earlier, architects are paid very differently depending on what field they work in. Some of the highest paying areas for practicing architecture include working as public relation professionals or marketing designers. Marketing experts design logos, brands, and advertisements to help companies gain recognition or improve their image.

Architects that do this are usually not designing buildings, but instead creating logos, brochures, posters, or advertisement layouts. These designs often focus more on aesthetics than practicality.

Public relations professionals work with other people and/or businesses to promote an idea or product. They may talk positively about the products and services being marketed, connect them to others in the industry, or use media to spread the word.

These professionals typically earn higher wages because they require at least some knowledge of communication theory and practices.

Generalist marketers also need knowledge of social psychology and how humans respond to stimuli, so it is not totally unrelated. However, since PR professionals deal mostly with corporations, their income depends largely on whether or not the company can pay well-paying jobs such as described above.

Financial planning

A lot of people consider architecture to be a lucrative career, but financial planning is what really makes it strong. As such, many architects have their own personal finance websites or blogs that they update regularly to share tips for saving money, investing well, and keeping up with trends in the field.

Mostly, these professionals talk about how to achieve your dreams as an architect by putting away some money now for your future retirement.

They also let others know about great stock market companies and how to invest in them. Some tell of hard lessons learned from past investments and poor decisions.

These insights are very valuable to anyone who wants to develop his or her knowledge in investment theory and practice.

Generalizing

Financial planners generalize this information so that it can apply to any person. For example, someone could read about why you should not buy expensive brand name products and then find out which company made those recommendations for reasons beyond just branding.

Their reasoning may include research and logic that applies to individuals outside of marketing budgets.

Image via shutterstock.com

This article has discussed several examples of ways that successful financiers do not get involved in overpriced gimmicks. They instead invest in brands that offer solid quality merchandise at affordable prices.

More important than the price is whether this product works for you.