A rising number of young people are choosing to become architects, which is great because it means more architectural opportunities! But before you start taking classes or picking an architecture school, making sure your career path as an architect is clear can be tricky.

Mostly made up of professionals in their early-20s, there isn’t really anyone “over 30” who works as an architect anymore. This can make it difficult to find out what kind of employment opportunities exist beyond serving as an assistant designer during projects or being hired full time at a firm that has already filled those positions.

The good news is that these challenges are not unique to older architects. It’s the same thing that happens to any other profession that grows slowly - just look at how many twenty something accountants and lawyers we have around today! So instead of feeling discouraged about the future, use this opportunity to do some research and figure out what opportunities are available to you as an architect.

This article will go into detail about some things that influence the salary of an architect and how much they pay themselves. It will also talk about ways to manage your own personal income while still sticking to your dreams of becoming an architect.

Create a job title for an architect

Creating a job title as architecture director, lead designer or project manager is one of the first things you should do when starting your career in architecture.

These are all good jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree in design but not necessarily an advanced degree like master’s or doctorate. You can also have an architectural associate’s degree with a focus on leadership or business skills, which are important to succeed as an architect.

But before you start applying for those positions, you need to know what the salary range is for each position! The average income for an architecture director, for example, is $80-100k per year.

Describe the job

As an architect, you will design buildings and landscapes, shaping what people can look at and exploring how they feel about it. You will work with other professionals such as interior designers, landscape architects, engineers, and planners to achieve your goals.

Architects are also responsible for creating architectural drawings of the space or area being designed. These diagrams help show others what the space looks like later when building codes require them, or to create plans for future construction projects.

These spaces and areas include houses, offices, malls, schools, hospitals, hotels, resorts, and more. Some even encompass entire cities! After earning their bachelor’s degree in architecture, most get a professional master’s degree in planning or urban studies, spurring them to pursue certification as a registered architect.

Some choose to go onto doctorate level programs to become a licensed architect, which takes additional exams and courses. Others choose not to be certified but still practice under the same rules.

Salaries vary depending on several factors including geographical location, experience, education, and profession. The average annual salary is around $80,000 per year.

Most employers offer some type of benefits, such as health insurance, retirement savings accounts, and paid vacations. Many have social events organized by the company that promote teamwork and communication skills.

Editor's note: This article was written and published by our friends at Mpowerment.org.

Identify the requirements for the job

Like any career, being an architect requires that you are well educated in some specific field. You have to be at least bachelor’s level degree-qualified in architecture before you can be considered for employment as an architectural designer. Beyond that, most employers look more into how much experience you have than what school you attended.

Architectural designers work very closely with other professionals outside of their own department, so having extra education or training in business, engineering, mathematics, physics, or another related field would help you grow within the organization.

Salaries depend mostly upon three main factors: your educational background, your professional experience, and the market value of your services. The average salary for architects is pretty close guarded information, but we do know that it tends to increase as you gain more experience.

Generalist architects may make slightly less money than people who focus more narrowly on one area like designing furniture or building structures. People with only a masters degree will probably earn a lower pay grade than those with a Ph.D.-level degree.

Research architecture salaries

Recent reports have determined that the average salary in this field is roughly $80,000 per year! This includes both paid positions as well as being an unpaid professional (or “volunteer” architect).

Some sources report lower numbers though- including The Architect’s Association who state that the median income of an architectural designer is only $52,500 per annum!

It should be noted that these figures are heavily influenced by where you live. An individual with identical qualifications may find themselves earning very different amounts depending on whether their city is rich or poor.

Furthermore, education levels play a major role in what people earn. More qualified architects typically command higher wages than those with less training. These two points can easily influence the average figure hugely!

Architecture is a skilled profession which requires at least an undergraduate degree to enter into most fields. Unfortunately, not every student chooses to pursue this route once they start studying it.

This could mean spending several years after graduation without any formal pay.

Become an architect

Now that you have your bachelor’s degree in art, design or architecture, it is time to think about what next. Many people begin working as architects right away after graduation, but there are several different routes one can take before actually getting employed.

Most aspiring architects start out in either business administration or marketing. Both of these areas influence how well you do business so they are important courses of study for future employers.

Business management is also a good way to hone your leadership skills since you will be leading a team of professionals towards a common goal.

Marketing is also very helpful because most architects need to know how to market their services so they can get work done.

Another career option is teaching which requires a masters degree at the least. A teacher must complete additional coursework to obtain his/her certification which depends on the state he/she works in.

Teaching positions usually require a graduate diploma or certificate along with a master’s degree.

Find an architecture job

Now that you have your portfolio, website, and degree in place, it is time to look for work! Finding employment as an architect can be tricky, even with all of your credentials. Most architects are experienced at requiring a high level of proficiency from their employees, so chances are if you’re not performing your job correctly then people will notice.

As such, the next step is finding someone else who can use you as a professional service provider and pay you for it. This is where most architects lose out, because most think that employers should hire them or they would go find one themselves.

It is true that most large companies do not need much help designing buildings, but there are always opportunities somewhere beyond those doors. By being aware of these opportunities and actively seeking them out, you will more likely succeed in finding work.

Some ways to do this include talking to past employers, attending events, publishing your own resume, and creating a social media profile.

Approach your boss with more job offers

As we mentioned earlier, being able to negotiate effectively is an important skill in any profession. If you’re not sure how to approach your manager about compensation, there are some easy things you can do to get a better deal.

First, make it clear that you're looking outside of your current employer for opportunities. Most employers don't like when their employees search for new positions, so if you want to explore other options, be careful what you say to others about your career goals.

Second, keep track of all the information you gather about potential employers and projects. You'll probably have to speak with several people at different companies, and chances are good you will need to compare notes or even ask similar questions multiple times.

By using tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google, you can easily store all this information.

Get an advice from a mentor

It is very difficult to determine what it costs to be an architect without knowing how much money you have in your savings or whether you are willing to sacrifice savings to become an architect.

Most architects begin their career with no pay except perhaps a free lunch once every few weeks. This is why the number one question most people ask is “How can I afford to be an architect?”

The answer is quite simple, however. You cannot be an architecture unless you have enough income to pay your bills while also investing in professional development.

This means that even if you are working as a entry level designer, you must understand the basics of designing buildings so that you can take on larger projects later. Or, if you are already a practicing architect, you must ensure that you are educating yourself by attending lectures and seminars.

You need to develop these skills if you want to keep up with the ever-changing field of architectural design.