Need Advice! How much??

[JB_arch]

Hello,

 

I've scoured the web and the salary websites in hopes of finding out the big question: how much am I worth? I know there's the big survey thing, but I don't know where I fall in.

 

I have an interview on Tuesday with an architectural visualization company in hopes of working as an intern or a full fledged employee; however, I don't know how much to ask for.

 

I have more than 10 years experience (dad, a Mech. engineer with Autodesk AutoCAD (all versions), Architectural Desktop, Inventor, Impression, VIZ, and I'm a volunteer beta tester for Autodesk too. I'm fairly proficient at creating realistic renders. I have a growing portfolio, and two years of architecture and construction classes under me also. In addition, I am the pseudo-architect (I've done all the designs, the drawings, material research, presentations, meeting with client, creating renders, etc. - yes, a PE and a real architect have the final say) for a 6000 sqare foot interior addition for where I work now.

 

I'm 19 by the way. I'll be 20 in May.

 

If anyone can give me a really rough estimate, please let me know. I just don't want to make a fool of myself!

 

~JB

[alexg]

wow, you start early.

10 years of exp, only 19 now? did you start rendering at 9?

 

at 9 I was still playing Lego

[STRAT]

10 years experience and only being 19 wont hold much water. experience in this trade is about professional experience. your time working with others where real design and money is concerned.

 

but, if you have a good 10 year cad grounding you should already have a drop dead beautiful portfolio right?

 

in the uk, no matter what past experience you might have, if your 19 then your professional experience is 1-2 years max, so you'll probably start in a firm on a wage of maybe £15-20K if your lucky. (about $30-40K). freelancing gives you scope to earn ALOT more of course. but then, that is also down to experience.

[STRAT]

 

at 9 I was still playing Lego

 

lol, actually so was i must be the age thing.

[Ernest Burden III]

Nothing wrong with Legos! My sons play with them every day, my younger son is in the basement right now building things. Its great practice for 3D thinking. Frank Lloyd Wright always credited his mother for getting him some interesting European building block at an early age--said that's where his design skills started to be developed. Legos are good. I played with them a lot when I was a kid.

 

To be honest, at 20 you aren't likely to be offered $35K - $40K. There are teachers with Masters degrees in this country that don't start at that. It's not a matter of whether you're worth a salary like that, just that its unlikely at your age. That doesn't sound fair but be prepared. In fact, I think New York City police start at less than that, and they have to go out expecting to be shot at every day.

 

But here's another thing--get out and do something else. You've worked so hard in design and rendering already what you need is a break, not a job to take up all your time. I have been a working architectural renderer since i was 16, and by 20 I had my own studio (just me, but it was my own business). I never backpacked through Europe, never went to college, never did a lot of the things that other people did when they were that young. And now, a quarter century later, what the hell does it matter whether I worked in arch-vis when I was 20, versus 25? Not one smelly little bit. I did what I had to do at the time, but if you have a choice take it slower than you have so far. Sure, take the job if its offered, but maybe take it part-time, or at least get a decent amount of time off in exchange for the low salary you may be offered. You can't do good art if you don't understand the world, and you don't learn about the world sitting in a dark room all day and night.

 

Oh, and your potential employer probably reads this board.

[JB_arch]

Thanks for the input!

 

As for how long I've been using CAD - my dad's a mechanical engineer, and instead of letting me play video games or watch TV, he loaded AutoCAD LT on the home computer when I was 6 or 7, and gave me lots of Legos . Then every few months he'd load something new - SolidWorks, ProE, Inventor, etc. So, by the time I was 9 I had a pretty good grasp on CAD.

 

And Ernest, I understand your comment about getting out and doing something else. That's always in the back of my mind, but you know how it is. It always come down to money... hence the job. Maybe in a few years I can take that trip to Europe, get ideas. And, I am in college full time.

 

And I am almost certain my potential employer reads this board. That's how I found out about that particular company! However, I hope they don't think poorly of me for doing research. I just don't want to go into this blindly or sounding greedy.

 

Again, thank you!

[Ernest Burden III]

It always come down to money... hence the job. Maybe in a few years I can take that trip to Europe, get ideas.

 

I'm just telling you that is where I was when I was your age. I needed to work to pay my rent and bills and so I spent most of my time working instead of doing what young people are supposed to be doing. I found some time to skateboard, but not much else. But you can't go back and be 20 again. 'Maybe in a few years' means never. I know of what I speak. I'm old enough to know what mistakes I've made in my life (so far, I'm not done making mistakes) and I'm seeing you repeating some of mine.

 

My son is 12 and has been working with 3D software since he was 4. He's amazingly good. Do you think I'll be advising him to rush out at 18 to get immersed in the arch-vis business? I will not! My father was an architectural renderer, and he never bothered to warn me. In fact he got his renderer friend to hire me as a studio assistant at 16. I've worked every day in rendering since then.

 

If you are good enough to get a pro job now you will be just as good in a year or two. A word to the wise is sufficient.

[Devin Johnston]

Listen to what Ernest is saying, he speaks the truth.

 

I think it highly unlikely that you'll get a job making more than minimum wage unless you can demonstrate that you can do more than just pick up red marks and make copies. Architectural intern’s fresh out of school with a 5 year degree won't make more than 40K unless they have an outstanding portfolio and lots of real world experience. My advice would be to stay in school and don't burden yourself with a job right now. When you get out in 4 years you will have the rest of your life to work, take advantage of the opportunities that college affords you.

[Sawyer]

I guess my advice would also be stay away from work for as long as possible. If you can't do that I wouldn't work at a firm. Work at Borders or a resturant. Resturant work sucks but it doesn't have stress and they don't expect you to be able to drop you life to work all night or the weekend.

 

Anyway enough preaching. $40k is pretty good money I would be surprised if you will make that at 19. Drafting is more than drawing lines you need to be able to build objects in your mind and on paper using real word building techniques and following codes basically you need to know how things work. Illustrating is a little less literal and uses different skills.

 

I find that people are pretty understanding about the not knowing how much to ask question. Go in and tell them what you know that you have looked around CGA has a good starting point but it doesn't quite apply to you. Just do research show them that you did research and you think you are worth a range of whatever. And know what you need to make. If you need $40k per year to pay bills and mortgage and all that tell them that. A good thing about working when you are young is that you can work for less. Might sound weird but you don't have the bills, children day care, blah blah to pay and you can take a cool job for less that gets your foot in the door teaches you more than school will and sets you up to get paid much more when you finish school and have more bills to pay.

[znotlin]

I would ask for somewhere around 22-26k, work hard, get a roommate, save what you can, don't get married or pregnant, and in 3 years send us postcards backpacking through Europe so we can live vicariously through you.

[joseph alexander]

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_localrangebell.asp?geo=U.S.+National+Averages&jobcode=DD19000042&jobtitle=Architect+I&narrowdesc=Architecture&narrowcode=DD01&yearsofexp=&r=salswz_swznatblb_psr&p=050205_psr_495&s=salary&pagenumber=1&paycheckcalc=0&zipcode=03303