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Hello,

 

After Architecture school, what job would an aspiring architect expect and salary? I live in Orange County Ca. and interested in residential design.

 

Also, is there any other recommedations on other related fields that is similar to architecture?

 

thanks everyone

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Since nobody else has answered: In the US during school (4 year degree + 8 years internship, or 5 year Professional degree + 3 years internship, or Masters degree (may get master of arch with a BA in fine arts if that makes any freaking sense) + 2 years Internship) and shortly after, you should expect typical intern work such as model making, running blue prints, drafting - picking up red lines, transfering shop drawing comments to the other sets....... Notice a pattern?

 

Salary wise you will have to look around at the area you live in, but don't expect much $30,000.00 to $40,000.00 I think published rates are usually way over what I see as the norm, so I think my range should cover the nation outside of some place like NY fresh out of school to perhaps the two year mark. Of course this really is subjective, if you are sharp and have a great portfolio from school and people skills, this could be higher.

 

Related fields, typically the closer you are to the money, the more you make, a real estate broker might make as much on selling the building as the architecture firm that designed it and over saw the construction. On the construction side, take a few classes if not get a degree in Construction Management (CM degrees are very close so some class work will overlap with architecture), CMs make more money than architects, well almost anybody makes more than architects, especially if you factor in the responsibility and liability into the equation.

 

If you plan on actually stamping drawings once you get licensed, then plan on maintaining your Liability Insurance for at least 7 years after you retire and with the way lawsuits are going and presidence, you might end up having to maintain it for the rest of your life!

 

Aren't you glad we had this little chat? ;)

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Since nobody else has answered: In the US during school (4 year degree + 8 years internship, or 5 year Professional degree + 3 years internship, or Masters degree (may get master of arch with a BA in fine arts if that makes any freaking sense) + 2 years Internship) and shortly after, you should expect typical intern work such as model making, running blue prints, drafting - picking up red lines, transfering shop drawing comments to the other sets....... Notice a pattern?

 

Salary wise you will have to look around at the area you live in, but don't expect much $30,000.00 to $40,000.00 I think published rates are usually way over what I see as the norm, so I think my range should cover the nation outside of some place like NY fresh out of school to perhaps the two year mark. Of course this really is subjective, if you are sharp and have a great portfolio from school and people skills, this could be higher.

 

Related fields, typically the closer you are to the money, the more you make, a real estate broker might make as much on selling the building as the architecture firm that designed it and over saw the construction. On the construction side, take a few classes if not get a degree in Construction Management (CM degrees are very close so some class work will overlap with architecture), CMs make more money than architects, well almost anybody makes more than architects, especially if you factor in the responsibility and liability into the equation.

 

If you plan on actually stamping drawings once you get licensed, then plan on maintaining your Liability Insurance for at least 7 years after you retire and with the way lawsuits are going and presidence, you might end up having to maintain it for the rest of your life!

 

Aren't you glad we had this little chat? ;)

 

 

 

wow...In Calgary I have to pay close to 40k just for a designer or Arch Tech fresh out of school.

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Nathan,

If you find a job at a large firm you'll likely end up doing mark-ups and bathroom elevations. I started in a small firm of 9 after I graduated. I did mark-ups for a month or so but then I started to do a small amount of design and the rest was cd's. In a small firm, the work is spread a little more evenly. In larger firms, it's easy to become just a number and get pigeon holed. 30k - 40k sounds right. When I started 12 years ago the average was 23k for a 4 year degree.

Make sure the firm has a solid focus on cooperating with IDP requirments. Remember, you don't get any IDP points for rendering. I'm seeing a lot of new grads being used for in-house 3d renderings because the architects are too cheap to hire out. If the goal is to become a licensed architect, you don't want to waste too much time doing things that don't count for IDP. On the other hand, don't count on a promotion when you get your license.

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Nathan,

If you find a job at a large firm you'll likely end up doing mark-ups and bathroom elevations. I started in a small firm of 9 after I graduated. I did mark-ups for a month or so but then I started to do a small amount of design and the rest was cd's. In a small firm, the work is spread a little more evenly. In larger firms, it's easy to become just a number and get pigeon holed. 30k - 40k sounds right. When I started 12 years ago the average was 23k for a 4 year degree.

Make sure the firm has a solid focus on cooperating with IDP requirments. Remember, you don't get any IDP points for rendering. I'm seeing a lot of new grads being used for in-house 3d renderings because the architects are too cheap to hire out. If the goal is to become a licensed architect, you don't want to waste too much time doing things that don't count for IDP. On the other hand, don't count on a promotion when you get your license.

 

Very good advice about the IDP reqs. We have someone who's duty is to keep track of that for our interns and we make helping them get licensed a priority. We pay for the exams, and a few other bits of nonsense too. My understanding was that viz actually did count towards one portion of IDP but I could be wrong.

 

Anyway, the salary Russell mentioned sounds pretty close although in the OC it could be a little higher. We start our interns towards the top end of that range.

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lol, they just need to call it something else for guys. "That's Mr. Nurse to you, punk."

 

And that's "Mr. JERK" to you! Now go clean some bed pans, you "Brown Matter Sanitation Engineer". I hope you like your new title, I think it sounds more masculine than nurse?

 

(For outsiders, Aaron and I kid around and some of this stuff is sort of an inside joke)

 

wow...In Calgary I have to pay close to 40k just for a designer or Arch Tech fresh out of school.

 

It use to be I would ask if that was Canadian dollars with an air of superiority! LOL Now if it is, I might want to move to Canada! ;)

 

Oh yeah, and about male nurses. Here in Salt Lake the field has started to appeal to the large poplulation of polynesians who live here. I guarantee, no-one would dare give them any smack about being a nurse!

 

Yes, but we were talking about Aaron here, have you seen the way he "sashay's" around and knows colors like Mauve and fashion faux pas?

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Of course not, I just knew you would 'Make those Scrubs work it for Yah!" LOL And of course as a design professional you should know those things ;)

 

P.S. Funny how this message isn't the same one that came with my e-mail notification! LOL

 

Oh and I see we have completely hijacked another thread, I apologize.

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