Maxwell Render | Official public forum

Hi guys, I know there are several architects on this forum all over the world. I would like to ask them, how is the practice in your city? Is there enough work for everybody? how well pay are the profession? Are there opportunities for new professional architects?
Thanks for any information you could share.

London is not bad for work... money is shit and hours depend on wheree you work.
Good place for oppurtunities and plenty of architects from other places of the world.

8/10

i wish the weather was better and i was payed more / or have more free time

Lots and lots of work in South Africa!
Pay is ok but I would not know what to compare with.
We have a huge need of qualified architects that can design and run jobs (7+ years experience)

Here in Coral gables I'm getting pay (including bonus and medical) around $40K (I'm still an inter).


How does that comapre from other people that you know in miami?

leo

For Boston/Cambridge 40K would be pretty good for just an intern…I've got 9 years experience and just now have started making around 45k

Well good to know good places to move. Leo I think for an intern you are ok, but I know from other offices that the entry level position should be around 50K. But you know things are getting slow down this days in Miami.

wagurto wrote:Well good to know good places to move. Leo I think for an intern you are ok, but I know from other offices that the entry level position should be around 50K. But you know things are getting slow down this days in Miami.

Entry level architects with 0-3 years experience??? Or do you mean some other entry level job?

Man, I knew we were getting raped up here, but I just didn't know how bad

I know... Miami is slowing down now.
I have a friend that was working in my office (No register architect...3 years of experience working in US, and many more in Colombia as an Architect) and she was getting pay $40k. She decided to leave the office back in Jan, and got multiple offers for $70k a year ... No other knowledge than Autocad and what she learned during those 3 years that she spent here working in this firm. That gives me a lot of hope, but now that Miami is slowing down I wonder if they are going to keep her, or fire her because of her over inflate salary.
I make $2,240 a month and my expenses are $2k (No credit cards bills, no car payments, no eating out, no going to the movies.... My only entrainments are Cable/internet/TKD)

I have two more years of this crap (Internship)... and I sure hope my license will make the big difference

For people outside US.. Once you graduate in US with a bachelor of architecture (5 years) you need 3 more years of internship before you can take the exams to become an Architect.

(not to mention, the $80k that I own in student loans that I'm not even paying yet ) I'm seriouly thinking of moving back with my parents to survive.

leo

DELETED

lebbeus wrote:

wagurto wrote:Well good to know good places to move. Leo I think for an intern you are ok, but I know from other offices that the entry level position should be around 50K. But you know things are getting slow down this days in Miami.

Entry level architects with 0-3 years experience??? Or do you mean some other entry level job?

Man, I knew we were getting raped up here, but I just didn't know how bad

Entry level = intership or drafter with 0-1 or 2 years of experience.

I'm very frustrate! Why is that we (entry level architect) are worth so little ?

leo

8etty wrote:

of moving back with my parents to survive

your girlfriend will surly be delighted

Yes, my fiance will most probably will not like the idea ...

80K?!

Even in english pounds that's quite alot of cash!!!

...well i do it for love so those things don't bother me.....
....80K!!!



...maybe all you get is 4 weeks holiday a year, and company car [poor sods]... it should all be for the love of it....

Very nice issue you brought out, I am curious too.

Sharing my experience: here in italy the situation is pretty sad. I started recently and I have a few friends around the country in the same situation.

As an entry level you won't earn more than 1000-1500euro per month (often less). this ain't a problem, really... the problem is that you could stay as this forever, at least until you don't work alone.

Another problem is the type of agreement you have with your practice: most of the times we are asked to work as a collaborators, which means you are as employed but you take the risks as working alone (you need to pay taxes by yourself as long as the due pension charges, etc.): this widely spread habit is barely legal (I'd say it's tolerated), but it can be protracted for years.
I have a colleague which is in this very same situation from 10 years, but I must admit he is doing nothing for changes to happens...
The agreement says that as collaborators we can work when and where we want: obviously it doesn't work like this for real. I stay to the office till late quite often, working during week-ends when needed. But, again, this is not a big problem.

On the other side you can take the exams to become architect as soon as you get graduated: the exams is not so difficult. to be honest the most difficult part, at least for me, is to draw by hand when I am not so use to nowadays. The exams is quite naive: we got 8 hours to develop a design, entirely drawn by hand; a month later (nearly), if we are approved, we have an oral examination discussing the design we did, and some additional legal and technical question. that's it. After this you become architect, obviously knowing nothing about how practicing the profession.
I am a bit concerned about how the educational qualification is taken worldwide: I heard that the american graduation is barely null in italy, and so in other conuntries in europe (as probably the other way around): you certainly need to investigate about how this thing's going. As for europe, I think the qualification is accepted in every union's country, but with minor differencies, excluding UK which has its own criteria.

Interesting to hear how easy is to get a license in Italy. Here in the USA is a really pain in the neck. First, as Leo mentioned, you need 3 years as intern before you can take the exam. Then, the exam is really a nigthmare, there are 9 examans each of these very defficult and very technical and the worse thing there is nothing you can study. It is a matter of experience, and practice. I am in the process for 5 years now and still missing 2 exams. Each time you fail one you have to wait for 6 months in order to retake it.

wagurto wrote:how is the practice in your city?

Total crap.

wagurto wrote: Is there enough work for everybody?

Nope.

wagurto wrote: how well pay are the profession?

Pay=Horseshit. Total horseshit.

wagurto wrote: Are there opportunities for new professional architects?

Nope. Zero. None whatsoever.