<p>I actually thought that ArchEng would do better since it is a engineering related field and since engineers seem to always do better financially than architects. Thats why I wanted to switch. If ArchEng is not a good choice, I was thinking of complementing my education with some classes in engineering. That would hopefully give me a certain edge out there that would make me more marketable. What would you recommend? I thought of constr. management?</p>
<p>I will just give you a few of my perspectives from a few years in the profession;</p>
<p>-If you want to be an engineer or a Project Manager with a contractor get an architectural engineering degree. If you want to be an architect, get an architecture degree. Don’t kid yourself about having more job security as an engineer, if the architects don’t have work, neither do the structural or MEP engineers. </p>
<p>-Should I still go into this profession despite what is currently happening in the economy? This downturn has been brutal and probably still has a couple of years to go in the building industry. Today I interviewed a man who was a principal with 28 years of experience at a major firm who just got laid off. However the long term trends indicate that there is going to be a shortage of talent in the profession, so I think the prospects if you are graduating in 2 or 3 years are pretty good. </p>
<p>-Should I quit accounting and become an architect? Nobody can answer that until you begin your studio courses and determine if you have the talent and passion to succeed in this profession. You will find studio to be intense and demanding. My advice is that if you find the workload tough but exhilarating then stick with it, if you find it a grind get out. Do you paint, sketch, sculpt, or photograph as a creative outlet? That would be a good indication of having an aptitude for architecture.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>
I consider structural engineering to be pretty close to architectural engineering. However, the entry to industry requires a MS.
Another option is to go for BS in CivE with emphasis in Structural. Even if you can’t work as a structural engineer, there are plenty of work in highway/transportation, public works, or environmental/water resources as a backup…</p>
<p>hi i am a sophmore and i’m majoring in architectural engineering at PSU. i am very interested in the program because i enjoy design and i’ve always been very good with math. the only problem is that i’ve been getting a lot of negative feed back about the ability of finding a job after i graduate compared to other engineering program. how much demand is there for arch. engineers?</p>
<p>^the only thing that I could think is that maybe businesses look for structural engineers over architectural engineers. Arch. engineers are kind of in the middle of two fields, and I think that it is probably tough to break into either one with people who specialize in one or the other, though this is only my speculation.</p>
<p>gaithy, right now there is almost no demand for architectural engineers, but this is an unusual period in which there is almost no demand for anybody. Normally there is strong demand for them. Where? In our company we like to hire them in the construction side because they have a broader perspective than most engineers. I know many structural and MEP firms like to hire them for the same reason. However, we would not hire them for the architecture group because what we are looking for is a strong portfolio above all else.</p>
<p>If you want to be a creative engineer, or a technically focused architect, then arch engineering sounds like a good choice. But if your dream is to be a design architect, then you should probably focus more specifically on that area.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Hello,
I’m kind of in a dilemma. I’ll be graduating from a college in 2013. I’d really like to be an architect because I think I’m suited for the profession. I can draw very well, have excellent spatial thinking and visualization skills and drafting has been my only subject for which I can say I can be passionate about. I’ve read the CB Major book’s intro to architecture major and it seems amazing.
However, I hear that architects do not earn very much. My family is not really well off and I’d like to pursue a more lucrative profession.
What makes the decision harder to make, is the fact that I’m really versatile and can excel in almost every subject.
If I major in architecture, I’m pretty sure that I will be able to be at least one of the the above average architects.
So, my questions are:
Do the better, above average architects earn much? If their salary is not very high what are the possibilities to earn from private endeavours?
What do you think will be the job opportunities for new grads in 2013-2015?
Do you think it is right to pursue the profession I’m the most passionate about? Would it be better to pursue a more lucrative profession?</p>
<p>Architects typically do not make as much as doctors or lawyers, but if you are above average you can make a pretty good living. Starting salaries in the $40k range with 10% bonus, $55k after five years with a 15% bonus, and $80 to $100k with a 25% bonus after 10years. These are our salary ranges, and I think we are in line with the better firms in town.</p>
<p>Of course the real money comes with partnership. The top partners in good 50 person offices are probably making in the mid to high six figures, and in the 200+ firms they are in the seven figures. None of this applies to 2009, because this money is based on a share of profits and most firms right now are going to be happy to have even a modest profit. How do you get to be one of those partners? I think about 33% is talent and the rest is ambition, determination, and a willingness to work very hard.</p>
<p>The real downside to the profession for me is its extreme cyclical nature. Right now the AIA estimates that unemployment for architects is in the 30% range, and I am guessing that it will reach 40% before it is all over. Count on it happening every ten years or so. You must make yourself very valuable to your firm or face unemployment. The more you earn the more valuable you need to become. It is quite a Darwinian profession.</p>
<p>Is this a good time to enter architecture school? Absolutely, things will be fine by the time you get out, and a big chunk of the profession will have found something else to do in life. Opportunities will abound, but don’t forget that another downturn is coming.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thanks! This is really priceless information. I have a few more questions to aks. Are the job outlooks or the salaries for graduates graduating from the top architecture schools significantly better or would a degree from an ordinary school serve the same? Do non US citizens have to go through a lot of hassle to work as architects in the US?</p>
<p>rick, </p>
<p>I have always thought about teaching architecture, but thought that you probably need to have some work experience. Is this the case? I am entering architecture school next year, so according to your last post, I should have somewhere around 5-6 years of work before the next “cycle.” Would that be enough work experience to be qualified for teaching (after getting by MArch), or do you need more like 15-20 years of work experience.</p>
<p>Let me address the questions one at a time;</p>
<p>-Do graduates from the best schools make significantly more money? I would add 10% to my starting salary range for a really outstanding graduate, but there is nothing that says that because you graduated from a top school you are outstanding. A graduate from one of the top schools will get a closer look from us (and from most firms) and has a better chance of getting called in for an interview, but beyond that it will be the quality of the work that determines the salary.</p>
<p>-Is it a hassle to work as an architect in the U.S. as a non-citizen? I am sorry to say that yes it is a bit of a hassle, but not an overwhelming one. You have year after graduation to work with your student visa, don’t waste it. Get a job with a good firm that will sponsor your H1B application. I currently have three Korean architects on staff, and we sponsored all of them for H1B and green cards. All of them plan to stay permanently in the U.S. and we are very glad to have them. However we know that hiring a foreign national if going to be more cost and more hassle, so our standards are pretty high.</p>
<p>-How long do you have to work before teaching? Not at all. In fact you can be totally clueless about the profession and be a tenured faculty member. You will meet several of these when you go to school, but you will not know how clueless they are until you graduate and enter the profession. Ideally you should begin getting some teaching positions, even if part-time, a couple of years after graduation. After that the longer you spend in the profession the harder it will be to get into teaching. My advice for teaching is to get a Masters degree from a top school, preferably Ivy League. Get to know the influential faculty members while you are there, and let them know that your goal is to teach. Phone calls from these individuals will be invaluable for getting a position.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thank You. I guess I’ll just try my best.</p>
<p>question. i am going to be a senior in hs this year and am considering to attempt to dual major in Arch and Art with an emphasis on drawing and sculpture. would these two fields be at all achievable/ beneficiary towards each other?</p>
<p>Kelly, I am going to show a little bias here. Though I have not felt that a dual major in Arch/Business or Arch/engineering would provide much value, I think a dual degree with art might be pretty interesting and would give you an different perspective as a designer. My real concern is whether you could really pull off two majors with studio requirements.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Rick, </p>
<p>My DD is a rising high school junior and is seriously considering studying architecture or civil engineering in college. Would it work for her to study architecture undergrad and then architecture/building construction for her Masters? I had a roommate in college who did the dual Masters. It was alot of work, but he wasn’t overwhelmed. (We were just apartment mates - we didn’t stay in touch after graduation.) I want her to earn a good living beyond just being able to provide food, clothing, and shelter for herself, i.e., high five figure/six figure salary would be nice.</p>
<p>Yes, a dual architecture/construction degree will make her pretty appealing for any construction or design-build firm. However;</p>
<p>-You need to consider her experience in undergrad architecture. If she turns out to be a talented designer and passionate about the field, then trying to get her to go into the construction side of things may not make sense.</p>
<p>-Whether you get to a six figure salary in the first 5 to 10 years of your career has a lot more to do with your drive and work ethic that on a particular degree you earned. A degree will get you in the door, but once you are in all I care about is the contribution that you make to the organization. Though construction graduates start out at a higher salary than architects, they tend to equal out after 5 or 10 years.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thanks, Rick - </p>
<p>She is also interested in naval architecture. I think she is torn between wanting to design and wanting to engineer the structural side of things. She seems to have the heart of an engineer with a flair for design (unlike my civil engineer dad - NO FLAIR!!)</p>
<p>I have no doubt she will be successful. She is highly motivated without being cutthroat. She is charmingly smart!</p>
<p>^ I had the same two interests. I ended up deciding to start in architecture because it is easier to move out of architecture than into architecture. also, architects that know about engineering (and you could take some of the intro civil engineering classes) go a lot farther, because their designs make more practical sense, making them more valuable. I think that an architect’s suggestions on civil engineering aspects may go over better than a civil engineer suggesting some architectural changes, though I am not sure.</p>
<p>“architects that know about engineering (and you could take some of the intro civil engineering classes) go a lot farther, because their designs make more practical sense, making them more valuable.”</p>
<p>Really? You’ve seen this? Because it sure doesn’t match my experience in the profession.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>i know that you have more experience, so I will take your word on this, but when I interned at a construction company (I dealt with the engineering and architect as well), all the industries that worked with the architect said that they loved the few architects who “knew what they were talking about” in terms of the practicality of a design. So I figured that if you were liked by those who you had to work with (engineers and construction teams) that you would be more desirable.</p>