Salary Guides for Architects & Technologists are absolutely everywhere. Most of them are crap. Rumour has it they’re created in only one way. First they go on a pilgrimage up a mountain, then visit a mysterious tribe, consume a brew made from the urine of a tasselled wobbegong, then pull some salary figures out of their back end, before sitting down and making up a load of rubbish that doesn’t make sense. The RIBA Salary Guide, which everyone seems to benchmark their salaries with is no different. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe, the crazy math's that don’t make sense, the confusing bandings, the odd regional differences, and the fact that no one is on more than £50k is just how the world of setting salaries works. Which is why I’ve put together a list of reasons you should be happy that the guys at RIBA, and almost everyone else that has a say on Architectural salaries, took the time to go up that mountain and come back with a new guide this year. Although, if you’re an architecture professional who’s not happy with your salary, and want the anti-RIBA guide, that’s probably way off the mark (it’s not), and wasn’t written on a mountain trek whilst under the influence of hallucinogenic shark urine, message me, and I’ll pop it over. For free. Because I’m definitely wrong and RIBA are right*. *They’re not.
Salary guides SHOULD be advice on what they should be. Most are the result of reporting about the past. Just that simple fact will tend to drive salaries downwards. Reporting on last year's salaries is not a good basis for determining what the job deserves. How about, just for starters, a comparative salary guide? What do jobs requiring an education level beyond masters degree level command in 2023 increased by the inflation rate (chose the best) = what architects should be paid. CIAT members and Part 1's (undergraduate degree plus experience) should be comparable to other jobs requiring that level of education. Surprisingly enough it isn't rocket science but I've never seen it done!
Don’t get me started….
Really pleased that so many are taking me up on the guide - It's for Technologists and AA's as well as Architects. Make sure you drop me a message to request the "Anti RIBA Salary Guide".