The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Fees Bureau have unveiled findings from the 2012 Employment & Earnings Survey. The survey findings reveal architects earnings have stabilized (at April 2012), with average earnings at £41,100. There has been a rise in average earnings from 2011 to 2012 of 3%. However, inflation has also risen by 3%.
In 2012 the average earnings for Sole Principals is £32,569, a 7% fall from 2011. (In 2008 Sole Principals' average earnings were £45,000). The rate of unemployment for architects is 3%, compared with 4% in 2011. This may well be due to the fact that the number of Sole Principal architects has grown significantly since 2010, with many architects previously employed by larger firms setting up their own practice.
Overall 18% of all full-time architects feel they are under-employed. 5% of architects employed in the public sector and 10% of private sector in-house architects consider themselves to be under-employed. 29% of Sole Principal architects report being under-employed.
Other findings in the 2012 Employment & Earnings Survey
- The majority of architects (52%) work 37.5-37.9 hours per week. 22% work more than 40 hours per week. (The national average for office workers is 37 hours per week)
- 38% of the profession is in London and 18% in the South East region
- In 2012, 94% of architects are white. 1% of architects are Black or Black British, and 3% are Asian or Asian British
- The survey reveals that 22% of organizations do not have a formal equal opportunities policy, and 9% of architects were not aware if their practice did or not. 5% felt their organization did not apply the principles of equal opportunities effectively.
"Following two consecutive years of falling earnings it is clearly a positive sign that architects' earnings and employment have stabilized in 2012," commented Adrian Dobson, RIBA Director of Practice. "Although we have yet to see any clear sign of recovery, the survey findings give cause for cautious optimism. There is however obvious concern for the welfare of sole practitioners, who have seen a further significant reduction in earnings, and the RIBA will continue to do all it can to support and promote architectural practices of all sizes."