A national survey of architects’ salaries, based on the responses of 460 users of jobs website Seek.com.au, can divulge how pay packets compare across the capital cities.
Analysis by Architecture & Design can reveal that architects in Sydney fair slightly better in the pay stakes on average than those in Melbourne, throughout their careers.
However, Brisbane architects in the middle of their careers earn more than those in the other capitals. Brisbane professionals with five-to-10 years’ experience earn, on average, $11,000 more than architects in Melbourne and Sydney.
But, it’s not all good news for architects from the Queensland capital. Remuneration peaks at an earlier stage in their careers than it does for architects in Melbourne and Sydney.
Brisbane architects earn most when they have five-to10 years’ experience. Respondents to the Seek survey reported to earn between $64,000 and $82,000, with the average taking home $73,000.
Sydney and Melbourne architects reported salaries continuing to climb until they had been in the profession for 20 years, when they suffered a small drop.
Sydney architects had the potential to earn the most, with the top 10 per cent earning $89,000 and averaging 11 years’ experience. Melbourne’s top 10 per cent reported an average pay packet of $77,000 at 13 years in the role.
Staff in Melbourne tended to move around more, with respondents averaging 2.8 years in their current role, compared to 4.2 years in Sydney and 4.5 years in Brisbane.
Based on a smaller sample size of 57, architects in Western Australia earned an average of $59,000 and averaged 7.7 years’ experience, with the top 10 per cent being paid $88,000.
Those outside of Brisbane but still in Queensland earned a typical $59,000 and averaged 11.3 years in practice. The top 10 per cent took home $91,000 and reported 14 years’ experience.
Seek’s data did not provide enough evidence from the Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania or South Australia to support analysis.
