How do your firm’s benefits and pay stack up?

Over the last two years, average salaries for architects increased just 3% per year due to tough headwinds for construction, among other factors. 

That is one of the many insights in AIA’s latest Compensation & Benefits Report, based on data from over 800 firms across the United States. The report, released every other year, offers detailed data on salary, benefits, and culture. This article previews the full report by giving some broad takeaways, and it concludes with a look at ways you can use the report.

A note on terminology: The report defines large firms as having 50 or more employees, mid-size firms as having 10 to 49 employees, and small firms having fewer than 10 employees. (Excluded are firms with fewer than three architectural staff. Data on those will appear in a later, separate survey from AIA.)

Compensation trends were uneven across roles

Despite the 3% data point, stagnation wasn’t a uniform experience across the architecture industry. Firm leaders’ compensation stalled or shrank, but specialized professionals fared better. For instance, medical planners’ salaries grew by 14% from 2023 to 2025, and specification writers’ pay grew by 11% in the same period.

There were promising signs for students and early career professionals

In some respects, conditions became friendlier toward architectural students looking for on-the-job experience. The percentage of firms that hired students for internships and externships grew, with large firms being especially likely to bring in students. There was also good news for those finishing school: Non-licensed recent graduates saw 7% total wage growth from 2023 to 2025, outpacing the industry on average. 

Professional degrees, licensure, and location mattered

Compared to 2022, firms in 2024 were more likely to avoid hiring employees without a professional degree in architecture. Along with boosting one’s chances of employment in the first place, professional architectural degrees were also somewhat helpful for securing higher starting salaries, especially at small- and mid-sized firms.  

Licensure was an even more reliable route toward a salary increase. Eighty percent of small firms, 79% of mid-size firms, and 69% of large firms gave employees raises upon licensure. And most firms were willing to help their employees get licensed by covering licensing fees.

Firms in certain metro areas, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, offered significantly higher starting salaries for entry-level roles. However, those cities’ higher expenses may offset salary gains. Rent especially tends to be higher in areas with higher starting salaries.

Firms sought to support employees of all types
Support for employees from diverse backgrounds and populations was a widespread focus across the industry. That took several forms:

• Hiring and promoting employees of diverse backgrounds took place at 50% of small firms, 68% percent of mid-size firms, and 83% of large firms.
• Compared to 2022, more firms reported conducting salary equity assessments based on gender and race in 2024. This was especially the case for large firms.
• AIA’s Guides for Equitable Practice were in use at 8% of small firms, 13% of mid-size firms, and 21% of large firms in 2024. While in the minority, firms that used the guides tended to apply them thoroughly.

Development and retention practices were mixed

Firms put significant resources into developing their employees. Encouragingly, 77% of large firms offered mentorship programs, and three-quarters offered career opportunity transparency. At over half of firms, staff could access direct funding for professional development. Most firms were willing to put money toward employees’ AIA membership dues.

Keeping employees aboard seemed to be less of a priority than developing them, though. Less than a quarter of firms had employee retention plans, and less than half reported the presence of transparent promotion and compensation practices. 

Remote work stayed common

In 2020, remote work was at its peak availability, with 72% of firms offering full-time remote work. In 2024, only 17% of firms offered full-time remote work, but the setup is far from endangered: 70% of staff still worked remotely at least some of the time. “That flexibility seems to have been ingrained in firm culture,” said Jennifer Riskus, one of the report’s authors and AIA’s senior director of market and economics research.

Some benefits were nearly universal, others rarer

In benefits packages, employees could expect a baseline set of core offerings. Firms tended to offer five to six weeks (25 to 30 business days) of paid time off annually. Medical and dental coverage were virtually guaranteed, and vision and life insurance were exceedingly common as well. 

Other perks were spottier in availability. Generally, but not universally, the larger the firm, the more likely it was to offer casual dress, paid maternity leave, an employee assistance program, and bereavement leave. It was more common to find child- and pet-friendly offices at smaller firms, though.

How you can use the report

Regardless of your career’s stage, the report’s data can inform your decision-making, according to Riskus. For students and early career architects, the data helps with setting compensation expectations and choosing a metro area in which to start one’s career. 

For mid-career architects, the data offers perspective on what there is to gain or lose by switching firms, locations, or positions. Riskus explains that, helpfully, the report goes beyond simply listing salaries by job title: “We provide data on the 25th percentile, the median, and then the 75th percentile.  So, if you are mid-career, you might have the same title as someone who is more junior, but you would be further along in that pay band.” Riskus also points out that compensation information is useful for making the case for a raise or promotion.

For firm leaders and HR decision-makers, the data is a way to benchmark monetary compensation, core benefits, and fringe perks against other firms’ offerings. That is “really helpful for recruiting and retaining current employees,” per Riskus.
To suit different readers’ interests and needs, the report comes in several packages with varying prices. A free preview is available. AIA also offers a free compensation calculator based on data from the Compensation & Benefits Report.

Danielle Steger is AIA’s senior manager, editorial and publications.