When performing a mass hiring, or even hiring just one or two professionals, consider the salary guidelines for architects and engineers basics before interviewing candidates. Prospective employees will come in with a specific salary in mind, and hope to leave the interview with that salary or higher. To avoid losing qualified talent, research the basic factors that affect salaries for engineers and architects.

Both engineers and architects obtain college degrees and certification before job hunting. Salary guidelines for engineers and architects comprise a number of factors that consider more than just education and experience. When setting salary guidelines for interviewees, take the following into consideration:

1. The location and cost of living is important. An architect's average salary can land on the high end for a large city and on the lower end for a small town.

2. The more advanced degrees an engineer or architect have, the higher salary they can command. The same is true for years of experience.

3. The type of projects available with the company should reflect the base pay and bonuses. The more involved and consuming a project is, the higher the base pay or end of project bonuses.

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Determine salaries for architects and engineers by researching the cost of living

While the cost of living may not seem like a big deal to large companies or the HR hiring manager, it's very important to prospective employees. Architect and engineer salaries must compensate for the cost of living in order for a firm to attract qualified candidates. Researching the cost of living is easy with an online calculator.

I recommend: Bankrate.com offers a cost of living calculator that factors in home prices, utility averages and groceries. The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) uses the ACCRA Cost of Living Index, an organization recognized by the U.S. Census, to determine the cost of living in major cities.

Consider experience when deciding on architect salaries

The amount of experience a candidate has is important when determining salary. If a candidate has advanced degrees but not much work experience, their value on the job is reduced when compared to someone with years of experience. Use online charts and graphs when researching the average salary of an architect or engineer.

I recommend: Salary.com updates salary information annually to provide the most current salary based on experience. JobStar Central has reports on all different engineering jobs, including salary information for recent graduates.

Use general salary surveys to determine the average architect's pay and engineer's pay

Various career and research companies post updated annual salary surveys. This is a quick way to gauge what the average salaries of architects and engineers are as a whole.

I recommend: Indeed offers salary averages for both architects and engineers. The Riley Guide offers a selection of salary surveys and collections on their website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Knowing salary guidelines before interviewing candidates helps level the playing field during an interview. Every prospective employee thinks they're worth the most money. By knowing average salaries and typical bonus payments, employers can negotiate a reasonable salary based on experience, education and prospects of the person being interviewed.

Determining architect and engineer salaries involves careful weighing of several factors - not just the talent and experience of the candidate, but also how much you can afford and what other companies pay their employees. You want to strive for a figure that's high enough to attract top talent, but not so much that you can't afford to keep them.

Engineers and architects go through years of schooling and may have several certifications and degrees; a one-size-fits-all approach to setting their salaries isn't enough. Competitive and individualized compensation is key to attracting and retaining them.

Salary guidelines for architects and engineers will depend on:

1. The average salaries for architects and engineers.
2. The candidate's education, skills and level of experience.
3. The size and budget of your company.
4. The cost of living in your state or city.
5. What other firms in your region pay their architects and engineers.

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Compare salaries of architects and engineers by geographic location

You may want to start by finding out what the going rate in your city is, or you may want to find out what other cities in your region pay, so that you can make your company stand out. There are several online tools that compute the engineer and architect average salary based on city or state, and can tell you how average salaries translate from region to region.

I recommend: Salary.com offers salary surveys that are searchable by location, industry and company size. You can also research cost of living by state, so you'll know how your salary compares to other areas. PayScale offers compensation reports for employers based on several factors, including geographic location.

Research the engineer and architect salaries other companies are paying via online job boards

Online salary tools are a useful starting point for finding architect and engineer salary info, but they may list salaries at the high end of the scale, or provide a wide range of possible salaries. Online job boards tell you what companies are paying right now, and how salary corresponds to the size of the company or the job requirements. And, by looking at boards that cater specifically to architects or engineers, you won't have to wade through dozens of listings looking for one that's relevant to you.

I recommend: For engineers, check out Engineer.net or Dice Engineering. For architects, look at the American Institute of Architects Career Center or e-Architect.

Supplement engineer and architect salaries with a generous benefits package

Many job applicants are looking for more than a nice salary; they also want a creative and relevant benefits and incentive package. Sometimes, these benefits can be what entices a candidate to choose one firm over another. Put as much effort into creating your benefits package as you do setting salaries, and consider more than just the traditional health coverage and retirement plan, for example. Current trends in benefits include profit sharing, stock options, employee assistance, tuition reimbursement, flex time and perks like health club membership reimbursement.

I recommend: WorldAtWork features books and articles about benefits and incentive packages.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stay current on trends in salary guidelines for engineers and architects not only when you're in the process of hiring someone, but even when you have no positions to fill. This will save you research time while you're interviewing prospective employees, and alert you if the salary you pay current employees doesn't meet industry standards. This could prevent valued team members from leaving your firm for another that pays better or offers more attractive benefits packages.

Part of putting together a great team of architects or engineers is offering competitive ranges for both architect salaries and engineer salaries. Both architects and engineers must pursue higher education and certification. This instantly makes the demands for a competitive salary from prospective employees much higher. So how does a firm or company know which salary levels to bring to the bargaining table during interviews? Using online salary guidelines for engineers and architects is the most beneficial way to bargain a salary.

Salary guidelines from reputable sources give companies an idea of salaries for engineers and architects. While there are other considerations factored into salary levels, such as cost of living, salary guidelines give a company a jumping off point to start negotiations. Using salary guidelines for architects and engineers also helps HR management figure out if a requested salary is overblown. When researching salary guidelines, consider checking the following:

1. Online salary surveys for engineers and architects

2. Online salary calculators that use location when determining salaries.

3. Governmental websites that list job descriptions and salary levels for different careers.

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Look at architect and engineer salary info on online databases

There are numerous databases available for HR professionals. Some require input on location, job titles, schooling and company size, while others give information input by other professionals.

I recommend: EngineerSalary.com lets you input information and then gives detailed salary information sent by email. Arkitectum.com has an ongoing salary poll at their website. You can look up architect salary info of other architects based on location, education level and position.

Use salary charts to research an architects pay or an engineers pay

Salary charts use information gathered online and in surveys to create informative charts that show base pay, median pay, bonuses and levels of lowest to highest pay. Some salary surveys report findings in a technical report, without the use of charts or graphs.

I recommend: The Internet Engineering Center has various charts for engineers based on the type of engineering performed and education. Hanley Wood offers a report about the salaries of architects through their online magazine, Architect Online.

Check out official sites that list the salaries for architects and engineers

Certain governmental agencies and workforce organizations keep tabs on all different careers. They then provide information about education, qualifications, salary and job growth to prospective employees. By checking the updated edition of these reports each year, your company has the most current information on salaries.

I recommend: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers detailed annual information for the salaries of architects and engineers. This website has a search function that brings up a variety of information for these career fields. PayScale offers updated information on salaries for engineers and architects.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some relocation websites offer salary calculators. If you have an out-of-state applicant, you can plug the information into the calculator for their state and see the average salary for that state as compared to your state. This can help you when negotiating salary.

As most employee reps would tell you, establishing a salary for an architect or engineer is tough. Unlike with unskilled labor jobs or retail, these nuanced positions have shifting salary ranges that rely on a lot of different factors. The specializations involved, the degrees and credentialing, not to mention experience on the job, make for a sometimes complex negotiation. Knowing some basic key terms that concern job positions for architects and engineers will help parties on both sides of the table determine a fair compensation package.

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Architect registration exam, or ARE

The Architect Registration Exam is a test that many employers require of a potential hire, as it is required to practice professionally. An ARE credential will increase the salary of an architect in the field.

I recommend: See details on the ARE at the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards. See more on architect qualifications, including the ARE, at Education Portal.

Architecture and civil engineering degrees

Another factor in salary for architecture and civil engineering professionals are the degrees and certifications they may hold. A Bachelor's or Master's of Architecture is usually required. On the engineering side, a degree may be certified by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or ABET.

I recommend: Take a look at some engineering degree options at WorldWideLearn. Find info on types of advanced architecture degrees and the schools that offer them at the Society of Architectural Historians online.

Professional qualification

A professional qualification for an architect or civil engineer is a benchmark of accomplishment that employers and others recognize when assessing the individual's level of experience and expertise. Each engineering and architecture specialty has its own set of qualifications. This will have an effect on pay scale for these kinds of professionals.

I recommend: See more on professional qualification at Science and Engineering.

Engineering concentration of study, or specialty

Those within the engineering field use engineering specializations to distinguish specific skill sets within the greater field. These will also have an impact on what an engineer might be paid in any given role.

I recommend: See more on engineering specializations at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary chart for architects and engineers

A salary chart for architects and engineers is a graphical representation of what these professionals can make in their fields.

I recommend: Find detailed charts for engineering and architecture at the Internet Job Source.

National salary trend

National salary trend is a salary average over time. It is used to give an even truer picture of what a general salary range looks like in the engineering and architecture industries. These can be tailored to architecture and engineering specialties to provide a basis for any kind of architect or civil engineer job.

I recommend: See a national salary trend data set for architects at Indeed.com.