2025 Salary Survey Results

Thank you to the 2,113 professionals who took part in our salary survey during October/November 2025. Their insights have helped us build a clear, up-to-date picture of the current market and support greater transparency across the industry.

You can download the full 2025 Salary Survey Report here but a brief summary would be:

  • Architectural pay has stagnated for a decade
    Since 2016, architectural salaries have risen only 15.5%, far below the ~42% growth seen across the wider UK economy, meaning sustained real-terms pay erosion.

  • 2025 salary increases failed to match inflation again
    The average pay rise in 2025 was just 1.5%, resulting in another year of declining real earnings despite widespread workloads.

  • Practices are busy, but profitability is weakening
    Many firms report strong pipelines—particularly compared with 2024—but low fees, higher taxes, insurance costs, and project delays are squeezing margins.

  • Junior salaries rose the most, but from a low base
    Part 1 salaries have increased around 30% over 10 years, largely because they started at unsustainably low levels; early-career progression remains slow and competitive.

  • Part 3 qualification continues to deliver strong value
    Achieving Part 3 brings an average salary uplift of £5,300, showing practices still reward full professional responsibility even in a weak market.

  • Gender pay gaps persist and widen with seniority
    Pay is broadly equal at entry level, but gaps widen from mid-career onwards; 48% of men received bonuses vs 39% of women, highlighting ongoing inequality.

  • Bonus culture is shrinking and uneven
    Only 44% of respondents received a bonus in 2025, with higher rates among senior staff and larger practices, and persistent gender imbalance.

  • Certain sectors remain resilient
    Strong demand exists in hotels, data centres, industrial projects, and commercial retrofits, with skills shortages re-emerging in technical delivery, BIM, and project leadership.

  • Client-side, developer, and contractor roles pay more
    Architects moving outside traditional practice earn significantly higher salaries, though often at the cost of reduced design focus and greater commercial pressure.

  • Wellbeing, flexibility, and culture now matter as much as pay
    With limited salary growth, practices are competing through flexible working, wellbeing support, employee ownership, enhanced benefits, and clearer career development, which are becoming key to retention and resilience.

The results of our previous surveys can be seen below.