How Much Does An Architect Make For Designing A Skyscraper

Architects are the ones we turn to we need services and solutions that need aesthetic sensitivity and technical competence when designing a specific house or building whether it will be used for residential or commercial purposes. And these professionals add value to a building project by conceptualizing a design layout that is functional and has a visual impact at the same time.

So how much does an architect make for designing a skyscraper? Surely there are various factors that affect an architect’s paycheck when talking about large-scale projects such as this. But is there a standard fee for architects when handling designs for high-rise buildings?

If you’re interested to know more, we suggest you continue reading as we’ll tackle this topic in today’s post.

Essential Information

The pay grade of an architect is usually high, but their fees vary due to a lot of factors such as the location of the project they’ll be working on and their level of expertise. To be specific, entry-level interns are paid considerably less compared to their senior colleagues, but with years of experience in their belt they can be eligible to earn more. On the other hand, experienced architects who are senior partners of huge architectural firms can easily earn six figures.

According to statistical data in May 2019, the median pay of architects per year was $80,750, while the top 10 planners made at least $137,620 and the bottom 10 earning $48,700 at most.

So How Much Will An Architect Expect To Earn For A Skyscraper Project

If an architect handles a large-scale project like a skyscraper, their pay category falls under the commercial architectural fees, in this case. It is a typical rate that people, organizations, and government agencies pay for an architect’s commercial services. And their paycheck depends on the level of complexity of the project.

In particular, what an architect earns for a skyscraper project will depend on how involved they are in terms of working on the project in detail, the number of hours, the project design, and the construction documents required (usually consisting of project drawings and specifications). There are also contract documents that may need the architect’s advice while developing contracts of agreement between the client and the contractor.

Furthermore, the standard rate structure for architects working on commercial or industrial projects is 6% of the total cost of construction, but it was recently increased to 8% due to the complexity of the buildings being built these days. Based on the Level of Complexity of an Architectural Project, a skyscraper project belongs to the Group 1 Project Fees category, which is for every $100,000 construction cost of a commercial project, the architect gets an 8% pay. While for every $50,000,000 construction cost of a commercial project, the architect receives a 2.5% pay.

So if we’re going to follow the structure above, the earnings of the architect will increase as the amount of the construction cost increases for a skyscraper, but their base pay will never go below 8%. And the amount of their paycheck will also increase if more services will be required from them.