Salary negotiation has changed. The fundamentals still matter, but today architects and designers have more compensation information, more varied work arrangements, and a growing need to explain their value in business terms – not simply years of experience.

Start With the Market, Not Your Current Salary

Do not automatically base your expectations on what you earn today. Your current salary may reflect a decision made years ago, a different market, or compensation that has not kept pace with your responsibilities. Research what the position itself is worth now.

Use several sources rather than one salary website. AIA compensation resources, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, published salary ranges, recruiters, professional associations, and conversations with trusted peers can help establish a credible market range. Compare roles by responsibility, geography, firm size, specialization, and leadership scope – not title alone.

Pay Transparency Has Changed the Conversation

More job postings now include compensation ranges. When a range is published, do not assume the midpoint is automatically the right number. Ask what experience, responsibilities, or performance would place someone toward the upper end of the range.

A useful question is: “What experience or responsibilities would typically place someone toward the upper end of this range?” That shifts the discussion from simply asking for more money to demonstrating why your experience supports a particular point in the range.

Build a Value Case, Not a Years-of-Experience Case

Saying “I have 12 years of experience” is less persuasive than explaining what happened during those 12 years. Build your case around the value you create.

• Have you led increasingly complex projects and multidisciplinary teams?
• What significant project budgets, schedules, and client expectations have you managed?
• Share how you build repeat client relationships or contribute to new business
• How has mentoring staff and developing future project leaders grown in your career?
• What are the details of a recent project you have been a part of, start to finish?
• Have you improved project profitability, quality, or delivery?
• What is your technical documentation, BIM, QA/QC, or construction administration experience?

Whenever possible, attach evidence to the claim: project scale, team size, budget responsibility, repeat work, pursuit wins, schedule improvements, or other measurable outcomes.

Understand Which Skills Carry a Premium

Not every skill has equal market value. Specialized expertise can strengthen your negotiating position, particularly when it solves a difficult hiring need for the firm. Depending on the market, differentiators may include healthcare, science and technology, technical leadership, project management, client leadership, business development, sustainability, advanced BIM, visualization, computational design, and complex project delivery.

AI-enabled workflows are also becoming part of design practice. The point is not simply to say that you “know AI.” The stronger argument is that you can use technology to improve design exploration, documentation, coordination, research, productivity, or client service while applying professional judgment.

Geography Still Matters – But the Rules Are More Complicated

Location remains important, but hybrid and remote work have complicated traditional salary comparisons. You may live in one market, report to an office in another, and serve clients across several regions. Ask how the firm establishes compensation: employee location, office location, a national pay structure, or the competitive market for the role.

Firm size matters too. Larger firms may have formal compensation bands and benefit programs. Smaller firms may have less flexibility on base salary but more flexibility around title, responsibilities, schedule, advancement, or other elements of the offer.

Negotiate the Whole Package

Base salary is only one component of compensation. Before deciding whether an offer works, evaluate the total package and identify what matters most to you.

• Annual or performance bonus and profit sharing
• Signing bonus or relocation assistance
• PTO and flexible or hybrid scheduling
• Retirement contributions and healthcare costs
• Professional development, licensure support, dues, and conferences
• Title, leadership scope, and advancement path
• Parking, transportation, or other location-specific benefits
• For senior roles, equity, ownership pathways, or long-term incentives

If an employer genuinely cannot move on base salary, that does not necessarily mean the negotiation is over. Other parts of the package may have meaningful value.

Negotiate the Next Compensation Review

One of the most overlooked negotiating points is what happens after you start. If the firm cannot reach your target salary today, ask whether compensation can be reviewed after a defined period – for example, six months – based on specific performance goals.

Clarify those goals. They might include successfully leading a project, assuming client responsibility, earning licensure, developing new business, improving project performance, or taking on team leadership. A defined review tied to measurable expectations is far more useful than a vague promise to “revisit compensation later.”

Know Your Numbers Before the Conversation Starts

Before negotiating, determine three numbers:

• Your target – compensation you believe appropriately reflects the role and your value.
• Your acceptable range – compensation you would feel comfortable accepting when the entire opportunity is considered.
• Your walk-away point – the point at which the opportunity no longer makes sense for you.

Then compare total value rather than salary alone. A difference in base pay can look very different once bonuses, healthcare costs, retirement contributions, PTO, flexibility, commute, and advancement potential are included.

Ask Questions Before You Counter

A counteroffer does not always have to begin with a number. Good questions can reveal how much flexibility exists and what the firm values.

• “How did you determine the compensation range for this position?”
• “Where do you see my experience falling within the range?”
• “How does the firm handle bonuses or profit sharing?”
• “When are compensation reviews conducted?”
• “What would someone need to accomplish during the first year to move to the next compensation level?”

Do Not Bluff

You do not need another offer to negotiate, and you should not invent one. Your strongest case is usually the market, the scope of the position, and the value of your experience. A straightforward approach works well: “Based on the scope of the role, current market compensation, and the experience I am bringing, I was targeting something closer to $X. Is there flexibility to move in that direction?”

Know When to Stop Negotiating

Good negotiation is not about extracting every possible dollar. It is about reaching an agreement where both sides believe the relationship is starting on solid footing. If the employer has made meaningful movement and the total package meets your goals, recognize when you have reached a reasonable agreement. If compensation remains materially misaligned, it is also reasonable to decline professionally.

Your Career Is the Bigger Negotiation

The highest-paying job is not automatically the best career decision. Consider whether the role will give you stronger projects, leadership responsibility, valuable expertise, better client exposure, mentorship, visibility, or a clearer path toward where you want to be in three to five years.

At the same time, do not undervalue yourself in exchange for vague promises of future opportunity. Understand the market. Know what you bring to the table. Evaluate the entire offer. Ask good questions. And when it is time to negotiate, make the conversation about value – not simply money.

In Conclusion

Negotiations are never a one-solution prospect.   Each scenario is different, and the needs of the negotiators are varied.  This post is a starting point.  A place to start thinking about what is most important to you as you take a new job or promotion.   DBI has helped thousands of candidates at all levels get the best offer they can, be it money or something else.  If you are interested in learning more about the negotiation process, reach out to DBI.  We are always happy to connect.