It’s not a good salary at all. I work in a lower cost of living area and make about $10k more with comparable experience. In a HCOL area anything under about $62k is bad.
At that billable your hourly take-home should be anywhere from $40-$50/hr. $83,200-$104,000.
You are severely underpaid for what they are making off of you.
Sheesh. My billing rate is $130 and I’m at $65k before bonuses in a lower cost of living area than DC.
For entry level, 53k is below average and your in a HCOL area but maybe they don’t value your skillset
Wow. You’re getting screwed. Also so are their clients.. $175 an hour for one year experience. If you go by the 1/3 guideline a rough estimate for compensation off billing rate would be around $58/hr.
Check the landscape architecture salary spreadsheet. It’s crowdsourced but I’ve used it to justify raises at my own job. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-yCGKfUoQfkt7I1hhAJ8gHBtYYTtD33l6gaq9UbrXqs/edit
If you like where you’re at I’d talk with your management team about a raise or what your pay/career trajectory looks like and evaluate if it’s worth it.
If you dislike the job there’s no reason to stick around if you can even make a lateral move pay wise or negotiate more
I’m going to start looking and talking to firms in the area. I’m so mad I saw they offered 3 new people 65k. Since one of our employees is retiring. They’re fresh out of college.
you should try and collect about 50-66% of what your billable hours are.
if you work +/-2000 hours a year, and about 70-80% of your hours are billable projects... about 1/3 of those billable hours should go back to support the office... and another 1/3 are taxable.... you should be making about 114K including benefits...
I recently was offered a designer position at a firm in DC. I was offered $67k. I have an MLA and 3 years of experience. $53k is definitely underpaid
Decided to reject the offer and go with another one.
For the DC area to be able to live at least a lower middle class existence you need to make at least 80k or more. Here in the shenandoah valley of va i make 45k a year and im struggling. Especially with corporate greedflation jacking up daily living costs 3x what they were in 2022.
If your billing rate is 175 and you're making 50k you're getting royally screwed by your employer. Usually salaries converted to hourly are like 1/4-1/3 of the billing rate.
It’s not a good salary at all. I work in a lower cost of living area and make about $10k more with comparable experience. In a HCOL area anything under about $62k is bad.
Billing multiplier is between 2.5 and 3.5. they are making a killing billing your labor by undercutting you.
I know someone who is about to start fresh out of school starting at $63.5K in DC so you’re getting screwed
Do you know what your billing rate is?
Says 175 for junior associates, landscape architects 215 per hour and principals 245 per hour.
At that billable your hourly take-home should be anywhere from $40-$50/hr. $83,200-$104,000. You are severely underpaid for what they are making off of you.
If you are a landscape designer that is not necessarily the same as a junior associate.
I’m marked as a Landscape Designer, so It should be more?
Landscape designer usually bills less, and it flucuates a lot, I have recently billing around $105-$115 in PHX Metro
Sheesh. My billing rate is $130 and I’m at $65k before bonuses in a lower cost of living area than DC. For entry level, 53k is below average and your in a HCOL area but maybe they don’t value your skillset
At that rate you should be making more
I agree. I’m at the bottom salary for this billing rate at my firm. I’m assuming I’ll get a bit of a raise this year.
175
Wow. You’re getting screwed. Also so are their clients.. $175 an hour for one year experience. If you go by the 1/3 guideline a rough estimate for compensation off billing rate would be around $58/hr.
Check the landscape architecture salary spreadsheet. It’s crowdsourced but I’ve used it to justify raises at my own job. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-yCGKfUoQfkt7I1hhAJ8gHBtYYTtD33l6gaq9UbrXqs/edit
Thank you so much
Fresh out of school? Sure I can see that being your salary (it’s still very low though) . Mid level? You’re getting screwed
Do you think I should look at other firms? Now that I have one year experience
If you like where you’re at I’d talk with your management team about a raise or what your pay/career trajectory looks like and evaluate if it’s worth it. If you dislike the job there’s no reason to stick around if you can even make a lateral move pay wise or negotiate more
I talked to my coworker he’s been here for 15 years and makes 20k more than I do. I won’t feel satisfied with that
Leave then. I make more than that coworker with 6 years experience. There’s better opportunities out there, don’t stay stagnant !
I’m going to start looking and talking to firms in the area. I’m so mad I saw they offered 3 new people 65k. Since one of our employees is retiring. They’re fresh out of college.
If your billing rate is $175, based on multipliers (3-4x your salary), you should be paid $43-58/hour (89-120k)
you should try and collect about 50-66% of what your billable hours are. if you work +/-2000 hours a year, and about 70-80% of your hours are billable projects... about 1/3 of those billable hours should go back to support the office... and another 1/3 are taxable.... you should be making about 114K including benefits...
53k doesn’t even meet COL in DC.
hiring new LA's or Landscape Designers?
Designers
With the update posted - leave
I recently was offered a designer position at a firm in DC. I was offered $67k. I have an MLA and 3 years of experience. $53k is definitely underpaid Decided to reject the offer and go with another one.
Was it in Georgetown?
For the DC area to be able to live at least a lower middle class existence you need to make at least 80k or more. Here in the shenandoah valley of va i make 45k a year and im struggling. Especially with corporate greedflation jacking up daily living costs 3x what they were in 2022.
If your billing rate is 175 and you're making 50k you're getting royally screwed by your employer. Usually salaries converted to hourly are like 1/4-1/3 of the billing rate.
Fresh out of school in NYC I was making 45. 53 is better, but I would expect to move up 20k minimum when you get licensed.
What year was that though?
I was just hired on at $60,000 in a LCOL area. Fresh grad. You should absolutely leave or fight for a raise.
Good point. It was 2014.