RIBA’s Head of Research, Adrian Malleson, reviews the salary data from the 2025 RIBA Business Benchmarking Report.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) writes:
How are architects’ salaries performing? Architects’ salaries across RIBA Chartered Practices have shown only modest growth in 2025. Increases have often fallen short of inflation, eroding the real value of salaries for some roles. The long-term pressure on salaries within the profession remains. The strongest growth is seen in early?career roles. Part 1 Architectural Assistants saw an average salary increase of 11%. This is welcome news, following the findings of the RIBA Workplace Conditions and Wellbeing report 2025.
However, salary growth for Part 2 Assistants was weaker. Those Part 2 Assistants with less than two years’ experience saw an average rise of just 2%, while salaries for those with two or more years of experience remained unchanged. Among more senior positions, Associates recorded an average 4% increase. Salaries for Architects with five or more years of post?registration experience were static, and pay for Partners, Directors, and Sole Principals showed virtually no change.
What is the average salary for an architect?
The median salary for a salaried architect registered for 5 years or more is £45,000. This rises to around £53,000 for Associate Directors or Associates, and around £64,000 for architects who are salaried partners or non-shareholder directors. Salaries for architects vary widely, depending on factors such as seniority, practice size, and region, however. The RIBA Jobs Salary Report provides the average salaries for those who work in RIBA Chartered Practices, by region and practice size. These figures are based on data from the RIBA Business Benchmarking Report published in November 2025, which draws on insights from almost 4,000 RIBA Chartered Practices. Further detailed analyses of practice finances, staffing and business performance are available exclusively to RIBA Chartered Practices through the RIBA Benchmarking service.
The Real Living Wage
RIBA Chartered Practices operating in the UK are required to pay at least the Real Living Wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. This requirement applies to all staff, including freelancers and students. Further details can be found in the recently released RIBA Workplace Wellbeing Practice Note.
Is there a gender or ethnicity pay gap in architecture?
Gender and ethnicity pay gaps remain significant issues across the profession. This year’s gender pay gap stands at 17%, a slight increase on last year’s figure. The ethnicity pay gap is 10%, a small improvement compared with last year. Staff from Asian/Asian British, Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, mixed/multiple and other minority ethnic backgrounds continue to be under?represented in the highest pay quartile, and over?represented in the lower two quartiles.
Salaries by region and practice
Interactive tables give the average salaries of those working in RIBA Chartered Practices. To use the tables, click on the ‘Region’ or ‘Practice Size’ drop-down box in the top left, and select the data you are interested in. The table will be updated with your selection. Where there are blanks within a table, this is because there is insufficient data to display meaningfully. You may need to wait a short while for the tables to load.
National averages are provided by the default ‘All’ selection in the regional tables.
