19salarysurveynjdr& 12/5/08 15:06 Page 42

WHEN YOUR
STAFF ROOM
LOOKS LIKE
THIS …
… it’s safe to say that t least, amid all the talk of credit Making up the top five is training support,

employers are still having to do

all they can to retain talented
staff. David Parsley introduces
this year’s consultants’ salary
guide with a look at some of the
quirkier perks on offer
A crunches and market downturns,
some people are still having fun. The
fight to recruit and retain consultants has,
if anything, got more frantic, and
companies are going to increasing – some
would say bizarre – lengths to attract
architects, engineers and surveyors.
The 2008 salary and benefits guide, by
Hays Construction & Property and
Building, lists the usual benefits
employees now expect but what is more
interesting are the more unusual perks that
are on offer.
Topping the list of benefits that
employees want from employers is 25 days’
annual holiday: 77% of those surveyed said
it was a priority. Next was the 65% that
wanted flexible working, suggesting that
the days of 9-5 are over. Next up was the
company pension scheme, named by 64%,
followed closely by a performance-based
bonus, which was mentioned by 63%.
which scored 59%. This shows that today’s
employees are not happy to continue using
the same skills for years on end and are
keen to learn new tricks in order to advance.
Greg Lettington, director of Hays
Construction & Property, says it’s not just
big salaries that staff are after: “Salary
increases are being complemented by
improvements to benefits packages, which
are often standard across the larger
consultancies. Flexible working is a key
element of these packages, given the strong
focus on work–life balance for employees.”
On top of this, the survey revealed a
whole range of quirkier benefits that
employers are offering staff in order to
stand out from rival recruiters. It means
employees have the pick of a whole new
range of benefits, while employers who
aren’t already offering such perks should
perhaps think about introducing them.
Here, we reveal six of the best …
19salarysurveynjdr& 12/5/08 15:06 Page 43
1
GADGETS
It’s a wonder any work gets done at
GIA Design, the multidisciplinary
consultancy – working in the firm’s south
London office is akin to going to an
amusement arcade every day. The dizzying
array of gadgets at its office tops our chart
of quirky perks. There’s a pool table,
computer games, massage chairs and, in
the women’s loo, hair straighteners and
dryers.
The latter must be handy for getting ready
for the firm’s regular staff parties,
including the annual trip to an upmarket
hotel for the weekend-long Christmas bash.
And it seems to be having the desired
effect: GIA’s staff numbers have quadrupled
to 120 over the past two years. Fiona
Pattinson, the associate partner who heads
the firm’s HR department, says: “It’s a very
cool place to work. People often bring
friends round to show them the offices and
even stay hours after work to play.”
But do staff join GIA for the career
opportunities or simply to play games for a
living? “I have to admit,” says Pattinson, “I
do sometimes have to gauge whether people
want to join us for the right reasons.”
BORROW OR BUY A BIKE
2
In an effort to win the battle to
be sustainable, Stride Treglown
makes it pay for staff to be green. This
architect, which has offices across the
country, operates a “cycle to work” scheme,
whereby it provides staff with an interest
free loan, deducted from monthly pay
packets, to fund the purchase of a bike.
The initiative has proved so popular
that the firm has founded a lunchtime
bike club.
If that weren’t enough, staff that use
peddle power to get to meetings are
actually paid for each mile they cover.
consultants’ salary guide 43
3 FREE BREAKFASTS
At number three are Young and
Gault Architects’ free Friday
breakfasts. Every week staff at the
Glasgow-based firm are rewarded for a
hard week’s work with bacon butties,
muffins and coffee – and any specially
requests. This may not do as much for the
waistlines of staff as a cycle to work
scheme would, but it certainly boosts their
morale.
4 BUY MORE HOLIDAY
More consultancies are offering staff
the chance to “buy” days off. For
example, in April Atkins increased the
number of days off its consultants could
buy from five to 15. Staff can take the
extra days on top of their normal
holiday allowance if they are prepared
to take them unpaid. An Atkins
spokesperson says: “It allows people to be
away from work for a really decent stretch.
It’s ideal for anyone who wants to spend
time with their children during school
holidays or for people who want to go
travelling. It’s about recruitment and
retention.”
5
POETS DAY
Even if you don’t know what Poets
day stands for, you can be sure many
of your contemporaries in rival companies
do. It means you get to go home early on
Fridays. To put it less delicately, it is an
acronym for: “Piss off early – tomorrow’s
Saturday.” Many view it as an inefficient
working practice, but firms that have
adopted it claim it has increased staff
loyalty and effort.
6 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
On top of the near mandatory
25 days’ holiday entitlement, many
businesses, including multidisciplinary
consultant Baily Garner, are allowing
employees a day off on their birthdays. It’s
a great perk, but if your next birthday falls
on a Saturday you’ll probably have to wait
a couple of years to benefit from this one as
your contract is sadly unlikely to allow you
to take a weekday in lieu. You have to pity
those born on 29 February.
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44 consultants’ salary guide

Central North Home South Home South- Wales West East East
London Counties Counties west Midlands Midlands Anglia
QUANTITY SURVEYORS £

Partner/director, 45 70,000 62,000 61,000 55,000 52,000 57,000 57,000 58,000

Associate, 38, ARICS 52,000 50,000 50,000 46,000 45,000 48,000 43,000 48,000
Senior surveyor, 2-6 years’ experience 48,000 45,000 45,000 40,000 42,000 39,000 38,000 42,000
Newly qualified surveyor, 25 42,000 32,500 33,000 29,000 30,000 28,000 30,000 33,000
Assistant surveyor, 22 26,500 26,500 27,000 25,000 26,000 20,000 23,000 24,000
Graduate surveyor 25,000 22,000 22,000 19,000 20,000 18,000 18,500 21,000
Claims surveyor, 35, 5 years’ experience 60,000 44,000 45,000 39,000 45,000 37,000 40,000 42,000
Project manager, 35, 5 years’ experience 50,000 47,500 49,000 42,000 40,000 44,000 42,000 43,000
Procurement manager, 40, 6 years’ experience 50,000 48,000 45,000 39,000 40,000 40,000 38,000 40,000
Surveyor, 29, ARICS 38,000 37,500 37,000 34,500 35,000 35,000 34,000 35,000
Measurement surveyor, 22, 2 years’ experience 27,500 26,000 25,000 23,000 24,000 23,000 22,500 23,000

North- Yorkshire North- Scotland Northern National % rise

west east Ireland average

Partner/director, 45 51,000 57,000 55,000 55,000 50,000 57,462 6.9%

Associate, 38, ARICS 44,500 47,000 46,000 46,000 39,000 47,423 7.7%
Senior surveyor, 2-6 years’ experience 40,000 38,000 38,000 40,000 35,000 41,385 6.0%
Newly qualified surveyor, 25 30,000 30,000 30,000 32,000 28,000 31,500 6.3%
Assistant surveyor, 22 23,000 25,000 23,000 24,000 24,000 24,462 5.3%
Graduate surveyor 20,000 20,000 20,000 22,000 19,500 20,692 5.4%
Claims surveyor, 35, 5 years’ experience 40,000 40,000 40,000 46,000 34,000 42,642 4.0%
Project manager, 35, 5 years’ experience 42,000 45,000 43,000 42,000 37,500 43,692 5.1%
Procurement manager, 40, 6 years’ experience 38,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 35,000 41,000 3.0%
Surveyor, 29, ARICS 35,000 35,000 30,000 35,000 30,000 34,769 5.6%
Measurement surveyor, 22, 2 years’ experience 23,000 25,000 22,000 21,000 19,500 23,577 5.2%

Central North Home South Home South- Wales West East East
London Counties Counties west Midlands Midlands Anglia
BUILDING SURVEYORS £

Partner/director, 45 67,000 60,000 62,000 58,000 54,000 59,000 55,000 53,000

Associate, 32, 6 years’ PQE 52,000 50,000 45,000 41,000 42,000 46,000 43,000 41,000
Building surveyor, 28, MRICS 41,000 35,000 40,000 32,000 32,000 35,000 32,000 33,000
Graduate building surveyor 25,000 22,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 22,000 20,000 20,000
Maintenance surveyor, 28, 8 years’ experience 32,000 32,000 32,000 27,000 25,000 27,000 28,000 28,000
Planning supervisor, 40, 10 years’ experience 46,000 40,000 43,000 34,000 35,000 37,000 39,000 39,000
Project manager, 35, MRICS, 5 years’ experience 50,000 48,000 50,000 41,000 42,000 45,000 41,000 37,000

North- Yorkshire North- Scotland Northern National % rise

west east Ireland average

Partner/director, 45 53,000 55,000 53,000 56,000 50,000 56,692 5.2%

Associate, 32, 6 years’ PQE 43,000 45,000 42,000 44,000 33,000 43,692 5.8%
Building surveyor, 28, MRICS 32,000 32,000 32,000 32,000 30,000 33,846 6.4%
Graduate building surveyor 19,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 18,500 20,500 3.4%
Maintenance surveyor, 28, 8 years’ experience 27,000 30,000 28,000 28,000 28,000 28,615 3.5%
Planning supervisor, 40, 10 years’ experience 39,000 37,000 36,000 37,000 33,000 38,154 5.0%
Project manager, 35, MRICS, 5 years’ experience 40,000 42,000 42,000 43,000 39,000 43,154 4.6%

SURVEYORS at Hays, says: ”In London salaries have almost reached a

This is where the real money is. The average salary of a QS in the UK is
higher than for any other employee in the industry. With senior central
London staff earning, on average, £70,000, the profession’s only close
competitor is building surveying.
Almost all ranks in the sector across the nation have experienced pay
increases way above inflation in the past year, with most reporting
hikes of more than 5%.
But could this be as good as it gets? Lee Grayland, a manager
plateau. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next
12 months.”
The other highly paid surveying discipline may beat most for salaries,
but it is not experiencing the same dramatic rises as quantity
surveying. The highest pays have, on an average across the nation,
risen about 5%, but salaries for less experienced and lower ranking
staff have risen less than 4%.
Although the sector is experiencing higher demand from commercial

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consultants’ salary guide 45

Central North Home South Home South- Wales West East East
London Counties Counties west Midlands Midlands Anglia
ARCHITECTS £

Partner/director 61,000 55,000 56,000 48,000 48,000 50,500 50,000 49,000

Associate 52,000 47,000 45,000 42,000 41,000 43,000 42,000 38,000
Architect, 6 years’ experience 42,000 40,000 38,000 37,000 38,000 37,000 38,000 36,000
Newly qualified, CAD experience 32,000 32,000 29,000 25,000 26,000 27,500 30,000 28,000
Architectural assistant, Part II 28,000 25,000 25,000 24,000 26,000 24,000 22,000 25,000
Architectural assistant, Part I 22,000 19,000 20,000 20,000 16,000 19,000 17,000 17,000
Senior CAD technician 38,000 36,000 36,000 33,000 32,000 34,000 35,000 32,500
CAD technician, 3 years’ experience 28,000 25,000 27,000 26,000 24,000 25,000 24,000 24,000
Technician HND, 10 years’
experience and 2-3 years’ CAD 38,000 35,000 36,000 35,000 32,000 34,000 33,000 33,000
Senior technologist, 10 years’ experience 42,000 40,000 39,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 36,000 35,000
Technologist, 3 years’ experience 28,000 27,000 28,000 26,000 25,000 24,000 25,000 25,000
Senior interior designer 40,000 34,000 35,000 34,000 28,000 28,000 33,000 30,000
Interior designer, 4-5 years’ experience 32,000 26,000 27,000 25,000 26,000 22,000 27,000 26,000
Interior designer, 3 years’ experience 26,000 25,000 25,000 23,000 21,000 23,000 23,000 22,000
Landscape architect, 8-10 years’ experience 37,000 35,000 34,000 34,000 31,000 33,000 33,000 30,000
Landscape architects, 3-5 years’ experience 29,000 26,000 28,000 26,000 23,000 24,000 27,000 22,000

North- Yorkshire North- Scotland Northern National % rise

west east Ireland average

Partner/director 53,000 52,000 50,000 49,000 48,000 51,500 4.6%

Associate 42,000 39,000 42,000 42,000 42,000 42,846 4.2%
Architect, 6 years’ experience 39,000 37,000 37,000 38,000 34,000 37,769 4.7%
Newly qualified, CAD experience 31,000 27,000 27,000 27,000 25,000 28,192 4.8%
Architectural assistant, Part II 24,000 24,000 24,000 22,000 22,000 24,231 5.2%
Architectural assistant, Part I 16,000 15,000 15,000 17,000 17,000 17,692 3.7%
Senior CAD technician 35,000 34,000 32,000 31,000 29,000 33,692 4.6%
CAD technician, 3 years’ experience 26,000 24,000 24,500 24,000 25,000 25,115 3.1%
Technician HND, 10 years’ experience
and 2-3 years’ CAD 33,000 32,000 30,000 30,000 29,000 33,231 5.7%
Senior technologist, 10 years’ experience 38,000 38,000 35,000 36,000 35,000 36,077 4.5%
Technologist, 3 years’ experience 25,000 26,000 24,000 26,000 25,000 25,692 3.6%
Senior interior designer 31,000 30,000 32,000 31,000 30,000 32,000 5.6%
Interior designer, 4-5 years’ experience 26,000 25,000 25,000 26,000 25,000 26,000 4.4%
Interior designer, 3 years’ experience 22,000 21,500 22,000 22,000 19,000 22,654 2.9%
Landscape architect, 8-10 years’ experience 31,000 32,000 33,000 33,000 30,000 32,769 5.6%
Landscape architects, 3-5 years’ experience 24,000 24,000 25,000 25,000 23,000 25,077 4.4%

ARCHITECTS
clients there has been a noticeable slowdown in Architects of all levels are in high demand and
the residential sector. practices that make potential employees feel valued
Still, salaries are high when compared with with a swift and efficient recruitment process attract
most other the best talent.
construction While London commands the highest salaries, all
industry regions have benefited from a strong rise in pay
professions, packets – the national average is up about 4% across
with the all ranks.
highest Outside the capital, the Home Counties and
paid north-west England have the highest salaries and
earning Wales, the South-west and Northern Ireland prop
£67,000 up the table. Despite this, the differences are not
in London great. The North-west has benefited from a number
and above of new practices opening up in Manchester, thereby
£50,000 increasing the competition for talent.
elsewhere In a new trend to combat skill shortages, some
across employers are beginning to recruit part-qualified
the graduates who they then support through
country. further training.

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46 consultants’ salary guide

Central North Home South Home South- Wales West East East
London Counties Counties west Midlands Midlands Anglia
CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL £
CAD TECHNICIANS

CAD manager, 15 years’ experience,

AMICE or AMIStructE 43,000 36,000 35,000 35,000 34,000 36,000 35,000 36,000
Senior CAD team leader, 8 years’ CAD experience 35,000 28,000 33,000 33,000 30,000 34,000 29,000 32,500
CAD technician, 10 years’ experience
+ 3 years CAD experience 30,000 26,000 27,000 28,000 27,500 28,000 26,000 29,000
CAD technician, 3 years’ experience
+ 1 year CAD experience 23,000 22,000 22,500 22,000 21,500 20,000 22,000 21,500

North- Yorkshire North- Scotland Northern National % rise

west east Ireland average
CAD manager, 15 years’ experience,
AMICE or AMIStructE 33,000 32,000 32,500 35,000 31,000 35,038 7.5%
Senior CAD team leader, 8 years’ CAD experience 30,000 32,000 31,000 32,000 27,500 31,500 7.4%
CAD technician, 10 year’s experience
+ 3 years’ CAD experience 24,500 26,000 29,000 28,000 26,500 27,577 6.8%
CAD technician, 3 years’ experience
+ 1 years’ CAD experience 20,000 19,500 20,000 22,000 20,000 21,346 7.2%

CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL CAD TECHNICIANS ENGINEERS

This is one of the areas of main concern in the industry, as the
skills shortage is most acute. There is a particularly requirement for
CAD-fluent staff and, as a result, even those with limited
experience have had 7% salary rises in the last year.
David Wilkinson, senior manager at Hays, says: “3D
visualisation is becoming increasingly sought after within
architectural practices as a stand-alone role. Some modern
practices are using quirky add-ons, such as supplying
fresh fruit and offering your birthday as a day off to
entice people.”
“More clients are specifically requesting good levels
of spoken and written English, owing to the increase
in foreign workers applying for positions. Antipodeans
stand in good stead because their experience and
education is more easily transferable.”
The West and East Midlands are shown to be in
particular need of experienced CAD experts –
salaries in these regions are
beaten only in
the capital.
The survey shows that over the past year there has been a definite rise
in demand for civil and structural engineers, as the services of senior
ranking players are becoming increasingly scarce.
As a result of the skills shortage, the sector has started
offering golden handshakes, something that had been
previously considered a perk of working for a
construction firm. These are increasingly common
in structural engineering and are expected to
become more prevalent in the years to come.
Mark Thomas, a senior manager at Hays, says:
“Employers have started to respond to the skills
shortage by investing in graduate trainee schemes and
by forging links with universities, but overall, not enough is being
done. While some employers will consider non-cognates for less
technical roles, many are looking for more technically
qualified candidates.”
Certain sectors are, however, becoming more receptive
to employing non-cognates. For example,
employers in the transport planning sector
are considering candidates with a maths
or geography background.
Although London and the Home
Counties offer the highest salaries
in this sector, East Anglia is doing
more than most to raise the average
national income.

METHODOLOGY
The Hays Construction & Property/Building Salary Guide 2007 is based
on salaries of candidates placed within the past 12 months. It is
compiled over a four-week period by staff at offices across the UK.
Hays Construction & Property, the specialist recruitment consultancy to
the built environment, consulted candidates and clients and used the
specialist knowledge of its recruitment consultants to compile this
comprehensive survey. For further information visit www.hays.com/cp.

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consultants’ salary guide 47

Central North Home South Home South- Wales West East East
London Counties Counties west Midlands Midlands Anglia
ENGINEERS £

Water engineer
Principal engineer, 11 years’ experience 48,000 42,000 43,000 40,000 38,000 38,000 40,000 45,000
Senior engineer, 6 years’ experience 38,000 34,000 35,500 32,000 34,000 34,000 35,000 40,000
Engineer, 2 years’ or more experience 27,500 24,000 27,000 26,000 24,000 24,000 28,000 3,0000

Bridge engineer
Associate, 13 years’ experience 50,000 46,000 47,500 46,000 38,000 46,000 45,000 45,000
Senior engineer, 6 years’ experience 38,000 37,000 37,000 38,000 31,000 33,000 33,000 35,000
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 28,000 25,000 26,000 27,000 27,500 25,000 24,000 26,000

Geotechnical engineer
Principal engineer, 11 years’ experience 51,000 45,000 45,000 39,000 41,500 41,000 40,000 45,000
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 34,000 35,000 36,000 32,000 33,000 34,000 32,000 35,000

Structural engineer
Associate, 15 years’ experience 55,000 52,000 53,500 50,000 42,000 47,000 40,000 52,000
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 43,000 39,000 37,000 37,000 33,500 34,000 34,000 37,000
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 29,000 27,000 27,000 26,000 24,000 24,000 25,000 27,000
Graduate engineer 24,000 22,000 23,000 20,000 22,000 20,000 21,000 25,000

Infrastructure engineer
Principal, 11 years’ experience 52,000 45,000 45,000 43,000 38,000 39,000 40,000 43,000
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 38,000 38,000 37,000 35,000 32,500 33,000 33,000 36,000
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 30,000 28,000 26,000 27,000 26,000 24,000 26,000 27,000
Graduate engineer 25,000 22,000 22,000 20,000 21,000 20,000 19,000 22,000

North- Yorkshire North- Scotland Northern National % rise

west east Ireland average
Water engineer
Principal engineer, 11 years’ experience 38,500 40,000 39,000 45,000 34,500 40,846 6.3%
Senior engineer, 6 years’ experience 33,000 32,000 32,000 35,000 28,000 34,038 5.1%
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 24,000 24,000 25,500 26,000 21500 25,500 6.8%

Bridge engineer
Associate, 13 years’ experience 46,000 44,000 43,500 46,000 39,000 44,769 4.3%
Senior engineer, 6 years’ experience 34,000 36,000 34,500 38,000 31,000 35,038 3.8%
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 24,000 26,000 25,500 27,000 24,000 25,769 3.4%

Geotechnical engineer
Principal engineer, 11 years’ experience 40,000 40,000 37,500 42,000 37,000 41,846 3.3%
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 32,000 32,000 31,000 35,000 29,000 33,077 5.1%

Structural engineer
Associate, 15 years’ experience 48,000 44,000 45,500 47,000 39,000 47,308 5.8%
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 35,000 34,000 33,000 34,000 29,500 35,385 4.6%
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 25,000 25,000 25,000 27,000 23,000 25,692 4.5%
Graduate engineer 23,000 21,500 22,500 22,000 18,500 21,885 5.1%

Infrastructure engineer
Principal, 11 years’ experience 42,000 44,000 43,500 47,000 36,500 43,077 6.4%
Senior engineer, 5 years’ experience 33,500 34,000 36,000 36,000 29,000 34,846 5.6%
Engineer, 2 years’ experience 26,000 25,000 25,500 26,000 22,000 26,115 5.0%
Graduate engineer 23,000 21500 22,000 22,000 17,000 21,423 5.6%

BUILDING MAGAZINE 16.05.2008