# London Architecture Firms Fail to Meet Living Wage Standards The Pay 100 survey reveals widespread underpayment of architectural assistants across major London studios. - **Source:** [Architecture news and projects | Dezeen](https://brifing.si/source/50c21201-9cc6-48e0-8a7c-6ea605af10c3) - **Published:** 2026-11-02 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ff657ada-5400-46fe-b0f7-b70f2cc0d2f1 ## Survey Reveals Wage Disparities The Pay 100's fifth annual salary survey highlights that most London-based architecture studios fail to pay Part I architectural assistants the mandatory London Living Wage. Data from 127 UK firms indicates that only four studios meet the £32,136 threshold, while twelve firms pay below the national £29,328 UK Living Wage standard. ## Engineering Firms Lead Compensation BakerHicks topped the leaderboard for architects with under five years of experience, offering an average annual salary of £72,000. Hopkins Architects followed at £63,700, while Samuel Chisholm Studio and Thomas Alexander Design tied at £56,300. These figures contrast sharply with the lower pay scales observed for entry-level architectural assistant roles. ## Part II Salary Benchmarks For Part II architectural assistants, Transport for London reported the highest wages at £44,000, closely followed by Foster + Partners at £42,000. These figures represent the upper end of the spectrum in a survey that otherwise highlights significant financial instability and low compensation levels for junior staff across the broader architecture industry. ## Call for RIBA Intervention The Pay 100 issued an open letter to the Royal Institute of British Architects demanding urgent action regarding employee financial wellbeing. They argue that poor pay is a direct threat to the profession's future resilience. The group requested a public response from the institute by the deadline of 1 December this year. ## Proposed Minimum Salary Framework The group advocates for a structured framework of minimum salary levels for all chartered practices, adjusted annually for inflation. They contend that architecture firms cannot effectively advocate for the value of their professional services while simultaneously allowing market pressures to dictate substandard financial conditions for their own workforce and junior staff members. ## Institutional Ownership Requested The Pay 100 is urging RIBA to take full ownership of the annual salary survey to ensure broader industry participation. They believe that institutional stewardship would provide more comprehensive data and foster better engagement between employers and employees, ultimately driving meaningful progress toward improved financial conditions across the entire architectural sector. ## Competitive Market Pressures While acknowledging that architecture practices operate under intense financial pressure in a highly competitive market, the survey organizers maintain that commercial challenges do not justify deteriorating employment conditions. The data suggests that current pay practices are unsustainable and risk alienating talent, which could undermine the long-term health of the architectural profession. ## Future of Professional Standards The survey serves as a critical performance review of the industry's internal labor practices. By highlighting the gap between RIBA requirements and actual firm behavior, the initiative aims to create tangible financial incentives for employers. The ultimate goal is to establish a more transparent, sustainable, and equitable professional environment for all architects. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.dezeen.com/2026/11/02/the-pay-100-architect-salaries-survey/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._