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If you鈥檙e a bit bored of your job, it鈥檚 not unusual to develop the suspicion that there are people out there who鈥檝e got a better deal than you. And for architects, and surveyors working for specialist practices, that may well be the case. Consultants鈥� salaries have increased steadily in the past year 鈥� as the annual survey from recruitment firm Hays Construction & Property, overleaf, shows 鈥� but if you鈥檙e after a whopping pay rise, the fastest way to get it is to defect to a client or a contractor.

Competition between consultancies for a limited pool of staff has been fierce for several years, but it鈥檚 getting even hotter as clients and contractors have begun fishing in the same pond. 鈥淐lients are really keen to pull people from the consultancy side and there is definitely a loosening of interdisciplinary moves,鈥� says Tim Cook, managing director of Hays Construction & Property. 鈥淢ore employers are looking at associated industries for staff.鈥�

Firms outside consultancy are also more flexible, he notes. 鈥淚f you look at an area like social housing, they take a broader view of the skills they would consider compared with the strict requirements of practices.鈥�

Unfortunately for consultancies, their fees aren鈥檛 rising nearly fast enough to win a bidding war. Dismayed human resources directors recount stories of QSs with five years鈥� experience being lured away by contractors for a salary jump of 拢10,000.

The problem is particularly bad for architects, says Charlotte Vincent, a senior consultant in Hays鈥� architecture division. 鈥淧ractices are having to compete with contractors and developers for staff and, generally, these companies offer higher salaries and better benefits packages. Although the industry hasn鈥檛 responded with massive salary hikes, it is making the market more competitive.鈥�

An experienced architect working in a practice in central London can expect to earn about 拢40,000 but Hays has found that the equivalent role at a contractor can pay up to 10% more, particularly at senior levels. Once you鈥檝e added the benefits offered by the contractor, the total package is often worth about 15% more than a job at a practice, although these higher paid posts tend to be limited to larger cities such as Manchester and London.

So, jumping the fence may net you more cash, but is it necessarily the best career move? Mike Nightingale, chairman of architect Nightingale Associates, is not sure the variety and flow of work would match consultancy. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e working for someone like Arup, you鈥檝e got a lot of flexibility. You might not get that at a client. Employees working for clients get paid more to be loyal, but you鈥檙e selling your soul a bit, aren鈥檛 you?鈥�

In certain circumstances, he concedes, a three or four-year stint with a client could look great on your CV. 鈥淵ou may want to build up knowledge of how clients work, which will be attractive to your employer in consultancy, but it all depends on the quality of the job and the size of the client.鈥�

Steve McGuckin left consultant Mace six years ago to join uber-client Land Securities as director of projects. Not surprisingly, he believes switching sides can be a liberating experience. 鈥淲hen you work in consultancy and you hit 50 or 60, you鈥檒l be doing the same job as you did years ago because you鈥檙e paid for your client base and knowledge,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 realised at 30, rather then at 45, that I didn鈥檛 want to be locked into a partnership. If you鈥檙e in consultancy, you鈥檝e just got the endgame of becoming an equity partner, whereas if you work on the client side and you鈥檙e a corporate director, you can change jobs every five years.鈥�

If you have very specialist knowledge and are passionate about a subject, consultancy is for you, says McGuckin. Working for clients makes you more of a generalist, using more managerial skills. 鈥淧eople either thrive or freeze when they join clients, because they have to make big decisions, not just recommendations,鈥� he adds.

Consultancies are hoping they can persuade people to stay for reasons other than hard cash. 鈥淲e are up against a lot of competition, so we do spend a fair amount of time and effort attracting people,鈥� says Amanda Houlihan, HR development director at architect BDP. 鈥淩emuneration will always be important but architecture is not one of the highest-paying professions. The people who come into it recognise that, and do it because they love what they do.鈥�

Bel Appleby, HR manager at surveyor Ridge, says its employee research showed that while salaries are important, career development, benefits and team spirit still hold sway for staff. 鈥淲hen people are looking at jobs they are looking at more than the salary. People spend a lot of time at work and they want variety.鈥�

So money isn鈥檛 everything 鈥� but that cuts both ways. McGuckin is adamant that he didn鈥檛 leave consultancy for the money. 鈥淚鈥檝e developed a whole new perspective. There are times in the last six years when I would have worked for nothing.鈥�

Surveyors

鈥淥ften employers find it difficult to justify salary increases, as their fees may not have risen in the same way, despite the buoyant market,鈥� says Claire Crombie, manager at Hays Property & Surveying. Nevertheless, all kinds of surveyors have enjoyed above-inflation pay increases 鈥� some two or three times the base rate 鈥� because they are still in such short supply, particularly those in their 30s and 40s.

Experienced claims surveyors now earn an average of 拢40,769, up 7.2% on last year. Among building surveyors, 35-year-old enjoyed the sharpest increase of 7.4% to 拢41,154. The slimmest increases were for partner level QSs 鈥� only 3.3%. Salaries have increased across the UK, but there鈥檚 still a steep gap between wages in central London and almost everywhere else.

Architects

Even though there鈥檚 been considerable hype about spiralling pay in architecture, there鈥檚 little sign of it in the survey unless you鈥檙e a CAD technician with three years鈥� experience or a new graduate. Those lucky CAD technicians鈥� salaries rose by almost 10% this year to a national average of 拢24,346. Part I architectural assistants did almost as well, with 8.8% hikes to 拢17,038. Average pay for Part II assistants increased by 7.2% to 拢22,962.

鈥淧art I graduates are always in demand because companies are obliged to employ a certain number each year,鈥� explains Gary Sheldrake, manager at Hays Architecture. 鈥淢any now offer a retaining fee to suitable candidates so that they return after they have completed their Part II diploma, for example, by offering a study allowance and the opportunity for holiday work.鈥�

At the other end of the scale, partners and directors鈥� pay rose by a measly 2.6% 鈥� although with an average salary of 拢49,154, they鈥檙e not really suffering.

In London, Hays consultants report massive demand for fully qualified RIBA Part III, senior technicians who can demonstrate an understanding of the construction process, senior technologists and technicians and Part IV landscape architects.

Civil and structural cad technicians

There鈥檚 great demand for experienced CAD technicians. Managers with 15 years on the tools are earning 7.8% more than last year, with a national average of 拢32,423. Senior team leaders with eight years鈥� experience have enjoyed average pay hikes of 7.1%, up to 拢29,154. Technicians who鈥檝e only been using CAD for three years received a more down-to-earth increase of 3.6% to put them on 拢25,692.

Engineers

Experience is prized in engineering at the moment, particularly if you鈥檙e an infrastructure or geotechnical specialist. The highest increases went to infrastructure engineers with five years鈥� experience 鈥� their average salary soared 8.4% to 拢32,885. Infrastructure principals took home 拢40,308, a rise of 6.1%. The geotechnical specialists, working in a growing area, also enjoyed rises of more than 6% at both senior and principal level, taking pay to 拢31,385 and 拢40,462 respectively. Less well remunerated were the water engineers, particularly those with two years鈥� experience, who got a meagre 2.8% rise. Churn rates are going up 鈥� civil and structural engineers are now tending to move jobs every few years, which pushes up salaries more quickly. And you need to be chartered to get the best deal: 鈥淓mployers are very flexible with candidates that are already chartered and they tend to receive the highest remuneration packages,鈥� says Kuldeep Mahal, manager at Hays Consulting Engineering.

Methodology

The Hays Construction & Property/好色先生TV 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.