A fifth (20%) of very small architecture firms (those with three or fewer architects on staff) provide a premium of 10% or more to starting salaries for employees possessing a professional degree in architecture versus those with a four-year nonprofessional degree in architectural studies. While the overall share of these small firms that offer premiums is slightly smaller than that of firms of larger sizes, 46% versus 58%, respectively, the premium is significantly higher. Only 8% of firms with 20 to 49 employees, 4% of firms with 50 to 99 employees, and 1% of firms with 100 or more employees pay a 10% premium in salary for those with professional degrees. A notable share of these very small firms—30%—do not even consider hiring employees who lack a professional degree in architecture, significantly higher than the 21% of larger firms that report the same.
