Does Handel Architects pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Handel Architects employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.2 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Handel Architects. This rating has improved by 6% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Handel Architects?

68% of Handel Architects employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Handel Architects 3.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Handel Architects?

Associate (32) , Architect (15) , Architectural Designer (7) , Intern (7) , Designer (6) , Project Architect (6) , Associate Designer (3) , Architectural Intern (2) , Interior Designer (2) , Internship (2) , Junior Architect (2) , Junior Designer (2) , Senior Associate (2)

What are the pros of working at Handel Architects according to real employee reviews?

"Great people to work with." ((in 12 reviews)); "I learned a lot and was mentored with care and attention." ((in 4 reviews)); "Decent work/life balance, co" ((in 3 reviews)); "Good work environment, high quality of design work" ((in 3 reviews)); "Friendly people, calm colleagues, respectful vibe" ((in 3 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Handel Architects according to real employee reviews?

"long hours and weekends too." ((in 10 reviews)); "Average benefits and long hours" ((in 6 reviews)); "Project managers are administrator and nothing more." ((in 6 reviews)); "Bad management and organization, no room to grow or get promoted unless you will be working here forever, Some PMs are so awful to work with and they will be with this firm forever." ((in 6 reviews)); "Occasional long hours but it varies from team to team and depends on the project." ((in 5 reviews))

Handel Architects Reviews

3.7

68% would recommend to a friend

(114 total reviews)

Gary Handel

84% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.6

Culture and values

3.6

Diversity and inclusion

3.4

Career opportunities

3.2

Senior management

3.2

Compensation and benefits

3.1

Work/Life balance

Handel Architects has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 114 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Handel Architects employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, repair and maintenance industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

114 reviews

5.0

2 Jun 2026

Good culture

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Positive energy and good culture

Cons

Open studio is hard for different calls at the same time

5.0

4 Feb 2026

Great place to grow

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

This is a company with a genuinely great culture—collaborative, supportive, and driven by people who care about doing meaningful work. There are plenty of opportunities to grow, learn, and take ownership of your career, and the projects are both exciting and intellectually challenging. It’s a place where you’re encouraged to push yourself while being supported every step of the way.

Cons

Ultimately, the experience here is very much what you make of it. If you’re willing to step up, work hard, and actively contribute as part of a team, there are plenty of opportunities to grow and succeed. Those who take initiative and commit to doing great work tend to go far within the office.

Handel Architects Response

3mo

Thank you so much for the generous feedback - it truly means a lot. We work hard to foster a positive company culture by hiring and developing exceptional people who are passionate about design and driven for excellence. We encourage people to take initiative and demonstrate leadership while maintaining a collaborative and supportive mindset. We also appreciate your ideas around supporting innovation and experimentation. If you’re open to it, we’d genuinely welcome further conversation. Please feel free to reach out to our senior leadership team or our Director of People and Culture anytime. Thank you again!

3.0

28 Jan 2026

Great office culture, but Design Technology leadership needs work

Bim manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

- Great office culture overall, friendly coworkers and a supportive day-to-day vibe in many teams. - Strong collaboration across disciplines, and you can learn a lot by being exposed to a wide range of projects. - Leadership can be generous when the business is doing well (bonuses/recognition can happen depending on performance and year). - Social events (happy hours, team get-togethers) help create a sense of community.

Cons

- In the Design Technology/BIM function, the management approach can sometimes create a difficult environment—high stress, frequent check-ins, and communication that may feel more critical than constructive. - Limited autonomy in how work is executed, which can slow progress and reduce ownership. - The combination of stress and limited autonomy contributed to turnover and made the team feel hard to sustain long-term. - Growth path and expectations (titles, leveling, promotion criteria) can be unclear within the Design Technology/BIM track. - Don’t expect a significant raise every year—annual increases can be modest (for example, around ~$1,500), though this can vary by year and business conditions.

Handel Architects Response

3mo

Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback which has been shared with our most senior leadership. We’re glad to hear that the collaborative culture and sense of community had a positive impact on your experience. We also appreciate your perspective on the Design Technology/BIM function. Creating an environment that supports clear communication, sustainable workloads, and meaningful growth is important to us, and insights like yours help guide our ongoing efforts. The firm leadership is deeply committed to continuous employee development and using leading edge design technology to support excellence in design on our projects. We will continue to invest in leadership development and setting clearer expectations within specialized practice areas. Thank you again for sharing your experience. We’re committed to learning from feedback like this and to continuing to strengthen the employee experience.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 114 Reviews

Jobs at Handel Architects

Architectural Designer

Project Architect/Designer