Here, how much one earns with architectural firms depends greatly on 
reputation (of course you know that). In my own mind, architecture can 
be the most beautiful blend of engineering and aesthetics!

  My comment about ad agencies is from some personal past experience in 
Chicago. I worked for a year in the research department of an 
industrial products ad agency. Research was mostly geared to marketing. 
  I later interviewed as an artist with a high end ad agency in Chicago 
and ended the interview process quickly. I found the people there to be 
pretentious while proclaiming great creative genius and superiority to 
the buying public. That is not enough experience to be making 
declarations, of course, but my understanding is that that attitude is 
not at all uncommon. Nothing wrong will feeling superior, I guess; it 
just isn't my style.

Architecture. One of my husband's friends was a very old fellow who had 
been a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and he had many tales to tell 
about the profession. He was also a follower of Wright, and was highly 
successful. This was in the Oak Park (western suburbs) area of Chicago. 
He enjoyed a fine living style. He did tell us that the field is 
extremely competitive and that women were pushed into the more 
decorative aspects--landscape, interior, that kind of thing. I would 
hope that things have changed greatly since then. But the thrust of 
this little anecdote is that architecture can be most lucrative. I am 
guessing that it comes down to one's business acumen and 
determination--both of which you have in generous amount.
Joan