State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Architect Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval is $99,280 a year ($47.73/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.9% through 2034, with about 7,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 17-1011Architecture and EngineeringLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $99,280
- Projected growth
- +3.9%
- Openings a year
- 7,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Architect, Design Architect, Planner, Project Architect, Specifications Writer.
How much do Architects, Except Landscape and Naval make?
10th percentile$62,300
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$77,960
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$99,280
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$126,550
Upper quartile
90th percentile$161,420
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $99,280 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $47.73/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $106,260 |
| People employed | 106,770 |
Versus all US occupations
At $99,280, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval earn 95% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $48,300 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
Inside the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $102,440, this is 3% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $161,420 or more while the bottom 10% earn $62,300, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 78% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $120,580, and still leads at $130,088 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Architects, Except Landscape and Naval the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $120,580 | $130,088 | 130 |
| Massachusetts | $117,330 | $110,943 | 4,590 |
| Maryland | $114,550 | $109,138 | 1,800 |
| Alaska | $108,730 | $106,224 | 210 |
| California | $108,540 | $98,031 | 13,270 |
| Rhode Island | $105,160 | $102,816 | 550 |
| Connecticut | $103,540 | $99,932 | 1,200 |
| South Dakota | $102,500 | $115,707 | 180 |
| Colorado | $102,400 | $99,367 | 3,290 |
| Hawaii | $102,340 | $93,078 | 600 |
Is Architect a growing career?
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval3.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Architects, Except Landscape and Naval to change 3.9% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 4,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,800 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 123,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Architects are expected to be needed to make plans and designs, particularly in sustainable design, for the construction and renovation of homes, schools, healthcare facilities, and other structures. Architectural design work is becoming more efficient due to improved building information modeling (BIM) software and measuring technology along with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). However, these productivity gains also allow architects to be more involved in the full building process and take on new roles and responsibilities.
How to become an Architect
There are typically three main steps to becoming a licensed architect: completing a bachelor’s degree in architecture, gaining relevant experience through a paid internship, and passing the Architect Registration Examination.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Internship/residency |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as architects, except landscape and naval.
- Bachelor's Degree42.9%
- Master's Degree23.8%
- First Professional Degree23.8%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)4.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4.8%
What does an Architect do?
Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.
Day-to-day tasks
- Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
- Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
- Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.
- Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.
- Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
- Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures.
- Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
- Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most architects work full time and many work additional hours, especially when facing deadlines. Self-employed architects may have more flexible work schedules.
Physical demands
- Seated for more than half the working day
Working with people
- Constant contact with other people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where architects, except landscape and naval work
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 76% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 10% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
- Mathematics3.5/5
Transferable skills
- Operations Analysis4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Coordination3.5/5
- Systems Analysis3.5/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object oriented data base management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Architect?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.9
Investigative3.9
Artisticprimary4.1
Social2.5
Enterprising3.6
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Architect: frequently asked questions
How much do Architects, Except Landscape and Naval make?
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval earn a median of $99,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 95% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $47.73/hr. The middle half earn between $77,960 and $126,550. The top 10% earn $161,420 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Architect?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Architect a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.9% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 7,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Architect do?
Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures. A core O*NET task: develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Configuration management software.
Which states pay Architects, Except Landscape and Naval the most?
The highest state medians for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval are Wyoming ($120,580), Massachusetts ($117,330), Maryland ($114,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Architect?
O*NET scores Architects, Except Landscape and Naval highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.