What Does an Architect Do?
Floor plans spread across a studio table, marked up after the latest client meeting, get redrawn by an architect until the building works for the people who will use it. Architects make sure designs meet building codes and budgets, produce the drawings contractors build from and follow the project on site through construction. Design firms employ most of them, and some are on staff at universities, hospitals or city agencies.
Also known as: Project Architect
Architect Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an architect include:
- Meet clients and building users to set the program, budget and schedule for a project.
- Develop design concepts, floor plans and elevations in Revit or AutoCAD.
- Check designs against the International Building Code, local zoning and accessibility rules.
- Coordinate drawings with structural, mechanical and electrical engineers to avoid clashes.
- Prepare construction documents and specifications for permits and contractor bidding.
- Present designs to owners, review boards and neighbors, and revise them after feedback.
- Answer contractor questions and review shop drawings and material samples during construction.
- Visit the site to check progress and quality against the drawings.
- Estimate costs with consultants and adjust the design to stay within budget.
- Supervise junior architects and designers, and check their drawings before release.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an architect, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- State architecture license
- Revit, AutoCAD and SketchUp
- Building codes and accessibility standards
- Design judgment and sketching
- Project and budget management
- Clear presentations to clients and review boards
- Coordination with engineers and contractors
- Construction administration experience
Education and Training
To become an architect, in most states you will need an accredited professional degree, a paid internship and a passing result on the Architect Registration Examination to qualify for a license. Most graduates log their internship hours through the NCARB Architectural Experience Program. Licensure takes years.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $77,960 - $126,550 per year, with a median of $99,280.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval.
BLS projects employment of architects to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. That comes to roughly 6,900 openings a year, many from architects retiring or leaving the field. Work in this field often is tied to the health of construction and real estate, but architects always will be needed as buildings age and as energy and safety codes tighten.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Architects, except landscape and naval.