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
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Design Architect, Planner, Project Architect, Specifications Writer.
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.
Architect Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $62,300 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $77,960 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $99,280 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $126,550 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $161,420 |
Highest-Paying States for Architects
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Wyoming ($120,580), Massachusetts ($117,330), Maryland ($114,550), Alaska ($108,730), California ($108,540). Pay is lowest in Maine ($78,600), Arkansas ($78,190), New Mexico ($77,720).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $95,990 |
| Alaska | $108,730 |
| Arizona | $102,000 |
| Arkansas | $78,190 |
| California | $108,540 |
| Colorado | $102,400 |
| Connecticut | $103,540 |
| Delaware | $97,030 |
| District of Columbia | $102,040 |
| Florida | $96,240 |
| Georgia | $100,420 |
| Hawaii | $102,340 |
| Idaho | $93,710 |
| Illinois | $81,780 |
| Indiana | $96,060 |
| Iowa | $96,810 |
| Kansas | $85,490 |
| Kentucky | $97,680 |
| Louisiana | $79,580 |
| Maine | $78,600 |
| Maryland | $114,550 |
| Massachusetts | $117,330 |
| Michigan | $88,430 |
| Minnesota | $99,940 |
| Mississippi | $80,870 |
| Missouri | $98,490 |
| Montana | $97,290 |
| Nebraska | $91,530 |
| Nevada | $101,570 |
| New Hampshire | $101,100 |
| New Jersey | $99,800 |
| New Mexico | $77,720 |
| New York | $99,280 |
| North Carolina | $95,700 |
| North Dakota | $97,110 |
| Ohio | $94,960 |
| Oklahoma | $100,350 |
| Oregon | $98,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,030 |
| Rhode Island | $105,160 |
| South Carolina | $101,550 |
| South Dakota | $102,500 |
| Tennessee | $94,030 |
| Texas | $94,490 |
| Utah | $95,590 |
| Vermont | $82,400 |
| Virginia | $97,680 |
| Washington | $100,190 |
| West Virginia | $96,470 |
| Wisconsin | $98,510 |
| Wyoming | $120,580 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as architects, except landscape and naval about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 95% use email every day
- 90% are on the phone every day
- 85% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 67% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 65% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 43% |
| Master's degree | 24% |
| Professional degree | 24% |
Tools and Software Architects Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as creative work and self-expression.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Operations Analysis, Active Listening, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: Design, Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 5 of 5, which means extensive preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for an Architect Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 17-1011.00 (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.