Architect – Career Rankings, Salary, Reviews and Advice | US …

What is a Architect? What is a Architect?

Jordan Goldstein, managing director and principal of one of the world's top architectural firms, Gensler, became an architect at age 5. At the time, his parents were house hunting, and they'd bring him along to see the different options. After the visits, Goldstein would return to his Legos he had buckets of them and recreate what he had seen. "Ever since that point, I was looking for the quickest path to becoming an architect and building things," he writes in an email.

Architects are perhaps a rare blend of creativity and practicality. They are artists with grounding in reality. After all, most Lego lovers will tell you that a firm foundation is a necessary component in making a soaring skyscraper. Architects use their skills in design, engineering, managing and coordinating to create aesthetically pleasing and safe buildings that serve a purpose. They're artists, but instead of a canvas, they have cities, parks, college campuses and more to display their work. And their masterpieces are the shops, libraries, office buildings and grocery stores we frequent all the time. Architects are involved at each step of a project, from the initial planning sessions to the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

One of the biggest advances in the architecture field is digital design and building information modeling, Goldstein writes. "3D models are now layered with information and the models themselves are actually databases on the design that can be utilized for construction, facility management and energy management," he explains. "With the growing usage of digital printing, architects are quickly able to study the 3D implications of design ideas and mature the project. The understanding of computational design is allowing architects to move right from design to fabrication, leaping over the more conventional aspects of the design process and expedite construction."

The economy is recovering, which is good news for everyone, but it's especially good for architects, who took a beating between 2009 and 2011. Job losses have leveled off considerably, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted 7 percent employment growth between 2014 and 2024. Combine these projections with a low unemployment rate, just 5.1 percent, and the job outlook for architects appears to be very solid.

The BLS reports the median annual wage for architects was$76,100 in 2015. The best-paid 10 percent in the profession made approximately $125,520, while the bottom 10 percent made about $46,080. The metropolitan areas of West Palm Beach, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; and Syracuse, New York pay their architects the best.

75th Percentile: $97,760

Median: $76,100

25th Percentile: $58,870

To practice in most states, architects will need to graduate from one of the 123 schools of architecture that are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Students can enroll in a five-year Bachelor of Architecture program. Alternatively, if they have an undergraduate degree in a different field, they can get a master's degree that can take anywhere from one to five years to complete.Upon graduation, students must complete a training period or internship, which typically takes three or more years to complete. Only after the training period is complete are they eligible to sit for the Architect Registration Exam. After passing this exam, architects will have to obtain a state-specific license. And to keep licensure in most states, architects will have to keep up with continuing education standards.

Average Americans work well into their 60s, so workers might as well have a job thats enjoyable and a career that's fulfilling. A job with a low stress level, good work-life balance and solid prospects to improve, get promoted and earn a higher salary would make many employees happy. Here's how Architects job satisfaction is rated in terms of upward mobility, stress level and flexibility.

Upward Mobility: Average Opportunities for advancements and salary

Stress Level: Above Average Work environment and complexities of the job's responsibilities

Flexibility: Average Alternative working schedule and work life balance

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