Number of Jobs
18,600
Median Salary
$74,110
Unemployment Rate
4.7 percent
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 17.3 percent employment growth between 2012 and 2022. Combine these projections with a low unemployment rate, just 4.7 percent, and the job outlook for architects appears to be very solid.
The BLS reports the median annual wage for architects is up slightly from $73,090 in 2012 to $74,110 in 2013. The best-paid 10 percent in the profession made approximately $119,370, while the bottom 10 percent made approximately $44,930. The metropolitan areas of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Santa Cruz, California, pay their architects the best.
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.
After graduating from school, architects are required to undergo a several-year training period or internship. Many times, these internships can lead to jobs or at the very least, networking opportunities. Once their foot is in the door, architects need to show employers that they're team players. "Architecture is not a solo art and is instead a collaborative profession that benefits from diverse points of view," Goldstein writes. "At Gensler, the collaborative approach to design is integral to everything we do." Architects looking to impress employers should also showcase their communication skills, since architects will be conversing with clients and colleagues on a regular basis.
How much do architects make in your city?
Last updated by Emily H. Bratcher.
Similar jobs you might be interested in...
Read this article:
Architect Job Overview | Best Jobs | US News Careers
- 3D scanned tree trunks become translucent table legs for aki hamada architects' collection - Designboom - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- terraced cityzen tower by zaha hadid architects set to rise in tbilisi, georgia - Designboom - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Zaha Hadid Architect designs skyscraper with cascading terraces in Tbilisi - Dezeen - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Elevating the Voice of Landscape Architects, Creating Vibrant and Resilient Communities - American Society of Landscape Architects - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Only 6% of architects are using AI regularly - Fast Company - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Insights from tomorrows architects: Appreciating women in architecture and driving change - Building Design - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art shares designs by shortlisted firms for expansion - The Architect's Newspaper - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- AN talks to the curators of Cooper Unions Thank you, Herman Jessor - The Architect's Newspaper - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Tbilisi's rolling hills inform new Cityzen Tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects - World Architecture Community - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- How two architects turned a higgledy-piggledy hillside cottage into a quirky family home - Country Living UK - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Overconsumption a global challenge that can be addressed by architects - Architecture AU - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Marlon Blackwell Architects completes Heartland Whole Health Institute at Crystal Bridges - The Architect's Newspaper - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Subnautica 2: The Case For The Architect Race to Appear In The Sequel - GameRant - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Restore Oregon tour will open doors to these storied architects' bucket list modern homes - OregonLive - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Architects of the month | 'Sustainability isn't a fad' - India Today - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Throwing Architecture a Curve: Rediscovering Flix Candelas Years in Chicago - Newcity Design - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Whither the genius architect? The Brutalist reminds us of lost legacy - The Times of India - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Top Tickets This Week: Volbeat, Architects - Stereoboard - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- This week Patrik Schumacher claimed architecture "has ceased to exist" - Dezeen - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- First global study of the extraordinary role of animals as architects of Earth - Anthropocene Magazine - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Album review: Architects The Sky, The Earth & All Between - Kerrang! - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The American Hardwood Information Center Offers Free Tool for Architects and Designers - PR Newswire - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- mork-ulnes architects rounds up its greatest works with monograph 'the craft of place' - Designboom - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The Unsung Architects of Innovation: Women in the Tech Industry - RiverBender.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Architects The Sky, the Earth & All Between Review - Myglobalmind - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Architects Unleash 'The Sky, The Earth & All Between' - antiMusic.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- ALBUM REVIEW: Architects The Sky, The Earth & All Between - Boolin Tunes - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Architects The Sky, The Earth & All Between - Clash Magazine - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Architects are bringing nature home by making trees part of the plan - The Salem News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Zaha Hadid Architects Begins Construction of the Center of Mediterranean Culture in Italy - ArchDaily - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Reviews - The Sky, The Earth & All Between - BLABBERMOUTH.NET - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The design of Pittsburghs future will be about trust, say two local architects - NEXTpittsburgh - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Zaha Hadid Architects' Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center in Beijing provides a world-class venue designed to meet the growing... - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Beijing Unveils the Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center by Zaha Hadid Architects - stupidDOPE.com - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Construction begins on Zaha Hadid Architects' Centre of Mediterranean Culture in Italy - World Architecture Community - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- ARCHITECTS Team Up With HOUSE OF PROTECTION On New Single 'Brain Dead' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- What is Brutalism and What do Architects Think About The Brutalist - Prestige Online Hong Kong - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Architects and designers respond to Trumps first month in office - The Architect's Newspaper - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- AIs Dark Architects: Palantir, USAID and the Alt-Right Pipeline - Mintpress News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Album Review: Architects The Sky, The Earth & All Between - RockSins - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- How a forgotten Minnesota monastery inspired The Brutalist - The Straits Times - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 7 albums you need to hear this week - Rolling Stone UK - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- What is Brutalism? And why do architects hate 'The Brutalist'? - The Star Online - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Gallery of Zaha Hadid Architects Begins Construction of the Center of Mediterranean Culture in Italy - 1 - ArchDaily - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Why architects slammed The Brutalist, and more about the Oscar nominee - South China Morning Post - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Study reveals impact of animals as architects of Earth - Kalinga TV - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- JKMM Architects combines football stadium with housing in Finland - Dezeen - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Gavin Newsom Announces He's Starting a Podcast And Will Interview MAGA's 'Biggest Leaders and Architects' - LatinTimes - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Life on Earth gallery opens at UK, highlights architects and designers - Kykernel.com - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Backlash builds: why the architecture world hates The Brutalist - The Guardian - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Trump Call for Traditional Buildings Could Stifle Innovation, Architects Say - Hyperallergic - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Architects Announce Intimate "The Sky, The Earth & All Between" UK Release Shows - Theprp.com - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- fan-shaped bus stop by ginga architects welcomes schoolchildren in rural japan - Designboom - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Brutalism in CT and the architects who inspired 'The Brutalist' - CT Insider - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Serpentine Pavilion 2025 By Marina Tabassum Meditates On The Ephemeral Nature Of Architecture - Forbes - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Architects announce a series of release shows and signing sessions to promote the new album - Chaoszine - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Architect: Here's How to Build in Fire-Prone Areas | Newswise - Newswise - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- The Frick Announces Its Reopening Date, and Other News - Surface Magazine - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Bringing Nature Home: Architects are making trees part of the plan in new home design - Altoona Mirror - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- A first look at the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion designed by Marina Tabassum - Archinect - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- The Brutalist: an architects take on a film about one mans journey to realise his visionary building - The Conversation - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- We celebrate the emerging London architects to be excited about - Wallpaper* - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Outpost Office Takes Over the Wexner Center - World-Architects - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- "Modernist architects have to understand the world is not coming to an end" says Justin Shubow - Dezeen - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Port: The architects of North Dakota's property tax problem want to block its solution - INFORUM - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Meet the architects of India's Union Budget 2025 - NewsBytes - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Architects are bringing nature home by making trees part of the plan - telegraphherald.com - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- If Youve Ever Dreamed About an AutoCAD Video Game, Architect Life Should Be On Your Radar - VICE - January 31st, 2025 [January 31st, 2025]
- Melike Altnk Architects designs the world's first museum dedicated to robotics and artificial intelligence serving as a pioneering cultural landmark,... - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Path Art Studio and Personalized Residence / Dishna Thilanka Architects - ArchDaily - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- The American Institute of Architects reaches 100,000 members, a first in organizations history - Boston Real Estate Times - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Oak Row Equities Wins Unanimous Approval from Urban Development Review Board for First & Fifth, a Luxury Multifamily Tower Designed by ODP... - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Architects are bringing nature home by making trees part of the plan - The Associated Press - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Architect reveals potential reasons why California home miraculously survived wildfire: 'Probably saved us there' - Yahoo! Voices - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Animal architects and their incredible homes - MSN - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Architects swear by natural material making waves in construction industry: 'I really want to see it taken much further into the mainstream' - Yahoo!... - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Wheels within wheels: Architects and industrial designers surveyed on enthusiasm for circular design strategies - Phys.org - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- "I Am Disappointed in Architects" Shigeru Ban on Socially Conscious Architecture in Louisiana Channel Interview - ArchDaily - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- How These Architects Designed One Of Mexicos Most Coveted Hotels - Forbes - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Epic Games Developers: The New Architects of Virtual Worlds. Are They Ready for the Metaverse? - Scimag.news - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]