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Role hub · Architects, Except Landscape and Naval

Architect: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of architects earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$99,280
Hourly
$47.73
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Architects plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property. The median pay is $99,280 a year ($47.73 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$99,280
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
106,770
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (O*NET-SOC 17-1011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Architects

SalaryArchitect salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →ResumeArchitect resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsArchitect interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Career changeArchitect career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What architects do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
  2. Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.
  3. Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
  4. Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
  5. Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
  6. Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
  7. Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.
  8. Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Critical ThinkingcoreOperations AnalysiscoreComplex Problem SolvingcoreReading ComprehensionSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingActive ListeningWritingMonitoring

Knowledge areas: Design, Building and Construction, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language.

Tools and technology

Software architects use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareIn demand
  • Autodesk RevitComputer aided design CAD softwareIn demand
  • Trimble SketchUp ProComputer aided design CAD softwareIn demand
  • Chaos EnscapeComputer aided design CAD softwareIn demand
  • McNeel Rhinoceros 3DGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Apache CassandraData base management system softwareHot technology
  • Apache HadoopData base management system softwareHot technology
  • Apache HiveData base management system softwareHot technology

Also called: Architectural Designer, Design Architect, Planner, Project Architect, Specifications Writer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).