Architect
Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.
What the job is
- The work
- Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.
BLS
Architects — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Work environment
- Architects spend much of their time in offices, where they develop plans, meet with clients, and consult with engineers and other architects. They also visit construction sites to prepare initial drawings and review the progress of projects to ensure that clients’ objectives are met.
BLS
Architects — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- Creative students who like drawing, design software, math and how buildings work.
- Career cluster
- Construction
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (architects, except landscape and naval).
- Median pay
- $99,280 a year ($47.73 an hour)
BLS
Architects — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 124,600
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Training after hire
- Internship/residency
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +4%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Architects — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +5,300 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- There are typically three main steps to becoming a licensed architect: completing a bachelor’s degree in architecture, gaining relevant experience through a paid internship, and passing an exam.
BLS
Architects — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- In short
- All states require architects to be licensed. The usual path: a NAAB-accredited degree (5-year B.Arch or an M.Arch), about 3 years of paid experience documented in NCARB's AXP, the six-division ARE, then a license from your state board.
- License
- State architecture licensing boards (55 U.S. jurisdictions). Architecture license steps
- By state
- Architecture state matrix
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaLicense rules
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaState guide
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkLicense rules
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasLicense rules
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Architect: NAAB degree, AXP experience, ARE and a state license
See the roadmap
Route 1: NAAB degree → AXP → ARE → state license · Route 2: Integrated Path (IPAL) · Route 3: Without a NAAB degree
More careers in Construction
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.