How much do architects make in 2026?
Architects earn a national median of $99,280 a year ($47.73 an hour) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 for SOC 17-1011, architects except landscape and naval, with the bottom 10% near $62,300 and the top 10% at $161,420 across 106,770 workers. This is the exact occupational code for the profession, and the band is narrower than most people expect given how demanding the route in is. Becoming an architect means an accredited professional degree, documented experience hours recorded through NCARB's Architectural Experience Program, and passing the multi-division Architect Registration Examination before a state board grants registration — typically eight to twelve years from starting university to stamping drawings. The pay does not scale with that investment in the way it does in medicine or law, and the honest explanation is the economics of the profession: architectural fees are a small percentage of construction cost, competition for commissions is intense, and much of the value a design creates accrues to the developer rather than to the designer. Within the band, firm size, sector and role explain the spread. Healthcare, laboratory, aviation and data centre architecture pay above residential and small commercial work; principals and firm owners occupy the top; and registration itself is the single clearest step-change in an individual's earnings. Employment is projected to grow 3.9% through 2034 with roughly 7,800 openings a year. → Full architect career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $99,280 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Architects earn a national median $99,280/yr ($47.73/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-1011); the P10 to P90 range is $62,300 to $161,420.
- Registration is the clearest single step-change in an architect's earnings, and it follows an accredited degree, documented AXP experience and the full Architect Registration Examination.
- The band is narrower than the length of training suggests, because architectural fees are a small share of construction cost and much of the value created accrues to the developer.
- Sector matters: healthcare, laboratory, aviation and data centre work pays above residential and small commercial architecture across the $62,300 to $161,420 range.
US Architect Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do architects earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 17-1011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-1011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an architect earn at each career stage?
Architectural pay follows registration first, then sector and firm role. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 17-1011.
By State
Which states pay architects the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the national architect median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Registration is granted state by state, and while the NCARB Certificate makes reciprocity straightforward, each additional state carries its own fees and requirements.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($114,170), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
architect pay by state — all 7 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay architects the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Architectural employment concentrates heavily in metros where development activity and institutional clients are.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an architect’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does architect pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Architects sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify architect wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an architect actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Architect Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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