Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Also called: Architect, Architectural Designer, Design Architect, Project ArchitectPlan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 17 of its 24 rated tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 4.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 91% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $95,990 | $76,340 to $133,150 | 990 |
| Alaska | $108,730 | $79,330 to $129,990 | 210 |
| Arizona | $102,000 | $84,080 to $124,390 | 1,550 |
| Arkansas | $78,190 | $64,170 to $100,490 | 720 |
| California | $108,540 | $85,990 to $152,430 | 13,270 |
| Colorado | $102,400 | $80,660 to $128,950 | 3,290 |
| Connecticut | $103,540 | $78,510 to $124,150 | 1,200 |
| Delaware | $97,030 | $91,700 to $118,530 | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $102,040 | $78,110 to $130,200 | 1,700 |
| Florida | $96,240 | $76,550 to $122,940 | 5,580 |
| Georgia | $100,420 | $83,210 to $130,810 | 2,440 |
| Guam | $69,990 | $54,090 to $105,910 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $102,340 | $73,690 to $107,370 | 600 |
| Idaho | $93,710 | $68,860 to $107,990 | 850 |
| Illinois | $81,780 | $65,110 to $105,090 | 5,130 |
| Indiana | $96,060 | $63,040 to $127,440 | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $96,810 | $67,830 to $122,050 | 650 |
| Kansas | $85,490 | $73,320 to $103,490 | 840 |
| Kentucky | $97,680 | $75,420 to $116,460 | 630 |
| Louisiana | $79,580 | $61,110 to $110,950 | 1,200 |
| Maine | $78,600 | $65,460 to $101,150 | 500 |
| Maryland | $114,550 | $81,280 to $148,700 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $117,330 | $87,050 to $127,780 | 4,590 |
| Michigan | $88,430 | $67,360 to $108,300 | 2,630 |
| Minnesota | $99,940 | $79,030 to $122,290 | 2,340 |
| Mississippi | $80,870 | $67,410 to $114,170 | 330 |
| Missouri | $98,490 | $77,530 to $128,380 | 2,150 |
| Montana | $97,290 | $74,700 to $127,900 | 550 |
| Nebraska | $91,530 | $60,460 to $113,530 | 620 |
| Nevada | $101,570 | $79,470 to $129,230 | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $101,100 | $75,850 to $108,020 | 250 |
| New Jersey | $99,800 | $84,400 to $132,670 | 2,390 |
| New Mexico | $77,720 | $61,040 to $97,870 | 600 |
| New York | $99,280 | $76,950 to $128,690 | 10,360 |
| North Carolina | $95,700 | $79,010 to $122,960 | 2,980 |
| North Dakota | $97,110 | $79,110 to $123,210 | 290 |
| Ohio | $94,960 | $64,450 to $122,590 | 3,480 |
| Oklahoma | $100,350 | $75,630 to $121,050 | 910 |
| Oregon | $98,800 | $80,100 to $117,290 | 2,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,030 | $73,550 to $121,530 | 3,760 |
| Puerto Rico | $60,120 | $45,940 to $75,920 | 790 |
| Rhode Island | $105,160 | $79,810 to $126,030 | 550 |
| South Carolina | $101,550 | $75,140 to $130,570 | 1,030 |
| South Dakota | $102,500 | $76,890 to $128,200 | 180 |
| Tennessee | $94,030 | $76,070 to $118,090 | 2,570 |
| Texas | $94,490 | $76,730 to $121,670 | 7,820 |
| Utah | $95,590 | $77,630 to $124,660 | 1,520 |
| Vermont | $82,400 | $63,400 to $99,990 | 320 |
| Virginia | $97,680 | $78,300 to $125,750 | 2,130 |
| Washington | $100,190 | $80,960 to $114,430 | 3,720 |
| West Virginia | $96,470 | $79,240 to $105,520 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $98,510 | $79,920 to $120,520 | 1,230 |
| Wyoming | $120,580 | $78,910 to $123,500 | 130 |
Nationally: $99,280. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 17 of its 24 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare contract documents for building contractors. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans. | Not published |
See all 25 tasks
| Not much | Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan layouts of structural architectural projects. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Create three-dimensional or interactive representations of designs, using computer-assisted design software. | under 0.01% |
| Not rated | Inspect the condition of structures. | Not published |
| AI alone | Administer construction contracts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design environmentally sound structural upgrades to existing buildings, such as natural lighting systems, green roofs, or rainwater collection systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform predesign services, such as feasibility or environmental impact studies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design or plan construction of green building projects to minimize adverse environmental impact or conserve energy. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect proposed building sites to determine suitability for construction. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design structures that incorporate environmentally friendly building practices or concepts, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. | Not published |
| AI alone | Represent clients in obtaining bids or awarding construction contracts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop marketing materials, proposals, or presentations to generate new work opportunities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Gather information related to projects' environmental sustainability or operational efficiency. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare operating and maintenance manuals, studies, or reports. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Calculate potential energy savings by comparing estimated energy consumption of proposed design to baseline standards. | under 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 9 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design structures or facilities | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Document technical designs, procedures, or activities | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities | |||
| Plan work activities |
Show all 15 activities
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Develop systems or practices to mitigate or resolve environmental problems | |||
| Direct scientific or technical activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report53%
- A chart or visualization8%
- A design mockup6%
- An app or website5%
- A script or snippet4%
How they worked with Claude
63% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for architects, except landscape and naval specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 36,492 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 15%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 6%
- 4 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Construction Managers High +9.1% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 40,359 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 13%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 3 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Computer Network Architects Very high +7.7% 4%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 2% high school
- 4% some college
- 3% associate's
- 48% bachelor's
- 36% master's
- 7% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 2,808 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
4 programs, such as Architecture, Architectural Design and Environmental Design/Architecture.
See all
- Architecture
- Architectural Design
- Environmental Design/Architecture
- Architectural History and Criticism, General
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-1011.00