Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: salary, outlook & degrees

Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.

U.S. median wage
$99,280

Middle half $77,960–$126,550. 106,770 jobs.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025

Ages 25-34 in this job
$75,562

95% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $75,969.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation

Outlook, 2025-35
+4.3%

About 6,900 openings a year, including replacements.

BLS Employment Projections 2025-35

Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).

BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone

Degrees that lead to this career

What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.

Field of bachelor's degreeShareDegree pages
Architecture62%Architecture · Architectural Sciences and Technology
Commercial Art And Graphic Design3%Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design
Computer Science2%Computer Science
Environmental Science2%Environmental Science / Conservation
Fine Arts1%—
Biology1%Biology
Psychology1%Psychology
Business Management And Administration1%Business Administration
Communications1%Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
Mechanical Engineering1%Mechanical Engineering

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.

Pay by state and metro

StateMedian wage
Wyoming$120,580
Massachusetts$117,330
Maryland$114,550
Alaska$108,730
California$108,540
Rhode Island$105,160
Connecticut$103,540
South Dakota$102,500
Colorado$102,400
Hawaii$102,340
District of Columbia$102,040
Arizona$102,000
Nevada$101,570
South Carolina$101,550
New Hampshire$101,100
Georgia$100,420
Oklahoma$100,350
Washington$100,190
Minnesota$99,940
New Jersey$99,800
New York$99,280
Oregon$98,800
Wisconsin$98,510
Missouri$98,490
Kentucky$97,680
Virginia$97,680
Montana$97,290
North Dakota$97,110
Delaware$97,030
Pennsylvania$97,030
Iowa$96,810
West Virginia$96,470
Florida$96,240
Indiana$96,060
Alabama$95,990
North Carolina$95,700
Utah$95,590
Ohio$94,960
Texas$94,490
Tennessee$94,030
Idaho$93,710
Nebraska$91,530
Michigan$88,430
Kansas$85,490
Vermont$82,400
Illinois$81,780
Mississippi$80,870
Louisiana$79,580
Maine$78,600
Arkansas$78,190
New Mexico$77,720
GU$69,990
PR$60,120

Florida metro areas

  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$97,500
  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$96,190
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$94,610
  • Jacksonville$99,230
  • North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$96,040
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers$94,110
  • Naples-Marco Island$83,470
  • Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$90,010

Virginia metro areas

  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$102,080
  • Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$101,410
  • Richmond$95,860
  • Charlottesville$84,650
  • Kingsport-Bristol$81,420
  • Roanoke$82,530
  • Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$73,710

California metro areas

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$104,170
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$126,550
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$120,040
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$129,640
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$125,980
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$100,460
  • Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$103,820
  • Fresno$100,360

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.

What the work takes

Top skills

  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Writing

Knowledge used

  • Design
  • Building and Construction
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Public Safety and Security

Work styles

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Innovation
  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Achievement Orientation

People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing), Artistic (creative) interests.

O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: questions

How much do architects, Except Landscape and Naval make?

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval earn a U.S. median $99,280 a year; the middle half earn $77,960 to $126,550 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $75,562 (Census ACS 2020-2024).

Is architects, Except Landscape and Naval a growing field?

BLS projects growth of 4.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,900 openings a year, including replacements.

What degree do you need to be an architects, Except Landscape and Naval?

BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is architecture (62%).

How much do architects, Except Landscape and Naval make in Florida?

The median in Florida is $96,240 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $99,280 nationally.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 17-1011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/architects-except-landscape-and-naval.