Architecture degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in architecture earn a median $67,399 four years after finishing, across 77 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in architecture earn $65,991, $3,942 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is architects, except landscape and naval (20%).
Median across 77 colleges; middle half $62,939–$70,752.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $42,957–$89,205. 2,765 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Architecture"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$30,353/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs architecture graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in architecture actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architects, Except Landscape And Naval | 20% | $99,280 | +4.3% | Bachelor's degree | RCA |
| Other Designers | 10% | — | — | — | — |
| Project Management Specialists | 5% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Landscape Architects | 5% | $79,870 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIA |
| Construction Managers | 3% | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree | ECR |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Interior Designers | 2% | $67,190 | +2.7% | Bachelor's degree | AR |
| Urban And Regional Planners | 2% | $89,320 | +3.9% | Master's degree | IEC |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Architecture earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $76,646 (4) | $75,562 (486) |
| Colorado | — | $61,919 (119) |
| Florida | $67,399 (5) | $60,915 (122) |
| Illinois | $63,475 (4) | $70,877 (111) |
| Massachusetts | $74,540 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | — | $67,032 (104) |
| New York | $70,104 (4) | $73,981 (286) |
| Ohio | $63,458 (4) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $73,177 (4) | — |
| Texas | $63,871 (7) | $67,211 (238) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where architecture graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 5 in Florida, 2 in Virginia, 11 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA | $76,969 | $28,000 |
| 2 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $76,679 | $15,000 |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $76,613 | $27,500 |
| 4 | University of MiamiFL | $75,633 | — |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $75,074 | $29,000 |
| 6 | University of VirginiaVA | $70,213 | $23,965 |
| 7 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityFL | $69,874 | $27,000 |
| 8 | Woodbury UniversityCA | $67,517 | $41,750 |
| 9 | University of FloridaFL | $67,399 | $19,843 |
| 10 | University of Central FloridaFL | $64,826 | $13,250 |
| 11 | Florida Atlantic UniversityFL | $64,730 | $30,749 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Architecture degree questions
How much do Architecture graduates make?
Architecture graduates earn a median $67,399 four years after finishing, across 77 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $62,939 to $70,752; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in architecture, the median is $65,991 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Architecture degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in architecture earn a median $65,991: $3,942 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $30,353 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Architecture graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in architecture, the most common jobs are architects, except landscape and naval (20%), other designers (10%), project management specialists (5%). Architects, Except Landscape And Naval earn a U.S. median $99,280.
How much do Architecture graduates earn in Florida?
Across 5 Florida colleges reporting, Architecture graduates earn a median $67,399 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $60,915.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Architecture degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/architecture.