# Architects, Except Landscape and Naval

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architects-except-landscape-and-naval
- SOC code: 17-1011.00
- Career family: Architecture and engineering
- Median annual pay: $99,280 (10th percentile $62,300, 90th percentile $161,420)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.3%
- Openings a year: 6,900
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 65 |
| Investigative (I) | 48 |
| Artistic (A) | 52 |
| Social (S) | 25 |
| Enterprising (E) | 44 |
| Conventional (C) | 57 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 90/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 90/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 88/100)
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment (importance 88/100)
- Getting Information (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 86/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 85/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 84/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 83/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 78/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Operations Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Writing, Active Learning

## Knowledge

Design, Building and Construction, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Law and Government, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics

## Also called

Architect, Architectural Designer, Building Architect, Building Consultant, Building Information Modeling Specialist (BIM Specialist), Commercial Green Building Architect, Commercial Green Building Designer, Commercial Green Retrofit Architect, Design Architect, Facilities Planner

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Architecture](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0402) (CIP 0402, 152 colleges)
- [Environmental Design](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0404) (CIP 0404, 65 colleges)
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation (CIP 0408, 34 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-notre-dame-south-bend-in-3005) | Architecture | $70,513 | $82,983 | $24,500 |
| [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona-362) | Architecture | $61,344 | $76,969 | $22,000 |
| [The University of Texas at Austin Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-austin-main-campus-2764) | Architecture | $66,434 | $76,808 | $27,250 |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Architecture | $64,171 | $76,695 | $28,978 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Architecture | $60,494 | $76,679 | $13,156 |
| [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPI](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-rpi-2221) | Architecture | $58,771 | $75,551 | $31,000 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Architecture | not reported | $73,439 | not reported |
| [Drexel University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/drexel-university-834) | Architecture | $68,070 | $72,915 | $30,000 |

## Related careers

- [Landscape Architects](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/landscape-architects): $79,870 median pay
- [Construction Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/construction-managers): $114,990 median pay
- [Interior Designers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/interior-designers): $67,190 median pay
- [Civil Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/civil-engineers): $100,840 median pay
- [Construction and Building Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/construction-and-building-inspectors): $74,690 median pay
- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.