How Much Do Architects Make a Year? Architect Salary Calculator
BLS architect salaries in every state and at every level, government vs firm pay, salary per hour at deadline weeks and take-home after 2026 tax
By the Monthly Income Booster editorial team · Updated · How we research and fact-check
On this topic
How Much Do Architects Make a Year? Architect Salary Calculator
Printed 2026-10-27 from billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/architect-salary/ — an estimate for planning, not financial or tax advice.
United States architects, except landscape and naval: median $99,280 a year, 10th–90th percentile $62,300–$161,420 (BLS OEWS May 2025). Your salary is in the between the median and the 75th percentile.
Estimate for 2026, on a fixed salary with no overtime: federal income tax (standard deduction), Social Security and Medicare, a flat state rate you enter, and the overtime deduction on the half-time premium when your overtime is legally required. No credits or itemised deductions. Starting wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, which excludes overtime and shift differentials.
Keep your budget and bills on track month to month in the free Bill Organizer app.
Architects earned a median salary of $99,280 in May 2025 — $47.73 an hour on BLS's 2,080-hour basis — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 106,770 employed architects. The bottom tenth earned under $62,300; the top tenth over $161,420. Partners and the self-employed aren't in these numbers.
Architects: pay at every level
This is the BLS line for architects except landscape and naval architects (SOC 17-1011) on employers' payrolls. Self-employed architects — 14% of the occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook) — and partners in unincorporated firms aren't in these figures. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29.95 | $62,300 | $5,192 | $52,238 |
| 25th percentile | $37.48 | $77,960 | $6,497 | $63,675 |
| Median | $47.73 | $99,280 | $8,273 | $78,673 |
| 75th percentile | $60.84 | $126,550 | $10,546 | $97,763 |
| 90th percentile | $77.61 | $161,420 | $13,452 | $121,597 |
Architect pay by state
Wyoming has the highest median, $120,580, but only 130 employed architects; Massachusetts ($117,330) and Maryland ($114,550) follow with far larger workforces. New Mexico is lowest at $77,720. California employs the most architects, 13,270, at $108,540, and New York's $99,280 matches the national median.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $57.97 | $120,580 | 130 |
| Massachusetts | $56.41 | $117,330 | 4,590 |
| Maryland | $55.07 | $114,550 | 1,800 |
| Alaska | $52.27 | $108,730 | 210 |
| California | $52.19 | $108,540 | 13,270 |
| Rhode Island | $50.56 | $105,160 | 550 |
| Connecticut | $49.78 | $103,540 | 1,200 |
| South Dakota | $49.28 | $102,500 | 180 |
| Colorado | $49.23 | $102,400 | 3,290 |
| Hawaii | $49.20 | $102,340 | 600 |
| District of Columbia | $49.06 | $102,040 | 1,700 |
| Arizona | $49.04 | $102,000 | 1,550 |
| Nevada | $48.83 | $101,570 | 530 |
| South Carolina | $48.82 | $101,550 | 1,030 |
| New Hampshire | $48.61 | $101,100 | 250 |
| Georgia | $48.28 | $100,420 | 2,440 |
| Oklahoma | $48.25 | $100,350 | 910 |
| Washington | $48.17 | $100,190 | 3,720 |
| Minnesota | $48.05 | $99,940 | 2,340 |
| New Jersey | $47.98 | $99,800 | 2,390 |
| New York | $47.73 | $99,280 | 10,360 |
| Oregon | $47.50 | $98,800 | 2,050 |
| Wisconsin | $47.36 | $98,510 | 1,230 |
| Missouri | $47.35 | $98,490 | 2,150 |
| Kentucky | $46.96 | $97,680 | 630 |
| Virginia | $46.96 | $97,680 | 2,130 |
| Montana | $46.77 | $97,290 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $46.69 | $97,110 | 290 |
| Delaware | $46.65 | $97,030 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $46.65 | $97,030 | 3,760 |
| Iowa | $46.54 | $96,810 | 650 |
| West Virginia | $46.38 | $96,470 | 80 |
| Florida | $46.27 | $96,240 | 5,580 |
| Indiana | $46.19 | $96,060 | 1,430 |
| Alabama | $46.15 | $95,990 | 990 |
| North Carolina | $46.01 | $95,700 | 2,980 |
| Utah | $45.96 | $95,590 | 1,520 |
| Ohio | $45.65 | $94,960 | 3,480 |
| Texas | $45.43 | $94,490 | 7,820 |
| Tennessee | $45.21 | $94,030 | 2,570 |
| Idaho | $45.05 | $93,710 | 850 |
| Nebraska | $44.01 | $91,530 | 620 |
| Michigan | $42.51 | $88,430 | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $41.10 | $85,490 | 840 |
| Vermont | $39.61 | $82,400 | 320 |
| Illinois | $39.32 | $81,780 | 5,130 |
| Mississippi | $38.88 | $80,870 | 330 |
| Louisiana | $38.26 | $79,580 | 1,200 |
| Maine | $37.79 | $78,600 | 500 |
| Arkansas | $37.59 | $78,190 | 720 |
| New Mexico | $37.37 | $77,720 | 600 |
Which employers pay architects most
Government architects have the highest median, $115,920. Architectural and engineering firms, which employ 74% of architects, pay $98,440, and construction companies $95,760 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $115,920 |
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | $98,440 |
| Construction | $95,760 |
A architect's schedule
Most architects work full time and many work additional hours, especially facing deadlines. They spend much of their time in offices meeting clients and working with engineers, and visit construction sites to check progress; some work from home offices, and self-employed architects may set more flexible hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Overtime for architects
Architecture is one of the traditional learned professions named in the federal rules (29 CFR 541.301), so an architect paid a salary of at least $684 a week is usually exempt from overtime (DOL Fact Sheet #17D). Deadline weeks don't raise pay for a salaried architect; they lower pay per hour, which the table further down shows. Interns paid by the hour, or below the salary level, are owed time and a half after 40.
A architect's salary per hour actually worked
A salaried architect's pay doesn't rise in deadline weeks, so the value of each hour falls. The table divides the BLS median and 75th percentile architect salaries by weekly hours over 52 weeks — useful for comparing a firm's offer with self-employment or with a fee you'd charge per hour.
| Hours a week | Median salary per hour | 75th percentile per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | $54.55 | $69.53 |
| 40 | $47.73 | $60.84 |
| 45 | $42.43 | $54.08 |
| 50 | $38.18 | $48.67 |
| 55 | $34.71 | $44.25 |
| 60 | $31.82 | $40.56 |
Training, licenses and pay
Becoming a licensed architect takes three main steps: a degree in architecture — most earn a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture, and about two-thirds of states require an accredited degree — a paid internship of generally 3 years, and the Architect Registration Examination. All states and D.C. require a license, and most require continuing education to keep it. Experienced architects can move up to architectural and engineering manager (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Related tools and guides
More ways to work with your architect pay:
Official sources
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS May 2025: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (17-1011) wage estimates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Architects
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for professional employees
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS FAQ: how wages are defined (overtime and shift differentials excluded)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do architects make a year?+
$99,280 a year ($47.73 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $77,960 to $126,550.
Which state pays architects the most?+
Wyoming ($57.97 an hour, $120,580 a year), then Massachusetts and Maryland; New Mexico pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Do architects get paid overtime?+
Usually not once they're salaried at $684 a week or more: architecture is a learned profession under the federal rules (29 CFR 541.301; DOL Fact Sheet #17D). Hourly interns and staff are owed overtime after 40 hours.
Do government architects earn more than architects at firms?+
Yes, in the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table: government architects have the highest median, then architectural and engineering firms, which employ 74% of architects, then construction companies. The figures are in the table on this page.
Related Guides
How Much Do Accountants Make a Year? Accountant Salary Calculator
BLS accountant and auditor salaries by state and percentile, tax-season hours, industry pay and take-home after 2026 tax
Freelance Rate Calculator: What You Should Charge
Work backwards from your take-home goal to the hourly rate that actually gets you there
Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026: Paycheck After Tax
Salary or hourly pay to take-home per paycheck, month and year, with 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare, 401(k) and state tax
Hourly Pay by Job: What 48 Common Jobs Pay an Hour and a Year (BLS)
Official BLS median, low and high pay for nurses, CRNAs, therapists, techs, lawyers, accountants, actuaries, pilots, police, corrections, mail carriers, mechanics, the trades and more, each with its own pay calculator
How Much Do Lawyers Make a Year? Lawyer Salary Calculator
BLS lawyer salaries at every level and in every state, government vs law-firm pay, salary per hour worked and take-home after 2026 tax
How Much Do Vets Make a Year? Veterinarian Salary Calculator
BLS veterinarian pay at every level and in every state, salary per hour on long clinic weeks, and take-home after 2026 tax
Browse the whole site
Build Your Personalized Income Plan
Get an AI-generated plan covering all 20 income types in 60 seconds.