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
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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).
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 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 |
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).
More ways to work with your architect pay:
$99,280 a year ($47.73 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $77,960 to $126,550.
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).
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.
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.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.