# Architects, Except Landscape and Naval

US SOC code 17-1011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-1011

Also called: Building architect, Licensed architect, Registered architect, Project architect, Design architect.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **106,770** US architects (except landscape and naval), with median pay of **$99,280** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **111,170**, in May 2023, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [a Census (IPUMS) count](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/OCC1950) of **10,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for architects: Grasshopper for Rhino and Dynamo for Revit, 2007 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 4.3% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-1011&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **43%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.018** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.018. BLS counted **84,210** of these jobs in May 2013 and **106,770** in May 2025 (+27%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Architects, Except Landscape and Naval employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1857
- Latest US employment: 106,770 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $99,280 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [12]
- Outlook: +4.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [32]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 21200)
  - Employment, 2020: 18,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 21200 Architects, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$84,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [16]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 21200 Architects, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 30 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 10,000 | n/a | Census (IPUMS) [1] |
| 1940 | 26,000 | n/a | Census (IPUMS) [1] |
| 1950 | n/a | $5,200 (estimate) | Est., ESTIMATE [9] |
| 1970 | 60,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Bureau of Labor Statistics / HathiTrust [2] |
| 1980 | n/a | $27,800 (estimate) | Est., Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER [10] |
| 1990 | 96,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook… [3] |
| 2000 | 74,390 | $52,510 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 91,010 | $57,950 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 94,280 | $60,300 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 96,740 | $62,850 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 101,010 | $64,150 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 106,830 | $67,620 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 110,990 | $70,320 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 101,630 | $72,700 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 87,700 | $72,550 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 83,590 | $73,340 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 82,720 | $73,090 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 84,210 | $74,110 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 88,900 | $74,520 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 93,720 | $76,100 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 99,860 | $76,930 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 103,110 | $78,470 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 104,360 | $79,380 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 105,850 | $80,750 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 103,900 | $82,320 | BLS OEWS May 2020 (employment) [5]; BLS OEWS May 2020 (pay) [13] |
| 2021 | 100,400 | $80,180 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 107,490 | $82,840 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 111,170 | $93,310 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 111,140 | $96,690 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 106,770 | $99,280 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (102)

### Employment series

1. [IPUMS USA — OCC1950 variable documentation (Architects, code 003)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/OCC1950), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
2. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (1970-71 edition) — Architects chapter](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005651617), Bureau of Labor Statistics / HathiTrust
3. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (1994-95 edition) — Architects chapter (Internet Archive)](https://archive.org/details/occupationaloutl1994unse), Bureau of Labor Statistics / Internet Archive
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [ESTIMATE — 1950 median architect salary approximated from BLS Bulletin 1017 (1951) wage survey for professional occupations; nominal figure only, no CPI-U series pre-1913 available in consistent form](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-wage-surveys-4084), BLS / FRASER St. Louis Fed
10. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (1982-83 edition) — Architects salary data (approximately $27,800 median entry to senior range midpoint)](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-237), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER
11. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
12. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
13. [BLS OES May 2020 — 17-1011 median annual wage $82,320](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes171011.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
15. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
16. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

17. [Wikipedia — Technical drawing instruments (history of drafting tools)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_drawing_tools), Wikipedia
18. [Wikipedia — Blueprint (cyanotype process history and architectural use)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueprint), Wikipedia
19. [Wikipedia — Hugh Ferriss (architectural renderer, 1889–1962)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Ferriss), Wikipedia
20. [Wikipedia — AutoCAD (history, 1982 release)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD), Wikipedia
21. [Wikipedia — Rhinoceros 3D (history and architectural use)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_3D), Wikipedia
22. [Wikipedia — Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (CATIA digital design process)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao), Wikipedia
23. [Wikipedia — SketchUp (history, @Last Software 2000, Google acquisition 2006)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SketchUp), Wikipedia
24. [Wikipedia — Revit (history, Autodesk acquisition 2002)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revit), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — Building information modeling (BIM history and mandate timeline)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — Grasshopper 3D (history, David Rutten, 2007 release)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper_3D), Wikipedia
27. [Autodesk — Dynamo for Revit, computational BIM design history](https://dynamobim.org/about/), Autodesk / Dynamo BIM
28. [RIBA AI Report 2025 — 59% of practices using AI; only 18% expect job losses](https://www.riba.org/work/insights-and-resources/ai-report/riba-ai-report-2025/), Royal Institute of British Architects
29. [Autodesk — Forma Site Design wins Architectural Record Product of the Year 2025](https://blogs.autodesk.com/forma/2025/12/11/forma-site-design-wins-architectural-record-2025-products-of-the-year/), Autodesk
30. [AIA — Architects Journey to Specification 2025 survey (6% regular AI use)](https://www.aia.org/article/ai-specifications-research-insights), American Institute of Architects
31. [EvolveLAB Veras — AI rendering plugin for Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Forma](https://www.evolvelab.io/veras), EvolveLAB / Chaos

### Forecasts and exposure studies

32. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-1011 Architects, except landscape and naval (2025: 124.6 thousand; 2035: 129.9 thousand; +4.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-1011&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
33. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 17-1011 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: probability 0.018, rank 82 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
34. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-1011.00, human-rated β 0.43)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

35. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Architects (founding history, 1857)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Architects), Wikipedia
36. [Wikipedia — Architect (United States licensing history, Illinois 1897)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architect#United_States), Wikipedia
37. [NCARB — History of NCARB and the ARE examination](https://www.ncarb.org/about), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
38. [Wikipedia — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (IIT appointment 1938, Bauhaus immigration)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe), Wikipedia
39. [Wikipedia — AutoCAD (1982 release, architectural adoption)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD), Wikipedia
40. [Wikipedia — Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (CATIA digital design process, 1997)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao), Wikipedia
41. [AIA — Firm Survey 2009 and Architecture Billings Index historical series](https://www.aia.org/pages/6202-abi-architecture-billings-index), American Institute of Architects
42. [Autodesk — Forma Site Design wins Architectural Record Product of the Year 2025](https://blogs.autodesk.com/forma/2025/12/11/forma-site-design-wins-architectural-record-2025-products-of-the-year/), Autodesk

### Predecessors & successors

43. [Wikipedia — American Institute of Architects (founding 1857, differentiation from contractor-builders)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Institute_of_Architects), Wikipedia
44. [Wikipedia — History of structural engineering (architecture-engineering differentiation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_structural_engineering), Wikipedia
45. [NCARB — Pathways to Practice (licensure pathway, AXP experience, ARE exam)](https://www.ncarb.org/become-architect/pathways-to-practice), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
46. [AIA — Architecture firm leadership structure and career progression](https://www.aia.org/career-paths), American Institute of Architects

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (17-1011.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-1011.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [RIBA AI Report 2025 — 59% of practices using AI; only 18% expect job losses](https://www.riba.org/work/insights-and-resources/ai-report/riba-ai-report-2025/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [AIA — Architects Journey to Specification 2025 (only 6% regularly use AI)](https://www.aia.org/article/ai-specifications-research-insights), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Autodesk Forma — Generative design and AI for improved site planning (Apr 2025)](https://blogs.autodesk.com/forma/2025/04/24/how-to-use-generative-design-ai-and-3d-modeling-for-improved-site-planning/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Autodesk — 3D Generative AI Foundation Models for Fusion and Forma (Neural CAD Buildings)](https://adsknews.autodesk.com/en/news/upcoming-3d-generative-ai-foundation-models/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Forma Site Design wins Architectural Record Product of the Year 2025](https://blogs.autodesk.com/forma/2025/12/11/forma-site-design-wins-architectural-record-2025-products-of-the-year/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [UpCodes — Copilot Intelligence achieves 93% code-compliance accuracy](https://www.buildingenclosureonline.com/articles/94432-upcodes-unveils-copilot-intelligence), accessed 2026-05-24
- [UpCodes — AI-Native Specifications Solution launch (2025)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upcodes-launches-ai-native-specifications-solution-to-address-growing-compliance-complexity-in-us-construction-302729636.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [TestFit — Generative Design for building and site optimization](https://www.testfit.io/blog/unleash-boundless-building-optimization-with-testfit-generative-design), accessed 2026-05-24
- [D5 Render 3.0 — AI-powered real-time architectural visualization](https://www.d5render.com/posts/d5-render-3-0-ai-rendering-design-workflow), accessed 2026-05-24
- [EvolveLAB Veras — AI rendering plugin for Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Forma](https://www.evolvelab.io/veras), accessed 2026-05-24
- [cove.tool — AI-powered building performance and sustainability analysis](https://cove.inc/sustainability/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.