Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
Also known as: Architect, Building Architect, Building Consultant, Building Information Modeling Specialist (BIM Specialist), Commercial Green Building Architect, Commercial Green Building Designer, Commercial Green Retrofit Architect, Design Architect, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)
What You'd Do
- Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.
- Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.
- Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
- Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
- Administer construction contracts.
- Represent clients in obtaining bids or awarding construction contracts.
- Design or plan construction of green building projects to minimize adverse environmental impact or conserve energy.
- Design structures that incorporate environmentally friendly building practices or concepts, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
- Perform predesign services, such as feasibility or environmental impact studies.
- Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.
- Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
- Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents.
- Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
- Develop marketing materials, proposals, or presentations to generate new work opportunities.
- Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
- Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
- Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures.
- Plan layouts of structural architectural projects.
- Create three-dimensional or interactive representations of designs, using computer-assisted design software.
- Prepare operating and maintenance manuals, studies, or reports.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
Is Architects, Except Landscape and Naval right for you?
Take our free career quiz to see how you match with this and 900+ other careers.
Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.