Architectural Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the architectural services industry earns $103,514 per year ($49.77/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Architectural Workers Earn?
At $103,514/year (equivalent to $49.77/hour for a full-time worker), architectural services wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical architectural services business employs 7 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average architectural services business generating $1.5M/year with 7 employees at $103,514 each, total payroll represents roughly 48.4% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a architectural servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $134,568/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 7 employees = ~$724,598/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $49.77/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.5M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Architectural Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do architectural services employees make?
- The average architectural services employee earns $103,514 per year, which is equivalent to $49.77/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the architectural services industry?
- The architectural services industry employs 204,608 workers across 29,135 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 7 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).