Talent Maps / Atlanta / Architects

Atlanta Architect Talent Map (2026)

What architects earn in metro Atlanta, how many are licensed in Georgia, which firms employ them and the projects and headwinds shaping the market.

Hiring architects in Atlanta?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers architects, architectural designers and related design professionals in metro Atlanta. Pay figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), licensing figures from NCARB, and market data from 2026 reports. Our Atlanta architectural recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our CAD designer and structural engineer talent maps, or browse all Atlanta talent maps.

$103,330Median architect pay in metro Atlanta, above the $99,280 national medianBLS, May 2025

$198,350+What the top 10% of Atlanta architects earnBLS, May 2025

2,915Licensed architects living in Georgia, out of 6,336 Georgia licensesNCARB, 2025

12.3 yearsMedian time from school to architecture license nationallyNCARB, 2026

180Projected architect job openings a year in Georgia through 2034Projections Central

46.1Architecture billings index for the South; under 50 means billings are fallingAIA, Aug 2026

Architect salaries in Atlanta

Atlanta architects out-earn the national market at every level, and the gap is widest at the top: the highest-paid 10% in Atlanta earn $198,350 or more, against $161,420 nationally.

Occupation (BLS category)	Atlanta median	Atlanta top 10%	US median
Architectural and engineering managers	$162,410	$221,750+	$171,270
Architects	$103,330	$198,350+	$99,280
Landscape architects	$75,980	$131,450+	$79,870
Architectural and civil drafters	$74,180	$126,390+	$66,150
Interior designers	$72,490	$124,850+	$67,190

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Architects in metro Atlanta range from $71,660 at the 10th percentile to $198,350 at the 90th, with the middle half earning between $86,820 and $131,630.

How many architects are licensed in Georgia

NCARB counted 6,336 Georgia architect licenses in 2025, but only 2,915 belong to architects who live in Georgia. The other 3,421 are reciprocal licenses held by out-of-state architects. Nationally, the number of architects rose 6% to just over 123,000 in 2025, and the median time to licensure fell to 12.3 years, the lowest in nearly a decade.

To be licensed in Georgia, candidates need an NCARB record, a NAAB-accredited degree, 3,740 hours of experience through NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP), and all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). Licenses renew every two years.

Who employs architects in Atlanta

Atlanta-founded firms

Cooper Carry, founded in Atlanta in 1960, has more than 300 employees. TVS, founded in 1968, is known for convention centers. Portman Architects traces back to John Portman’s 1953 office and the Peachtree Center complex.

Other Atlanta firms include Niles Bolton Associates (1975), Smallwood (1979), Lord Aeck Sargent, Stevens & Wilkinson (now part of SSOE), Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio and PRAXIS3.

National firms with large Atlanta studios

NELSON Worldwide ranked No. 2 on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s list of largest architecture firms, with more than 90 design professionals in Atlanta. Perkins&Will has nearly 200 people in its Atlanta studio.

Gensler, which designed the Centennial Yards entertainment district, and HKS also run Atlanta studios on Peachtree.

Where the work is: Atlanta practice areas

Healthcare

Hospitals

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta opened the Arthur M. Blank Hospital in 2024: 19 stories, 2 million square feet and 446 beds.

Mixed use and downtown

Mixed useEntertainment

Centennial Yards is a $5 billion, 50-acre redevelopment downtown, with an entertainment district designed by Gensler.

Hospitality and convention

HotelsConvention centers

TVS is known for convention centers such as the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Portman designed downtown Atlanta’s Peachtree Center complex.

Data centers, industrial and multifamily

Data centersHousing

Atlanta has 2,882 MW of data center capacity under construction, the most in North America, plus a steady pipeline of industrial and multifamily work. See our data center talent map.

Market conditions in 2026

Billings are soft. The AIA Architecture Billings Index was 47.2 nationally in August 2026, and 46.1 for the South, meaning more firms reported falling billings than rising ones.
Hiring hasn’t stopped. AIA reported that architecture employment still grew by 700 positions in July 2026.
AI is arriving. AIA found that 48% of firms are now engaging with AI tools.
Data centers are a bright spot. Atlanta leads North America in data center construction, which keeps building design work flowing.

The talent pipeline

Georgia Tech. Offers a NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture on 3.5-year and 2-year tracks.
Kennesaw State University. The only public university in Georgia offering a NAAB-accredited five-year Bachelor of Architecture.
University of Georgia. The College of Environment and Design runs the oldest landscape architecture bachelor’s program in the country.
Growth. Georgia is projected to grow from 2,760 architects in 2024 to 2,890 in 2034, with about 180 openings a year.

What this means if you’re hiring

Pay above national rates for licensed architects. Atlanta’s architect median is above the national figure, and senior pay is well above it.
Look for sector experience. Healthcare, data center and convention work each have their own codes and clients, and candidates who know them ramp up faster.
Consider unlicensed designers on the path. With licensure taking a median of 12.3 years, many strong architectural designers are still finishing the ARE. Supporting their exams builds loyalty.
Watch the billings index. Soft billings mean some firms are cautious, which can free up experienced talent for firms that are hiring.

Need architects in Atlanta?

Apollo Technical has recruited design and engineering talent since 2010. Our recruiting teams place architects, architectural designers, project architects and BIM specialists on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 404.474.4571 or see our Atlanta architectural recruiters page.

Hire architects

Frequently asked questions

How much do architects make in Atlanta?

The median architect salary in metro Atlanta is $103,330, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn $198,350 or more.

How many architects are there in Georgia?

NCARB counted 6,336 Georgia architect licenses in 2025, of which 2,915 belong to Georgia residents. BLS projections count about 2,760 people employed as architects in Georgia.

What are the largest architecture firms in Atlanta?

Large Atlanta architecture employers include Cooper Carry, NELSON Worldwide, Perkins&Will, Gensler, HKS, TVS, Portman Architects, Niles Bolton Associates and Smallwood.

Sources (13)