Talent Maps / Orlando / Architects

Orlando Architect Talent Map (2026)

What architects earn in metro Orlando, which design firms and owners employ them, where in the metro they work, and the downtown, healthcare and airport projects competing for them.

Hiring architects in Orlando?

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 in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and industry data published from 2022 to 2026. Our Orlando architectural recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Orlando civil and structural engineer talent maps and our CAD designer talent map.

$96,190Median architect pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

$138,890+What the top 10% of Orlando architects earnBLS, May 2025

$500MWestcourt mixed-use district downtown, designed by Baker Barrios, opening in late 2028ENR, 2026

$423MAdventHealth’s 10-story Lake Nona hospital, designed by ESAConnect CRE

$374MAirside 2 gate expansion at Orlando International, with at least 7 gatesGOAA, 2025

47.3AIA Architecture Billings Index for June 2026, with the South region flatAIA, 2026

Architect salaries in Orlando

The median architect in metro Orlando earns $96,190 a year, $50 below the Florida median of $96,240 and $3,090 below the national median of $99,280. The hourly median is $46.25. The gap is widest at the top. Orlando’s 90th percentile is $138,890, against $138,230 statewide and $161,420 nationally.

Annual pay percentile	Orlando metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$61,150	$59,990	$62,300
25th percentile	$75,900	$76,550	$77,960
Median	$96,190	$96,240	$99,280
75th percentile	$121,440	$122,940	$126,550
90th percentile	$138,890	$138,230	$161,420

Architects, except landscape and naval (SOC 17-1011). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Landscape architects earn a median of $79,650 in Orlando, the same as the Florida median and $220 below the national median of $79,870. Architectural and civil drafters, who support architects on drawings, earn a median of $63,120.

What the spread means in practice: Orlando pays slightly more than Tampa at the median, $96,190 against $94,610, but Tampa is well ahead at the 90th percentile, $157,100 against $138,890. HuntonBrady has offices in both metros, so some firms can place architects in either.

Where Orlando’s architecture work is

Orlando design firms

HKS opened its Orlando studio in 1995. Its work includes Orlando International Airport’s Intermodal Transportation Center, the USTA National Campus, the Orlando Health Bed Tower and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

HuntonBrady Architects was founded in 1947, has offices in Orlando and Tampa and more than 100 employees, and works in healthcare, commercial, education and civic projects.

Baker Barrios

Baker Barrios is architect and planner for the $500 million Westcourt district and designer of the $30 million Bob Carr Theater reuse at Creative Village. It has offices in Orlando, Tampa, Nashville, Chicago, Boston and Miami.

Healthcare and airport design teams

ESA is the architect of AdventHealth’s Lake Nona hospital. At Orlando International’s $2.8 billion Terminal C, Fentress Architects was lead designer and HNTB was architect of record.

AdventHealth has 40,000 employees and Orlando Health 28,806, according to the Orlando Economic Partnership.

Owners and public clients

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is planning Airside 2 and Terminal C Phase 2. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are the two largest tourism employers on the Partnership’s list, and the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency funds downtown public space work such as the Lake Eola Gateway and The Canopy under I-4.

Where the talent sits: Orlando submarkets

Downtown Orlando and Creative Village

Mixed-useCivic

Westcourt, Creative Village Parcel H ($60 million, 7 stories, 122 apartments) and The Beacon ($40 million, 106 apartments) are all downtown.

Lake Nona

Healthcare

AdventHealth’s hospital is at 10999 Narcoossee Road and was expected to open in 2026.

Orlando International Airport

Aviation

Airside 2 adds at least 7 gates, and a 2023 board update said Terminal C Phase 2 planning covers 16 to 24 more.

Tourism corridor

HospitalityEntertainment

Epic Universe, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge and the Magic Kingdom expansion are the main hospitality projects.

What’s driving demand for architects in Orlando

Westcourt. The $500 million, 900,000-square-foot district has a 265-key Kimpton hotel, 269 homes, a 3,500-capacity venue and up to 310,000 square feet of office space. Early site work was under way in May 2026 and opening is projected for late 2028.
Creative Village. Parcel H broke ground in January 2026. The Bob Carr Theater reuse is due to start construction in mid-2027 and be delivered in 2029.
Airport expansion. The aviation authority approved $374 million for Airside 2 in September 2025, with planning starting in 2026. Terminal C opened in September 2022.
Healthcare. AdventHealth’s Lake Nona hospital will open with 80 beds and can grow to 320.
Theme parks and resorts. Epic Universe opened May 22, 2025. Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is due on July 1, 2027, and Monstropolis and Tropical Americas are due in 2027.
Headwinds. The AIA index was 47.3 in June 2026, the 41st straight month without majority billings growth, though the South was flat. Orange County Public Schools has paused new campuses until at least 2030 and is renovating 30 existing schools.

Architect specialties tied to these projects

Healthcare architects for AdventHealth, Orlando Health and medical office work.
Aviation and transportation architects for the Airside 2 and Terminal C programs.
Hospitality and entertainment architects for hotels, venues and park buildings.
Mixed-use and urban architects for Westcourt and Creative Village.
Adaptive reuse and landscape architects for the Bob Carr Theater and downtown public space.
K-12 renovation architects for the district’s 30 planned school renovations.

The talent pipeline

UCF and Valencia College. UCF’s Bachelor of Design in Architecture is a 2+2+2 path with Valencia College and a University of Florida master’s degree. Admission to the upper division is competitive.
Drafting support. See our Orlando CAD designer talent map for the drafters who work alongside architects.
Licensing. Architects are licensed by the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design. Candidates need a NAAB-accredited degree, the NCARB Architectural Experience Program and a pass on the Architectural Registration Examination.

What this means if you’re hiring

Watch Tampa for top talent. Tampa’s 90th percentile is $18,210 above Orlando’s, and HuntonBrady works in both metros.
Price licensed senior architects at the 75th percentile. Plan on $121,440 or higher, and expect candidates to cite the national 90th percentile of $161,420.
Do not expect a pay lure from elsewhere in Florida. Orlando’s median is $50 below the state median, so relocation is rarely a pay move.
Match hiring to project type. Healthcare, aviation and mixed-use work is moving, while school construction is on hold, so healthcare, aviation and mixed-use experience is likely in more demand than K-12.

Need architects in Orlando?

Apollo Technical has recruited for architecture and engineering firms since 2010. Our recruiting teams place architects, project architects, designers and landscape architects on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Orlando engineering recruiters page.

Hire architects in Orlando

Frequently asked questions

How much do architects make in Orlando?

The median architect salary in metro Orlando is $96,190 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $75,900 and $121,440, and the top 10% earn $138,890 or more.

Do architects earn more in Orlando or Tampa?

Orlando, by a small margin at the median. Its median is $96,190, against $94,610 in Tampa. Tampa pays more at the top, with a 90th percentile of $157,100 against $138,890. See our Tampa architect talent map.

Who hires architects in Orlando?

Design firms such as HKS, HuntonBrady Architects and Baker Barrios, healthcare architects such as ESA, and owners and developers such as AdventHealth, Orlando Health, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and the Creative Village developers.

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