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The differences between architects and architectural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an architect, becoming an architectural designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an architect has an average salary of $86,635, which is higher than the $59,122 average annual salary of an architectural designer.
The top three skills for an architect include cloud, java and infrastructure. The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.
| Architect | Architectural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,635 | $59,122 |
| Hourly rate | $41.65 | $28.42 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 94,621 | 54,358 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
An Architectural Designer is specialized in planning and designing structures/urban landscapes. They ensure that company policies and standards are maintained when providing services to clients.
Architects and architectural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Architect | Architectural Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,635 | $59,122 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $137,000 | Between $45,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an architect and an architectural designer in terms of educational background:
| Architect | Architectural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Architecture |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between architects' and architectural designers' demographics:
| Architect | Architectural Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 6% |