How to hire an architectural job captain

How to hire an architectural job captain, step by step

Here's a step-by-step architectural job captain hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an architectural job captain job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new architectural job captain
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an architectural job captain do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The architectural job captain hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect architectural job captain also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of architectural job captain salaries for various roles:

   Type of Architectural Job Captain	Description	Hourly rate
   Architectural Job Captain	Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most workers specialize in architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting and use technical drawings to help design everything from microchips to skyscrapers.	$23-44
   Autocad Designer	Typically working in the construction and manufacturing industry, an AutoCAD designer specializes in designing and developing 2D and 3D drawings using AutoCAD software. It is their duty to coordinate with architects and engineers to discuss ideas and project needs, create and prepare designs for client approval, generate models through the AutoCAD software, and prepare progress reports and presentations for the clients... Show more	$19-36
   Drafting Internship	Drafting interns perform jobs like designing engineering drawings and visual aids, forming the detailed layout execution of distinct mechanical parts, resolve design problems in BIM models and visual presentations. Also, the pattern of new products, alter existing products using SOLIDWORKS, estimate the shipboard pipe systems, and develop a superficial model of NIDA glider using CATIA V5... Show more	$14-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Building Codes
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Sketch
   • Construction Administration
   • Construction Drawings
   • Leed
   • Design Development
   • BIM
   • Architectural Design
   • Schematic Design
   • MEP
   • Architectural Project
   • Architectural Firm

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead production team and coordination effort with associate architects, and MEP and maintain organization and archiving of cad documents.
   • Review and respond to RFI's.
   • Work closely with MEP team to produce complete coordinate documents.
   • Assist in BIM project set up and produce drawings for tri-weekly meeting presentation.
   • Respond promptly and accurately to construction and design phase contractor generate RFI's.
   • Involve in design process, including sketch design, digital 3d model making.

   More architectural job captain duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your architectural job captain job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An architectural job captain salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an architectural job captain in Washington may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level architectural job captain usually earns less than a senior-level architectural job captain. Additionally, an architectural job captain with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average architectural job captain salary

   $68,406yearly

   $32.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level architectural job captain salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average architectural job captain salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$78,579	$38
   2	District of Columbia	$78,442	$38
   3	Rhode Island	$77,602	$37
   4	California	$76,212	$37
   5	New York	$74,175	$36
   6	Florida	$70,518	$34
   7	South Carolina	$67,055	$32
   8	Pennsylvania	$66,691	$32
   9	Illinois	$66,478	$32
   10	Oregon	$65,531	$32
   11	Missouri	$64,336	$31
   12	Colorado	$63,429	$30
   13	Nevada	$62,436	$30
   14	Texas	$62,356	$30
   15	Arizona	$62,313	$30
   16	Georgia	$61,972	$30
   17	Ohio	$61,968	$30
   18	Minnesota	$57,235	$28
   19	Utah	$53,019	$25

   Average architectural job captain salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	GPAC	$80,551	$38.73
   2	Elkus Manfredi Arch	$77,955	$37.48
   3	Steelman Partners	$76,550	$36.80
   4	SERA Architects	$71,755	$34.50	1
   5	MBH Architects	$71,275	$34.27	1
   6	Gensler	$68,462	$32.91	85
   7	AECOM	$68,286	$32.83	79
   8	Farnsworth Group	$67,666	$32.53	4
   9	Galloway	$67,461	$32.43	3
   10	Harley Ellis Devereaux	$65,927	$31.70	11
   11	Greenbergfarrow	$65,760	$31.62	1
   12	AIA	$64,441	$30.98	1
   13	Huitt-Zollars	$64,174	$30.85	9
   14	LPA Holding Corp	$63,290	$30.43	25
   15	DES Architects + Engineers	$62,525	$30.06
   16	P M Co	$62,142	$29.88	2
   17	KTGY	$61,998	$29.81	6
   18	TCA Architects	$61,368	$29.50	20
   19	Ismael Leyva Arch	$61,254	$29.45
   20	Lessard Design	$60,933	$29.29

4. Writing an architectural job captain job description

   An architectural job captain job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an architectural job captain job description:

   Architectural job captain job description example

   What you'll do:As a SERA Job Captain, you will leverage and hone the skills and knowledge to take a project from concept through construction. This mid-level position allows you to build on your past experience and begin focusing on roles and tasks that you're particularly passionate about. Job Captains perform a multitude of functions, from designing particular aspects within a project to creating beautiful client-facing presentations, coordinating with consultants, and leading design documentation. Why is this role important?Job Captains are at the core of a collaborative team environment, coordinating and overseeing the work of junior staff, collaborating with Project Architects, Designers and Principals, and using an array of tools, media and communication methods. This position requires a high level of skill in Revit, fluency in the Adobe Creative Suite and an eagerness to solve gnarly problems at every scale.Why SERA?SERA is a firm of learners, eager to advance the resilient and equitable outcomes we want to see for our communities and the planet. Our 100% employee-owned firm promotes a collaborative environment where every staff member's unique strengths and contributions are valued. Sustainability, urbanism, and community-building are intrinsic to the ways we think and work. We're not afraid of the gnarly problems that come with this territory; in fact, some of our favorite workdays wrap up around the kegerator passionately hashing out the next, better idea. Education + Experience
   + Requires a Bachelor or Master's degree from an accredited program.
   
   + Generally have 4 - 7 years of industry experience in an architect's office.
   
   + Proficiency in Autodesk Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, and MS Office Suite required.
   
   What you'll bring:
   
   + Knowledge of Enscape, Lumion, Bluebeam, Rhino, Formit, and/or Sketchup preferred.
   
   + Ability to communicate through verbal, written and graphic communication formats.
   
   + Ability to determine the right tool for the task.
   
   + Ability to prioritize and evaluate multiple important tasks.
   
   + Established critical thinking to identify strengths, weaknesses or alternate solutions to a problem with some supervision.
   
   + Develop professional judgment and decision making processes to determine the most appropriate course of action.
   
   + Develop leadership skills that motivate and guide teams and projects to desired outcomes.
   
   COVID-19 considerations: Proof of COVID-19 Vaccine (required) SERA Architects Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right architectural job captain for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find architectural job captain candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit architectural job captains, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new architectural job captain

   Once you've decided on a perfect architectural job captain candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new architectural job captain. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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