How to hire a building architect

How to hire a building architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step building architect hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a building architect, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A building architect's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, building architects from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of building architects and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Building Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Building Architect	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	$23-79
   Job Captain	A Job Captain is responsible for overseeing the drafting process of a project and completing outstanding items or tasks that remain to be accomplished. They take direction from the Project Manager, the Project Architect, and/or the Architect of Record.	$24-46
   Architectural Consultant	An architectural consultant is a professional who owns or works for an independent architecture or multidisciplinary design firm to develop innovative building design solutions. The essential skills that an architectural consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good creative ability and strong organizational, technical, and visualization skills... Show more	$19-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CAD
   • Design Projects
   • Windows
   • Code Reviews
   • Leed
   • Contract Administration
   • OS
   • T-SQL
   • ETL

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage complex implementations for medium to large healthcare organizations that directly impact patient care, revenue stream and regulatory compliance.
   • Coordinate architectural drawings and Revit model with all other disciplines involve.
   • Deliver thorough construction documentation, focuse detailing, and contract administration for a firm engage in private educational and healthcare work.
   • Enforce proper food preparation following FDA rules, regulations and policies.
   • Analyze local and IBC codes for application to residential unit design and public and commercial spaces.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your building architect job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A building architect salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, building architects' average salary in arkansas is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level building architects earn 71% less than senior-level building architects.
   • Certifications. A building architect with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a building architect's salary.

   Average building architect salary

   $89,404yearly

   $42.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level building architect salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a building architect job description

   A job description for a building architect role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a building architect job description:

   Building architect job description example

   **Job Level:** Mid Level
   
   **Home District/Group:** Kiewit Industrial Engineering
   
   **Department:** Design Engineering
   
   **Market:** Industrial
   
   **Employment Type:** Full Time
   
   **Position Overview**
   
   Kiewit is currently searching for a Mid-Level Architect to be a part of a top 10 construction company and engineering firm, building multi-million-dollar power, industrial, oil, gas, water, and transit projects. This role is located in Lenexa, KS or Houston, TX, with the opportunity for flexible work.
   
   The Architect works within the Industrial Buildings Group as part of an overall project team overseeing the building's architectural design. The Industrial Buildings Group is a diverse group of architects and engineers as a part of Kiewit Engineering, Inc., and is responsible for all phases of the project life cycle for all buildings within Kiewit projects. The Architect manages fast-paced projects, including coordination and collaboration with in-house project engineers and contractors to successfully execute building estimates, conceptual design, and construction documents and administration.
   
   **District Overview**
   
   Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc is a full-service engineering consulting and design firm serving a broad range of the industrial markets. Our combined staff of more than 1,700 engineers and design professionals have expertise that spans all major engineering disciplines to serve the industrial, transportation, power, water/wastewater, mining, building, and oil, gas & chemical markets. Our operations-focused engineering provides our clients with safe and efficient facilities, and it integrates our 130 years of construction experience to finish projects on time and to make sure that Nobody Gets Hurt.
   
   Our rapidly growing Industrial Engineering team, which includes process, mechanical, electrical, controls, structural, architectural, geotechnical, and civil disciplines, is a multi-faceted and leading-edge division of Kiewit with best-in-class technical expertise focused on EPC and design-build delivery of industrial projects in markets such as Food & Beverage, Mineral Processing, Renewable Fuels, Pulp and Paper, Steel & Aluminum, Industrial Buildings, and Industrial Energy, Water and Utilities.
   
   **Location**
   
   This position is based out of our Lenexa, KS or Houston, TX office. Opportunities for flexible work are available.
   
   **Responsibilities**
   
   + Responsible for completing life safety and code analysis by reviewing codes and standards, coordinating related design items with Authority Having Jurisdiction, and communicating findings with the team.
   
   + Manage the architectural design for the buildings, and ensure the project complies with Kiewit standards while maintaining budget and schedule.
   
   + Coordinate with electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and structural design engineers for complete building design.
   
   + Support, inform, and advise the project team and client on the building design as it develops.
   
   + Experience with specification writing.
   
   + Assist in providing technical bid analysis reviews during the bid period and determining the practicality of submittals.
   
   + Have experience with the value engineering process, and provide alternative recommendations to the project team regarding project budgets and associated construction costs.
   
   + Manage and maintain project schedules, direct and manage the architectural team.
   
   + Mentor entry-level architectural staff.
   
   + Familiar and confident in understanding the workflow required to estimate, bid, and construct buildings in an Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) and Design-Build environment.
   
   + Experience with checking and navigating 3D models for interferences and constructability.
   
   + Experience with construction administration activities.
   
   + Perform field work as required for project execution.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + Bachelor's degree in architecture.
   
   + At least 4 years' of architecture experience.
   
   + Experience with execution of all building project design phases from concept to construction.
   
   + Experience with estimating support for construction projects.
   
   + Understanding pre-engineered metal buildings for projects is a plus.
   
   + Proficient in Revit, AutoCAD Architecture, Microsoft Office applications, Bluebeam, and Navisworks.
   
   + Strong written and verbal communication skills.
   
   + Registered Architect with a current license preferred.
   
   + NCARB Certification preferred.
   
   Kiewit is genuinely about the people and encouraging individuals to achieve their personal and career goals. With Kiewit, you have different opportunities to grow your professional career while enjoying a family atmosphere.
   
   Kiewit is currently developing its young architectural team, and you have the opportunity in helping to develop that team. You won't be disappointed!
   
   \#LI-JS2
   
   \#LI-Hybrid
   
   **Other Requirements:**
   
   • Regular, reliable attendance
   
   • Work productively and meet deadlines timely
   
   • Communicate and interact effectively and professionally with supervisors, employees, and others individually or in a team environment.
   
   • Perform work safely and effectively. Understand and follow oral and written instructions, including warning signs, equipment use, and other policies.
   
   • Work during normal operating hours to organize and complete work within given deadlines. Work overtime and weekends as required.
   
   • **FIELD ROLES ONLY** May work at various different locations and conditions may vary.
   
   _We offer our fulltime staff employees a comprehensive benefits package that's among the best in our industry, including top-tier medical, dental and vision plans covering eligible employees and dependents, voluntary wellness and employee assistance programs, life insurance, disability, retirement plans with matching, and generous paid time off._
   
   _We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law._
   
   Company: Kiewit

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right building architect for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with building architects they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit building architects who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your building architect job on Zippia to find and attract quality building architect candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as aaonetwork, aia , ala , an jobs, archareer .
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit building architects, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 building architect

   Once you have selected a candidate for the building architect position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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