How to hire a junior architect

How to hire a junior architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step junior 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 junior architect job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new junior architect
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a junior architect do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The junior architect 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?

   Yes

   No

   A junior architect's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, junior 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.

   Here's a comparison of junior architect salaries for various roles:

   Type of Junior Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Architect	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	$21-38
   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
   Computer Aided Design Designer	A computer-aided design (CAD) designer is responsible for creating plan outlines and project designs for a specific business need. A CAD designer utilizes various technologies and software applications to generate graphic illustrations... Show more	$19-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Schematic Design
   • Design Development
   • Auto CAD
   • SketchUp
   • Construction Administration
   • Construction Drawings
   • Cost Estimates
   • Design Concepts
   • Sketch
   • Architectural Drawings
   • Elevations
   • Java
   • Architectural Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Accomplish the following projects as the job captain using Revit software from conceptual design to sets of construction documents.
   • Manage technical architects for development and support of existing and new terminal platforms to support Walmart mobile and batch application infrastructure.
   • Sketch design, municipal drawings, presentation drawings, elevations, co- ordination with consultants.
   • Assist the team with the design process starting from concept and sketch to final design project.
   • Participate in meetings with MEP consultants and contractors.
   • Design will support either in-house or cloud base services.

   More junior architect duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your junior architect job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A junior architect can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, junior architects' average salary in idaho is 38% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior architects 44% less than senior-level junior architects.
   • Certifications. A junior architect with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a junior architect's salary.

   Average junior architect salary

   $60,719yearly

   $29.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior architect salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average junior architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$69,786	$34
   2	California	$68,407	$33
   3	Texas	$67,140	$32
   4	Massachusetts	$67,112	$32
   5	Washington	$66,821	$32
   6	New York	$66,821	$32
   7	Michigan	$66,391	$32
   8	Colorado	$65,866	$32
   9	Alabama	$61,556	$30
   10	Georgia	$60,967	$29
   11	Pennsylvania	$60,703	$29
   12	Virginia	$60,644	$29
   13	Indiana	$57,597	$28
   14	Illinois	$56,085	$27
   15	Oregon	$55,183	$27
   16	Connecticut	$55,161	$27
   17	Delaware	$53,954	$26
   18	New Jersey	$53,262	$26
   19	Florida	$53,054	$26

   Average junior architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chubb	$115,908	$55.73	10
   2	NRG Energy	$112,816	$54.24
   3	Intel	$111,847	$53.77	28
   4	Ralph Lauren	$101,147	$48.63	1
   5	Salesforce	$97,256	$46.76	82
   6	Mastech Digital	$88,755	$42.67	15
   7	Haynes International	$82,294	$39.56
   8	Hacker	$77,398	$37.21
   9	Barry-Wehmiller	$75,691	$36.39	11
   10	DSM Services USA Inc	$72,686	$34.95
   11	Qualcomm	$70,537	$33.91	25
   12	TSD Rental	$70,296	$33.80
   13	Robert A.M. Stern Architects	$67,194	$32.30	1
   14	Elkus Manfredi Arch	$67,064	$32.24
   15	KPF	$66,462	$31.95
   16	Arquitectonica	$66,099	$31.78	2
   17	Perkins Eastman	$65,615	$31.55	5
   18	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill	$65,064	$31.28	27
   19	Beyer Blinder Belle	$64,669	$31.09	5
   20	Selldorf Architects	$63,351	$30.46

4. Writing a junior architect job description

   A good junior architect job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a junior architect job description:

   Junior architect job description example

   Planate Management Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), which provides installation/base management and facilities engineering worldwide. The primary capability areas of Planate are on Architectural Engineering Design & Planning, Program & Construction Management and Technical & Consulting Services.
   
   The Junior Architect will be responsible for maintaining and supporting the global design team. Also, will work across a variety of functional groups that are directly involved in design development, construction, contract inspections, and quality control.
   The work of the assignment will be in the Orlando office.
   
   Key responsibilities:
   
   + Compile data for comprehensive facilities use and feasibility data to be used for campus planning, capital improvement, and long-range planning.
   
   + Compile s data for architectural plans, specifications, cost estimates, reports, etc.
   
   + Prepare for plans for existing buildings where plans are not available
   
   + Conduct preliminary studies of proposed projects to obtain information as to space and design requirements, obtaining measurements and making sketches preliminary to the preparation of drawing
   
   + Prepare scale drawing of details required for contract drawing including preparation of design development drawings.
   
   + Prepare "record" drawings on completion of construction
   
   + Prepare layout and draws a preliminary sketch of the project to present to the client
   
   + Develop and/or coordinate the development of detailed working drawings and specifications after approval for the project has been obtained
   
   + Perform other responsibilities associated with this position as may be appropriate
   
   Qualifications To be successful in the role:
   
   + Bachelor's Degree in Architecture
   
   + At least 3 to 5 years in design and field experience
   
   + Familiarity with military programming rules and documentation is desirable
   
   + Must be willing to travel for occasional international assignments
   
   + Proficient in Microsoft Office Suites, Autocad, and Revit
   
   + Able to obtain Secret Clearance
   
   Due to the nature of work, the successful candidate will be required to comply with all Federal guidelines regarding vaccination for all employees and contractors. Please refer to Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors for more information.
   
   Why Planate?
   
   Planate Management Group is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
   
   Joining the Planate team opens you to an experience working for a Global company where you are among a team that is considered a premier trusted partner for planning, design, engineering, asset management, and professional service solutions anytime, anywhere. We Take Care of Our Own; Personally, and Professionally, Up and Down The Line.
   
   We'd love for you to be a part of our Global workforce, helping us serve as an effective and integrated partner to advance every client's mission!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find junior architects for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any junior architects they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level junior architects with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your junior architect job on Zippia to find and attract quality junior 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 junior 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 junior architect

   Once you've found the junior architect candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new junior architect. 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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