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The differences between principal architects and project architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal architect has an average salary of $133,276, which is higher than the $76,812 average annual salary of a project architect.
The top three skills for a principal architect include cloud, infrastructure and emerging technologies. The most important skills for a project architect are revit, autocad, and sketch.
| Principal Architect | Project Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $133,276 | $76,812 |
| Hourly rate | $64.08 | $36.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 118,908 | 82,192 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Principal Architects manage all design work at an architecture firm. They ensure that all work is of high professional quality and manage the activity of other design professionals.
A project architect spearheads and oversees a construction project's design and development procedures from the planning stages to its completion, ensuring it adheres to standards, budgets, and deadlines. They primarily coordinate with the clients to understand and identify project needs, leading the engineers and contractors throughout the project. They are also typically in charge of preparing all of the necessary documents and ensuring that procedures adhere to state and federal laws, including the environmental, zoning, and safety standards. Additionally, a project architect maintains an open communication line with the clients, updating them regularly.
Principal architects and project architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Architect | Project Architect | |
| Average salary | $133,276 | $76,812 |
| Salary range | Between $97,000 And $181,000 | Between $53,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Western Alliance Bank | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a principal architect and a project architect in terms of educational background:
| Principal Architect | Project Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Architecture |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between principal architects' and project architects' demographics:
| Principal Architect | Project Architect | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 16.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 15% |