Post job

Project architect vs architectural consultant

The differences between project architects and architectural consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a project architect and an architectural consultant. Additionally, a project architect has an average salary of $76,812, which is higher than the $72,886 average annual salary of an architectural consultant.

The top three skills for a project architect include revit, autocad and sketch. The most important skills for an architectural consultant are cloud, API, and java.

Project architect vs architectural consultant overview

Project ArchitectArchitectural Consultant
Yearly salary$76,812$72,886
Hourly rate$36.93$35.04
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs82,19243,113
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4545
Years of experience44

What does a project architect do?

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.

What does an architectural consultant do?

An architectural consultant is an individual 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. The education requirements for the job include possessing a college degree in architecture, business, or a related field.

Project architect vs architectural consultant salary

Project architects and architectural consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project ArchitectArchitectural Consultant
Average salary$76,812$72,886
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $110,000Between $40,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAFranklin Town, MA
Highest paying stateAlaskaMassachusetts
Best paying companyWestern Alliance BankSlalom
Best paying industryConstructionTechnology

Differences between project architect and architectural consultant education

There are a few differences between a project architect and an architectural consultant in terms of educational background:

Project ArchitectArchitectural Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorArchitectureArchitecture
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Project architect vs architectural consultant demographics

Here are the differences between project architects' and architectural consultants' demographics:

Project ArchitectArchitectural Consultant
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 80.9% Female, 19.1%Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage15%15%

Differences between project architect and architectural consultant duties and responsibilities

Project architect example responsibilities.

  • Manage the distribution of and collection of RFQ from and to contractors and sub-contractors.
  • Manage design team (s) & consultants of various projects throughout NYC & Washington DC.
  • Advise clients on means to achieve actionable goals through sustainable design practices per USGBC leer standards.
  • Lead teams in developing use cases, models, systems, and interfaces leveraging J2EE technology.
  • Lead the rebranding of all visual communications, including a new website design and print collateral standards.
  • Coordinate with leer consultants to achieve project certifications.
  • Show more

Architectural consultant example responsibilities.

  • Lead technical projects utilizing SharePoint, ASP.NET, Javascript, and database technologies.
  • Experience in SDLC processes, and ability to manage application-relate projects from customer requirements definition to delivering application content solutions.
  • Used WPF and MVVM in the UI and ASP.NET WebAPI in the business layer.
  • Design and help develop ETL process using IBM DataStage to process large volumes of data.
  • Provide consulting services for residential additions, Revit BIM , 3D modeling, and art consultations.
  • Reviewed/Correct SSIS packages, store procedures, and reporting processes to comply with ETL industry best practices.
  • Show more

Project architect vs architectural consultant skills

Common project architect skills
  • Revit, 21%
  • Autocad, 10%
  • Sketch, 6%
  • SketchUp, 5%
  • Healthcare, 5%
  • Building Codes, 5%
Common architectural consultant skills
  • Cloud, 11%
  • API, 5%
  • Java, 5%
  • Design Solutions, 4%
  • Business Problems, 4%
  • AWS, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs