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The differences between project architects and senior architects 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 a senior architect. Additionally, a senior architect has an average salary of $91,624, which is higher than the $76,812 average annual salary of a project architect.
The top three skills for a project architect include revit, autocad and sketch. The most important skills for a senior architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Project Architect | Senior Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $76,812 | $91,624 |
| Hourly rate | $36.93 | $44.05 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 82,192 | 103,428 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Senior Architect performs design drafting and evaluates architectural or engineering plans regarding building construction or improvement projects. They review building plans and site design for aesthetics, environmental acceptability, and compliance with quality standards.
Project architects and senior architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Architect | Senior Architect | |
| Average salary | $76,812 | $91,624 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $110,000 | Between $58,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Western Alliance Bank | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a project architect and a senior architect in terms of educational background:
| Project Architect | Senior Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between project architects' and senior architects' demographics:
| Project Architect | Senior Architect | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1% | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 16.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |