How to hire a senior architectural designer

How to hire a senior architectural designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior architectural designer hiring guide:

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

What does a senior architectural designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior architectural designer you need to hire. Certain senior architectural designer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior architectural designer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior architectural designer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of senior architectural designer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Senior Architectural Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Architectural Designer	Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most workers specialize in architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting and use technical drawings to help design everything from microchips to skyscrapers.	$26-48
   Drafting Internship	Drafting interns perform jobs like designing engineering drawings and visual aids, forming the detailed layout execution of distinct mechanical parts, resolve design problems in BIM models and visual presentations. Also, the pattern of new products, alter existing products using SOLIDWORKS, estimate the shipboard pipe systems, and develop a superficial model of NIDA glider using CATIA V5... Show more	$14-27
   Drafter	The duties of a drafter vary on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a drafter specializes in creating a three-dimensional model for software and other applications upon gathering details and specifications from designers and other personnel... Show more	$15-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Autocad
   • Design Concepts
   • BIM
   • Design Development
   • Visualization
   • Project Design
   • Design Process
   • Construction Administration
   • MEP
   • Architectural Project
   • CAD
   • Construction Drawings
   • Autodesk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
   • Provide leadership and training to REVIT BIM team.
   • Create full construction set for permitting including electrical layout and HVAC (coordination with MEP and structural engineers).
   • Produce project renderings and animations in Revit for marketing purposes.
   • Design light fixtures to customer and principal specifications, utilizing sheet metal and aluminum extrusion methods using SolidWorks.
   • Design, develop and prepare documents for commercial/corporate building projects, condominiums, educational and recreational facilities.

   More senior architectural designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior architectural designer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior architectural designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior architectural designer in Idaho may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level senior architectural designer usually earns less than a senior-level senior architectural designer. Additionally, a senior architectural designer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior architectural designer salary

   $74,891yearly

   $36.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior architectural designer salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average senior architectural designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$83,429	$40
   2	District of Columbia	$76,680	$37
   3	Texas	$76,062	$37
   4	Florida	$74,840	$36
   5	New York	$74,515	$36
   6	Arizona	$73,047	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$70,574	$34
   8	Connecticut	$70,111	$34
   9	Michigan	$69,544	$33
   10	North Carolina	$69,494	$33
   11	Virginia	$69,243	$33
   12	Pennsylvania	$68,742	$33
   13	Illinois	$68,693	$33
   14	Georgia	$67,168	$32
   15	Ohio	$65,703	$32
   16	Nebraska	$58,507	$28
   17	Minnesota	$57,845	$28

   Average senior architectural designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Western Digital	$117,999	$56.73	4
   2	Amazon	$110,395	$53.07	246
   3	Novartis	$108,891	$52.35	1
   4	Ernst & Young	$98,763	$47.48	195
   5	Fiserv	$95,018	$45.68	1
   6	Qualcomm	$94,218	$45.30	14
   7	CVS Health	$92,038	$44.25	105
   8	Sprouts Farmers Market	$89,580	$43.07	1
   9	Comcast	$88,934	$42.76	5
   10	Millennium Software and Staffing	$88,559	$42.58
   11	Parsons	$87,926	$42.27	64
   12	Capgemini	$85,749	$41.23	70
   13	Siemens	$85,129	$40.93	2
   14	Voya Financial	$84,669	$40.71
   15	Nagarro	$84,534	$40.64
   16	Toyota Financial Svc	$84,140	$40.45
   17	Hewlett Packard Enterprise	$80,894	$38.89	20
   18	Sabre	$80,845	$38.87
   19	JERDE	$80,803	$38.85
   20	H	$80,170	$38.54

4. Writing a senior architectural designer job description

   A job description for a senior architectural designer 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 senior architectural designer job description:

   Senior architectural designer job description example

   About Larson Design Group
   
   Larson Design Group (LDG) is an employee-owned (ESOP), Architectural, Engineering, and Surveying Firm. Since our founding in 1986, we've been teaming with clients nationwide to provide responsive, innovative solutions by offering an extraordinary depth and breadth of capabilities and embracing sustainable business practices. For more than 30 years, these principles have guided our work and laid the foundation for a robust growth that has elevated our aspirations even higher. From organizations both local and national in scope, we're being recognized with awards and climbing the ranks of industry lists. We are expanding our footprint across the nation and looking to add more top talent to our team. We have fourteen office locations across Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Arizona, Oklahoma and Florida. We offer a flexible work environment, competitive benefits package, and continued professional development. Come join the excitement at LDG!
   
   Impact and Opportunity:
   
   The Senior Architectural Designer will apply intermediate to advanced architectural principles to complete design computations, prepare written technical reports, design plans, and details. This position will be expected to do work in an almost completely autonomous manner and may make significant project decisions based upon their level of expertise and manager's approval. This position will be an expert in the use of all required software, will work under minimal supervision of senior staff, and is not required to be licensed.
   
   Key Responsibilities:
   
   * Writes specifications, reviews submittals, coordinates project submission, communicates with clients.
   * Coordinates the preparation of advanced multi-discipline drawing sets as required for the assigned project. This includes coordination with technical, administrative and other design staff.
   * Promotes, utilizes, and supports quality assurance and quality control processes to improve the quality of deliverable and reduce design errors and omissions thereby resulting in a reduction in claims. Reviews and coordinates technical staff work prior to submission.
   * Researches and understands code compliance requirements for assigned project.
   * Is capable of independently creating simple standard details that might be required for a project under the guidance of the supervisor.
   * Assists with and performs design calculations, calculates quantities, reviews technical specifications, and prepares cost estimates.
   
   Requirements:
   
   * Education: Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a Technical discipline preferred.
   * Experience: Ten (10) + years of Architectural experience.
   * Licensure: N/A
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * Must have a strong desire to expand knowledge base and undertake new responsibilities.
   * Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook), be a strong communicator, and have strong presentation skills. Must also be self-motivating and able to mentor.
   * Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit, Sketch-Up, Photoshop and other related software programs.
   
   EEO Statement
   
   Larson Design Group, Inc. is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior architectural designers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior architectural designer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior architectural designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior architectural designers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 senior architectural designer

   Once you've found the senior architectural designer 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior architectural designer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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