Architect

As an architect, you'll design new buildings, extensions or alterations to existing structures and advise on the restoration and conservation of historic properties. You may work on individual buildings or large-scale redevelopment schemes and may contribute to the design of surrounding spaces and landscapes.

Working closely with clients and users, you'll ensure designs are functional, safe, sustainable and cost-effective, and in some cases highly innovative. Architects must balance creative ideas with practical considerations such as budgets, timescales and environmental impact.

You'll often be involved in a project from the early design stages through to construction and completion, coordinating work with other construction professionals such as surveyors, engineers and contractors.

Responsibilities

As an architect, you'll need to:

• discuss project requirements, objectives, budgets and constraints with clients, and in some cases help to select a site
• assess the needs of buildings and users, advising clients on feasibility, practicality and design options
• develop and present design proposals and feasibility studies
• use digital design tools, such as AutoCAD and Revit, to produce detailed drawings, models and specifications
• collaborate with other professionals such as engineers, surveyors and planners
• prepare applications for planning and building control departments, ensuring designs meet planning and building regulations, and health and safety requirements
• ensure designs are sustainable and environmentally responsible
• monitor, and with experience manage, budgets, timescales and resources throughout a project
• coordinate work with contractors during construction, monitor work on site and attend regular site visits and meetings
• resolve technical, design and construction issues as they arise to ensure projects meet agreed standards.

Salary

• Salaries for Part 1 architectural assistants are likely to be between £24,500 and £28,000, with many starting salaries in the mid-£20,000s, although typically higher in London or larger practices.
• As a Part 2 architectural assistant, your pay typically ranges from £28,000 to £38,000 depending on experience. Salaries for those who have more than two years' experience are often toward the upper end.
• Fully qualified architects can typically earn between £36,000 and £50,000 in salaried roles, with the median for architects with several years' post-qualification experience around the mid-£40,000s.
• At senior levels (associate, associate director, partner or director), salaries vary more widely. Many earn from the mid-£50,000s up to around £80,000+, with higher figures common in larger firms and in London.

Salaries can vary widely depending on the region, sector and practice size, as well as your seniority. Obtaining chartered status, gaining experience and taking on increased responsibility usually results in higher pay.

For more information on salaries in the architecture profession, see the RIBA Salary guide.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours typically follow a standard week. However, according to RIBA, it's common for architects to work additional hours above their contracted time, including some evenings or weekends.

Practices may offer flexible working patterns or part-time roles, although availability varies depending on employer, workload and level of seniority.

What to expect

• You'll mainly be office-based but will travel during the working day to visit clients and construction sites. Overnight stays away from home are uncommon.
• When visiting sites, you'll need to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety boots and headgear.
• Jobs are available across the UK, with the largest concentration of roles found in London and other major cities.
• Self-employment or freelance work is possible, especially for experienced architects.
• Although there have been improvements in equality and inclusion within the profession, some groups, including women, remain underrepresented. For more information on women's experience, see the Fawcett Society's Build It Together report (2025).

Qualifications

To use the protected title architect in the UK, you must register with the Architects Registration Board (ARB), the statutory body that regulates architectural education, training and registration.

How qualification is changing

ARB is introducing a new education and training framework, which means the way architects qualify is changing. Under the new system, to register as an architect you'll need to complete ARB-accredited education and training, which includes completing:

• an ARB-accredited qualification at Masters level (or equivalent) and a separate accredited practice qualification

or

• an accredited course that combines both academic study and practice training.

You'll also need to have completed a minimum amount of practical work experience before you can join the UK Register of Architects.

Starting your training

While an undergraduate degree in architecture will no longer be a formal requirement under the new framework, and undergraduate programmes will no longer be accredited by the ARB, it's anticipated that most students will continue to begin their training with an undergraduate degree in architecture.

Entry requirements for Masters-level accredited qualifications are set by individual course providers. Many are likely to continue to require an architecture degree or a closely related subject (such as engineering or interior architecture), supported by a portfolio of work. You should check entry requirements directly with course providers.

Existing route (during the transition period)

During the transition period, the existing three-stage route remains available and typically involves:

• Part 1 - a three- or four-year accredited undergraduate degree in architecture
• Practical experience - supervised and recorded work experience, usually totalling around two years
• Part 2 - postgraduate study, such as an MArch or Diploma
• Part 3 - an assessment of professional practice and management, which allows you to apply for registration with ARB

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) will continue to validate Parts 1, 2 and 3 qualifications. In the future, most courses are expected to meet both ARB accreditation requirements and RIBA validation, continuing to support progression towards registration and Chartered Architect status.

RIBA-validated qualifications are internationally recognised, and membership is available at key stages of your career.

Alternative and work-based routes

There are also work-based routes into architecture, including architectural apprenticeships and the RIBA Studio programme. These allow you to combine paid employment with study while working towards qualification.

For the most up-to-date information on routes to registration and accredited programmes, check the ARB and RIBA websites.

Skills

You will need to have:

• strong technical and design skills and the ability to think creatively and spatially
• good drawing and visual communication skills to express design ideas
• sound analytical skills, accuracy and attention to detail
• an understanding of construction methods, materials and building processes
• awareness of sustainability and environmental design principles
• excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to work effectively with clients and other professionals
• good teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate across disciplines
• strong organisational and time management skills, including the ability to manage competing deadlines
• commercial awareness, including an understanding of budgets and project constraints
• strong digital and IT skills, including computer-aided design (CAD) and an awareness of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Work experience

It's important to develop a strong portfolio, so practise drawing regularly and build up a range of creative work, including sketches, digital drawings, photos and model-making. Taking an interest in architecture through books, exhibitions, online platforms and professional publications can help you understand current ideas and trends in design.

Any pre-entry work experience in an architectural, design or construction environment is desirable and highly valued by employers. Many practices offer internships or work placements, often during the summer, which can provide valuable insight into the role. Work shadowing an architect can also help you understand how practices operate on a day-to-day basis.

Try to develop contacts in the industry through work experience, your course, careers events and professional networks, including local branches of professional bodies.

Student membership of RIBA can provide access to resources, events, practical support and opportunities to showcase your work, and may be useful throughout your studies and early career.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Most architects work in private architectural practices, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large, multidisciplinary firms. These practices may specialise in areas such as residential or commercial design, urban regeneration, sustainability or masterplanning, and typically employ salaried architects with opportunities to progress to associate or partner roles.

Architects are also employed by multidisciplinary engineering and design consultancies, housing associations and property development companies, working on projects such as large housing schemes, mixed-use developments and regeneration programmes. Other employers include construction companies, as well as manufacturers or retailers involved in the design of buildings, interiors or specialist components or systems.

In the public sector, architects may work for central or local government, contributing to public building projects, regeneration initiatives or estate management. Healthcare organisations, universities and other large estate owners also employ architects to manage and develop complex portfolios.

Teaching, research and self-employment or consultancy are further options, particularly for experienced architects.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Dezeen Jobs
• bd4Jobs
• Building4jobs
• Career Structure
• RIBA Jobs

Recruitment agencies such as Hays also advertise vacancies.

Professional development

Once qualified, you must keep your skills and knowledge up to date through continuing professional development (CPD). Undertaking and recording CPD is a requirement for maintaining registration with the ARB and for chartered membership of RIBA. This is particularly important in a regulated profession where legislation, standards, technology and working practices continue to evolve.

Many larger practices offer structured training programmes and support for career progression, while architects in smaller practices often take responsibility for planning and recording their own development.

Professional development may include on-the-job learning, short courses, online training, mentoring, attending industry events, seminars or conferences, and keeping up to date with changes in areas such as building regulations, sustainability, digital design tools and construction methods.

If you're a chartered member of RIBA, you must complete at least 35 hours of CPD each year. RIBA recommends that a significant proportion of this learning focuses on core areas such as:

• health, safety and wellbeing
• legal, regulatory and statutory compliance
• inclusive environments
• procurement and contracts
• business, clients and services
• design, construction and technology.

Career prospects

Early in your career, you're likely to work as a junior or project architect, supporting the design and delivery of projects while building technical, design and client-facing experience. With experience, you can progress to senior architect roles, taking greater responsibility for managing projects, coordinating teams and liaising with clients and contractors.

In private practice, progression may lead to roles such as associate or associate director, leading major projects, contributing to business development and mentoring junior staff. With significant experience, some architects move into director or partner positions, helping to shape the strategic direction of a practice.

Larger private practice firms generally offer more opportunities for advancement. In the public sector, career progression is influenced by the nature and responsibilities of public institutions. Many architects also choose to set up their own practice or work as consultants once they've built sufficient experience and professional networks.

It's also possible to specialise in areas such as conservation, sustainability, urban design, project management or education. Opportunities to work overseas exist, although additional registration or recognition of qualifications may be required depending on the country.