The number of architects in the U.S. rose by 3 percent last year according to a survey conducted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), bringing the total number of practitioners to 113,554—a 10 percent increase from a decade ago. NCARB collected the data from architectural licensing boards of the 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"With approximately one architect for every 2,900 people in the United States, each architect has the daily opportunity to significantly impact the built environment—and those who live, work, and play in it,” said NCARB President Gregory L. Erny, FAIA, in a press release.
Despite a 1 percent decrease in the number of reciprocal licenses in 2017, that credential still reported its second highest–ever reading and is still more popular than resident licenses, likely indicating that architects prioritize the "mobility ... to seek work across state borders," according to NCARB.
The survey also revealed that a record-high 5,200 candidates completed the core education, experience, and examination requirements for licensure, which NCARB believes will help grow the population of licensed U.S. architects in coming years.
“This year’s data not only shows that licensure remains valued within the architecture field,” said NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong in the same release. “It also demonstrates that NCARB’s efforts to streamline the path to licensure and remove unnecessary barriers has been effective. We’ve achieved this while maintaining rigor and ensuring each board’s ability to protect the public.”
NCARB will release the complete annual NCARB By the Numbers in July.
