The pay gap in one table
| Measure (BLS) | Civil engineers (17-2051) | Architects (17-1011) |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, May 2025 | $100,840 | $99,280 |
| Median hourly wage, May 2025 | $48.48 | $47.73 |
| Lowest 10% earned less than | $68,240 | $62,300 |
| Highest 10% earned more than | $163,220 | $161,420 |
| Jobs in 2025 | 380,600 | 124,600 |
| Projected growth 2025-35 | 6% (about 24,500 jobs) | 4% (about 5,300 jobs) |
| Typical annual openings | About 22,700 | About 6,900 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Usual public-facing license | Professional Engineer (PE) when serving the public | Architect license in all states / DC |
Both medians come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook wage tabs, which draw on the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. The $1,560 gap is our subtraction on those two handbook medians. Older articles that still quote civil engineers near $89,000 and architects near $82,000 are on pre-2025 handbook vintages.
SERP explainers often stop at "architects design; civil engineers make it stand." That role split is real, but it is not the decision artifact searchers miss. The table above adds current medians, percentiles, openings, and license labels side by side.
What each job actually does
| Dimension | Civil engineer | Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Plan, design, and oversee infrastructure and building systems (roads, bridges, water, structures) | Plan and design buildings and spaces for people to use |
| Typical deliverables | Engineering analyses, site and structural plans, permits, construction oversight | Client programs, schematic and construction drawings, contract documents |
| Common collaborators | Architects, surveyors, construction managers, technicians | Civil and other engineers, contractors, interior designers |
| Field time | Often splits office and construction sites | Mostly office plus site visits to check progress |
| BLS specialty examples | Structural, geotechnical, transportation, construction engineers | Building design across residential and commercial work |
BLS's civil engineer profile covers people who plan and supervise construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. The architect profile covers people who plan and design houses, factories, offices, and other structures. On a building project both titles can appear; the architect usually leads building form and program, while civil (and especially structural) engineers own load paths, site civil, and related technical systems.
Training and license paths
| Step | Civil engineer (typical) | Architect (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Bachelor's in civil engineering or related field; ABET-accredited preferred | Bachelor of Architecture or M.Arch pathway; many states want an accredited architecture degree |
| Early exam / experience | Fundamentals of Engineering (FE), then supervised experience | Lengthy paid internship (often about 3 years) before the registration exam |
| License to serve the public | PE license issued by states | Architect license required in all states and DC |
| Continuing rules | State PE boards; some require continuing education | State boards; continuing education common |
Licensure details vary by state. BLS notes civil engineers typically need a license when they provide services directly to the public, and that architects must be licensed nationwide. Neither median wage above is limited to licensed practitioners only; OEWS covers wage and salary workers in the occupation as surveyed.
Industry pay snapshots
| Civil engineer industry median (May 2025) | Annual wage | Architect industry median (May 2025) | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal government (excl. postal) | $117,790 | Government (excl. state/local ed. & hospitals) | $115,920 |
| Local government (excl. ed. & hospitals) | $113,640 | Architectural, engineering, and related services | $98,440 |
| State government (excl. ed. & hospitals) | $102,440 | Construction | $95,760 |
| Engineering services | $100,620 | - | - |
| Nonresidential building construction | $82,400 | - | - |
Replace the dash cells with the handbook's shorter architect industry list; BLS simply publishes fewer architect industry rows than civil engineer rows. Engineering services is the largest civil engineer employer share in the handbook (51%), while architectural, engineering, and related services employ about three-quarters of architects.
For another BLS side-by-side on this site, see nurse practitioner vs physician assistant salary. Trade pay in a different lane sits in how much plumbers make a year.