The number of U.S. Architects increased by 6% to just over 123,000 in 2025, according to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ (NCARB) annual Survey of Architectural Registration Boards. This represents a recovery from 2024’s data, which saw the number of architects dip below 120,000. 

Conducted each year by NCARB, the survey provides exclusive insights into data from the architectural licensing boards of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  

Some fluctuation in the number of architects is normal due to how licensing boards report residential versus reciprocal licenses and process renewals. 

Despite the increase, NCARB continues to anticipate a decline in the number of U.S. architects as baby boomers retire. Architects who are over the age of 65 made up 14% (a percentage point higher than 2024) of the total architect pool in 2025, while just 3% of the pool is under the age of 30. However, the pipeline of new architects remains healthy, with just under 3,500 new architects getting licensed last year. More information about the state of licensure will be available in the 2026 NCARB by the Numbers, which will be released in July. 

Click here to see how resident and reciprocal licensure breaks down by U.S. jurisdiction