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November 2005

NCARB’s 2005 Survey of Registered Architects

Washington, DC—The 2005 survey of state architectural registration boards by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) suggests that there are more than 110,850 architects in the United States. Because architects are often registered in more than one jurisdiction and because not all architects have NCARB records, NCARB is not able to determine the exact number of architects.

This year’s findings reflect a 11 percent increase over the prior year in NCARB’s fourth annual survey. Its Quality Assurance division collects data for the survey from 55 reporting jurisdictions, which includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The 2005 survey also reveals that there are 104,704 reciprocal (out-of state) architects and 217,175 total registrations. This means, on average, an architect is registered in at least two different jurisdictions. California has the highest number of resident architects (16,932) and the highest number of total registrations (21,817). Survey data are listed below. For more information about the 2005 Survey of Registered Architects, contact NCARB at 202-783-6500.

* Counts are estimates based on data from prior years.
** Maryland and Virginia breakout based on 2004 ratios.

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About NCARB NCARB comprises the architectural registration boards of all 50 states plus those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. NCARB assists its member state registration boardsin carrying out their duties and provides a certification program for individual architects. NCARB's mission is to work together as a council of member boards to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public and to assist member
boards in carrying out their duties. In order to achieve these goals, the Council develops and recommends standards to be required of an applicant for architectural registration; develops, and recommends standards regulating the practice of architecture; provides to member boards a process for certifying the qualifications of an architect for registration; and represents the interests of member boards before public and private agencies.