The US Architecture and Design Market Report 2026
The past year has been a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the architecture and design industry.
While challenges persist, there is growing confidence in the market. Unpredictable? Yes. Cause for optimism? Definitely.
Download the report for a full picture into the state of the architecture industry today.
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Beyond the numbers
What’s driving moves in architecture and design in 2026?
Gary Sheldrake and James Boggan of Bespoke Careers break down the findings from the report. Watch the video to get the inside scoop.
What's inside
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Based on a global survey of over 1,905 architecture and design professionals, drawing from 100,000+ data points.
Texas leads the US on satisfaction at 57%, despite the lowest salaries of the three markets. New York sits at 47%, down sharply year on year. Cost of living is doing what paychecks alone cannot.
US median pay rose 6.2% to $103k, the highest of any region surveyed. California leads at $118k, edging New York at $115k. Texas trails at $97k, though cost of living closes most of that gap.
California is leading the retreat: 3.0 days required on average. US studios now offer more time from home than the UK or Australia. The full five-day mandate is increasingly rare.
In a tougher hiring year, money is beating flexibility and career progression. But what keeps people is different: progression, flexibility, and mental health support are more predictive of who stays.
Texas is the breakout story at 60.1%, up 3.4 pp year-on-year. New York and California are flat or falling. Only salary and workload sit below neutral across the country.
The US gap stands at 9.1%. California is tightest at 7.8%, Texas widest at 10.8%. At director level the gap climbs to 16%. Firms that publish salary bands attract stronger female candidates and retain them longer.
