How to become an architect in Australia
Architects plan and design buildings, provide concepts, plans, specifications and detailed drawings, negotiate with builders and advise on the procurement of buildings.
Pay and growth are for the wider architects and landscape architects group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the architects and landscape architects group are projected to grow 19.2% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Obtains advice from clients and management to determine type, style and size of planned buildings and alterations to existing buildings.
- Provides information regarding designs, materials and estimated building times.
- Prepares project documentation, including sketches and scale drawings, and integrates structural, mechanical and aesthetic elements in final designs.
- Writes specifications and contract documents for use by builders and calls tenders on behalf of clients.
- Inspects construction work in progress to ensure compliance with plans, specifications and quality standards.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the architects and landscape architects group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 94% a degree or higher, 3% a diploma, 0% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria17 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Architectural Design · Monash, Caulfield75.20 Architecture · Deakin, Geelong Waterfront72.60 Architecture · Swinburne, Hawthorn72.05Diplomas and other ways in
Design (UniLink) - Diploma/Architecture Degree · Swinburne, Hawthorn51.75Showing 11 of 17 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT22 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Design in Architecture (Honours) and Master of Architecture · Sydney97.05 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil with Architecture) · UNSW95.30 Bachelor of Architectural Studies · UNSW92.20 Bachelor of Design in Architecture · Sydney92.00 Bachelor of Design in Architecture · UTS90.20 Bachelor of Design in Architecture Master in Architecture · UTS90.15 Bachelor of Architecture and Environments · Sydney80.05 Bachelor of Design (Architecture) · Newcastle73.55Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 10 of 22 matches. Search every course.
Queensland17 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Architectural Design · UQ, St Lucia84.00 Bachelor of Architectural Design · QUT, Gardens Point80.30 Bachelor of Architectural Design · Griffith, Gold Coast67.00Diplomas and other ways in
Diploma in Architectural Studies/Bachelor of Architectural Design · QUT, Kelvin Grove/Gardens Point60.10 Diploma in Architectural Studies · QUT, Kelvin Grove61.60Showing 12 of 17 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia4 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Applied Science (Architectural Science) · Curtin, Perth62.30Matched on course names, 60 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
From O*NET ratings for "Architects, Except Landscape and Naval", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.