Editor's note: This page was updated on May 4, 2017.

New data from NCARB reveals that while the number of architects remains consistent, practitioners are looking to get licensed in multiple states.

Orlando, FL—There are 109,748 architects in the United States, according to the 2016 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards. While this represents a minimal drop from the previous year (roughly .4 percent), the survey also reveals that architects increasingly hold licenses in multiple states. In fact, U.S. architects now have 126,554 reciprocal (out-of-state) licenses, a 3 percent increase from 2015.

Conducted annually by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the survey provides exclusive insight into the number of U.S. architects and reciprocal licenses.

The pool of emerging professionals working toward licensure also held steady in 2016, with more than 41,400 candidates taking the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) and/or reporting Architectural Experience Program™ (AXP™) hours.

“Our data confirms that the economy is generating strong demand for initial and reciprocal licensees,” said NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong. “We’re also seeing continued growth in the number of architects who hold an NCARB Certificate, which facilitates reciprocal licensure across the U.S. and several countries.”

Additional data on the path to licensure will be available in July’s 2017 edition of NCARB by the Numbers.

NCARB collects data on resident and reciprocal licenses from its 54 Member Boards, which include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The survey reflects registration data from January to December 2016.

To learn more about NCARB’s data and the Survey of Architectural Registration Boards, visit www.ncarb.org.

*Counts from 2015 Survey.

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About NCARB

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural registration boards of all 50 states as well as those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB assists its member registration boards in carrying out their duties and provides a certification program for individual architects.

NCARB protects the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects. 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. NCARB has established reciprocal registration for architects in the United States and Canada.

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