Architecture

What the Numbers Say About Architecture

Federal agencies employ 2,054 people in the Architecture occupation (OPM code 808), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.3% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Architecture is $125,621 per year, placing it 14.3% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.2% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 10.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Engineering and Architecture Group family (code 8) groups Architecture together with 28 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Architecture postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, Architecture ranks #12 of 29 by headcount, accounting for 1.4% of the family's combined 142,526 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (41st percentile) of pay among Engineering and Architecture Group occupations.