Local market data · Architects · Chicago
AI for architects in Chicago
The Chicago metro area had 838 architects in 2022, the 3rd most of 333 US metros and 4% of all in the country. They employed 7,198 people at an average of $101,708 a year. 80% have fewer than 10 staff, so the same few people answer the phone, book, follow up and do the paperwork. Those are the jobs AI tools take on today.
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Architects in Chicago vs the US
| Chicago metro | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses | 838 | 22,619 |
| People employed | 7,198 | 182,082 |
| Average staff per business | 8.6 | 8.0 |
| Average yearly pay per employee | $101,708 | $96,154 |
| Share with fewer than 10 staff | 80% | 81% |
Pay here is 6% higher than the national average for architects, so every hour of staff time costs more to spend on admin. The average architect here has 8.6 people on payroll, 7% higher than the US figure of 8.0.
How big architects in Chicago are
Businesses with paid employees, by number of employees, March 2022.
Architects by county in the Chicago area
Cook County has the most, with 591 of the metro's 838 (71%). Among the 10 big metros on this page, Chicago ranks 5th for average pay and 4th for the share of small firms.
| County | Businesses | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 591 | 5,949 | $102,754 |
| DuPage County | 92 | 653 | $107,398 |
| Lake County | 65 | 212 | $94,066 |
| Kane County | 30 | 138 | $80,891 |
| Will County | 24 | 130 | $80,462 |
| McHenry County | 13 | 41 | $66,854 |
| Lake County | 12 | 32 | $70,813 |
| Porter County | 6 | 31 | $111,935 |
| Kendall County | 3 | 6 | $76,833 |
Census withholds pay where few firms would make it identifiable.
Where AI helps a architect first
An architecture firm gets the most from AI on the work around the drawings: answering project inquiries, chasing proposals, writing meeting notes and tracking where each project stands. The design and the stamp stay with the licensed architect. Start with whatever costs you the most evenings.
What your team's admin hours cost in Chicago
Change any number. The starting values are the Chicago averages above; the hours and the share are yours to set.
Those hours cost you$176,400 a year
The share you would hand off$52,920 a year
Hours your team gets back1,080 a year
See what we would build for thisGuides for architects, one job each
- Get more customers for architects
- Never miss a call for architects
- Follow up automatically for architects
- Booking and scheduling for architects
- More reviews for architects
- Marketing and content for architects
- Show up on Google and ChatGPT for architects
- Cut admin and paperwork for architects
- A dashboard that runs itself for architects
Architects in other big metros
| Metro | Businesses | Avg pay | Rank of 387 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 1,662 | $101,494 | 2nd |
| New York | 2,283 | $96,611 | 1st |
| Miami | 747 | $86,985 | 5th |
| Dallas | 528 | $112,892 | 7th |
| Houston | 358 | $98,256 | 14th |
| Atlanta | 445 | $110,521 | 10th |
| Washington | 509 | $108,533 | 9th |
| Philadelphia | 422 | $100,540 | 11th |
| Boston | 617 | $104,686 | 6th |
Where these numbers come from
From the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (released 2024), industry code NAICS 541310 (Architectural services), for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (13 counties). It counts businesses with paid employees in March 2022, so solo owners with no payroll are not in it. Average pay is total yearly payroll divided by employees. The calculator uses 50 working weeks and 2,080 hours a year. Page checked 2026-11-12.
Find the hours your firm can get back
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your architect to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
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