Architect
Design buildings and spaces that balance beauty, budget, regulation and how people actually live.
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- Typical pay
- €35k–€75k
- Usual education
- Degree plus qualification
- Outlook
- Stable, with rising demand for retrofit and low-carbon design expertise.
A day in the life
Concept sketching, technical drawing, client meetings, site visits and a surprising amount of planning paperwork.
Ways in
- Architecture degree plus part 2 and 3
- Architectural apprenticeship
- Technologist route
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Artes
Belgium
KSO – Artistic secondary
A common destination for students on this track.
Portugal
Línguas e Humanidades
France
Bac technologique
Italy
Liceo classico / scienze umane
Netherlands
Profiel Cultuur & Maatschappij
Exams you'll need
The gates between you and this job, and when each one comes.
Browse all examsSkills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
BArch Architecture
Design studio, structures and the long route to registration as an architect.
The long but required qualifying route.
Helpful school subjects: Art, Maths, Physics
Places that hire for this
ACS / Dragados
Design and technical office roles inside large construction projects.
APA Wojciechowski Architekci
BIM-focused roles on offices, housing and mixed-use districts.
Arup
Architects join multidisciplinary building-design teams from graduate level.
b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos
Junior architects join competition and project teams on public buildings and stadiums.
Batlle i Roig Arquitectura
Design roles across buildings, parks and sustainable urban projects.
BIG — Bjarke Ingels Group
Large graduate intakes into competition and project delivery teams.
Broadway Malyan
Graduate architects work on masterplans, hotels and mixed-use districts.
COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
Experimental design roles on cultural buildings and museums.
Ferrovial
Architects support infrastructure and building design teams.
Foster + Partners
Part I/II placements and graduate roles supported by specialist design groups.