Short answer
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro had 458 architecture offices with paid employees in 2023, employing 4,659 people at an average of $106,397 a year, according to the Census Bureau. Fulton County had 212 offices and 69% of the jobs. Georgia registers individual architects but not firms; a firm may practice only under the responsible control of a Georgia-registered architect who is an owner or director, and that architect must be identified in the contract.
- 458 architecture offices in metro Atlanta employ 4,659 people on a $496 million payroll.
- Fulton County offices average 15.2 employees; DeKalb County offices average 3.9.
- Georgia's board rules say no firm will be registered to practice architecture; the responsible architect is.
- 59% of Georgia's 6,336 architect licenses are held by people living in other states (NCARB, 2025).
- Atlanta architects' pay runs from $71,660 at the 10th percentile to $198,350 at the 90th (BLS).
On this page
This report is for companies, institutions, developers and homeowners hiring an architect in metro Atlanta, for architects and designers weighing employers, and for B2B sellers whose customers are design firms.
Metro Atlanta's architecture offices
County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, NAICS 541310 (Architectural Services), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area (CBSA 12060):
| Measure (2023) | Atlanta metro |
|---|---|
| Architecture offices | 458 |
| Employees | 4,659 |
| Annual payroll | $495,703,000 |
| Employees per office | 10.2 |
| Average annual pay | $106,397 |
| Share of US architecture offices | 2.01% of 22,805 |
| Employees at the office | Offices |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 301 |
| 5 to 9 | 52 |
| 10 to 19 | 51 |
| 20 to 49 | 31 |
| 50 to 99 | 16 |
| 100 to 249 | 7 |
| 250 or more | Not published |
The published classes already sum to 458, so the classes the Census Bureau withholds, 250 employees and above, contain no offices. In bands: 404 under 20 employees, 47 with 20 to 99 and seven with 100 to 249. CBP counts establishments with paid employees, so a firm with Midtown and Alpharetta offices counts twice and a sole practitioner isn't counted.
Fulton County is where the staff are
| County | Offices | Employees | Employees per office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 212 | 3,230 | 15.2 |
| DeKalb County | 68 | 267 | 3.9 |
| Cobb County | 60 | 579 | 9.7 |
| Gwinnett County | 48 | 261 | 5.4 |
| Forsyth County | 15 | Not reported (high-noise figure) | |
| Cherokee County | 14 | Not reported (high-noise figure) | |
| Fayette County | 12 | 124 | 10.3 |
| Coweta County | 4 | Not reported (high-noise figure) |
Employees per office is our calculation. Fulton has 46% of the offices and 69% of the jobs. DeKalb has more offices than Cobb but under half the staff: mostly owner-run studios. Three counties' employee counts carry the Census Bureau's high-noise flag (its confidentiality noise moved them by 5% or more), so we don't report them. Another 25 offices sit in the metro's other counties.
Georgia checks the architect, not the firm
The Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers, part of the Secretary of State's licensing boards, registers architects and registered interior designers. Its rules, chapter 50-3, are unusually direct about firms:
- "No firm, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or limited liability company will be registered to practice architecture."
- A firm may practice only under the responsible control of a Georgia-registered architect who is a full-time director working where the services are performed, a partner, an LLC member, or an employee with an ownership interest designated in writing.
- That architect must be identified in any contract for architectural services, and the drawings must carry their signature and seal.
- Reviewing or correcting drawings after others prepared them doesn't count as responsible control.
Two practical consequences. First, ask every finalist to name its Georgia responsible architect before you sign, and check that person's registration with the Secretary of State's licensing division. Second, watch out-of-state firms: NCARB counts 6,336 Georgia architect licenses in 2025, 59% held by people living elsewhere. A firm whose Georgia-registered architect only reviews and stamps work done elsewhere doesn't meet the rule.
Architect, interior designer or builder?
The metro has 534 interior design offices, 1,325 engineering offices and 888 commercial and institutional builders, a code that includes design-build firms. The Census Bureau classifies firms that both design and construct buildings as construction, not architecture. An interior designer suits finishes and furniture in an existing space; a design-builder gives you one contract but hires the architect itself; an architecture firm works for you from site to occupancy.
A hiring checklist
| Ask the firm | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Who is the Georgia responsible architect for my project? | A named owner or director, registered in Georgia, who will sign the contract and seal the drawings |
| Who will run it day to day? | Named project architect, with comparable built work |
| Which jurisdiction has permitted your similar projects? | Recent permits in your city or county |
| Which contract form do you use? | A standard form, such as AIA B101-2017 for a full scope or B105-2017 for a small project |
| How is the fee set? | A stated basis: percentage of construction cost, stipulated sum or hourly, with what's excluded |
For public projects, federal agencies and many public owners choose on qualifications first and negotiate the fee with the top-ranked firm; FAR subpart 36.6 sets out the federal version. AIA Atlanta, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is a place to start a long list.
Careers: a wide pay range
BLS counted 1,940 architects in the metro in May 2025, with a mean wage of $117,560 and a median of $103,330. The range is wide: $71,660 at the 10th percentile and $198,350 at the 90th. Drafters outnumber architects here: 2,170 architectural and civil drafters, at a mean of $79,580. None of the companies listed with the SEC is an Atlanta-based architecture firm.
Selling to Atlanta architecture firms
Two markets share one metro. The 23 offices with 50 or more employees have studio leaders, HR and IT who evaluate vendors. The 301 offices with fewer than five people buy like small businesses: the principal decides, often the same day.
Illustrative example. The company, fees and results are invented.
Peachtree Design Talent (peachtreetalent.example) recruits project architects and BIM staff. It targets the 82 offices with 10 to 49 employees, keeps the 50 that posted design roles in the last 90 days, and calls each firm's managing principal with two pre-screened candidates. Twelve conversations lead to five searches and three placements at a $20,000 fee. Knowing which 50 are hiring, and who signs off on hires, is the research Bebop does for each firm in a list.
Next step: see the builders Atlanta's architects work with in construction companies in Atlanta.
Sources
- County Business Patterns (CBP), 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- NAICS 2022 definition: 541310 Architectural Services, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Rules of the Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers, chapter 50-3, Georgia Secretary of State, accessed 30 October 2026
- Rules of the Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers, Department 50, Georgia Secretary of State, accessed 30 October 2026
- FAR subpart 36.6, Architect-Engineer Services, Acquisition.gov, accessed 30 October 2026
- List of all current AIA Contract Documents, AIA Contract Documents, accessed 30 October 2026
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, metropolitan area estimates, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed 30 October 2026
- NCARB by the Numbers 2026: jurisdictions, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, accessed 30 October 2026
- Find a chapter, American Institute of Architects, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many architecture firms are in Atlanta?
The Census Bureau counted 458 architecture offices with paid employees in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro in 2023, employing 4,659 people. Fulton County had 212, DeKalb 68, Cobb 60 and Gwinnett 48. None had 250 or more employees. The count is of office locations with staff, so sole practitioners without employees aren't included and multi-office firms count once per office.
Do architecture firms register in Georgia?
No. The Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers' rules state that no firm, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or LLC will be registered to practice architecture. Firms may practice under the responsible control of a Georgia-registered architect who is a director, partner, member or owner-employee, and that architect must be named in any contract for architectural services.
What does responsible control mean for a Georgia architect?
Under the board's rule 50-3-.02, responsible control means the licensed architect has personal knowledge of, and ultimate authority over, all architectural decisions on the project. Reviewing or correcting drawings after someone else prepared them doesn't qualify. When drawings are prepared outside the architect's company, contracts, financial records and time sheets must show the architect's substantial and continuous participation.
How much do architects make in Atlanta?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the mean annual wage for architects in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro at $117,560 in May 2025, with a median of $103,330 and 1,940 employed. The 10th percentile was $71,660 and the 90th $198,350. Architectural and civil drafters, who outnumber architects locally at 2,170, averaged $79,580. The figures cover employees, not firm owners.