5413/Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.74M
employees, 2023
1.74M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 117,417 US Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services business locations employed 1.74 million people and paid $179.0 billion in annual payroll, $102,782 per employee on average. Employment was up 4.7% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
117,417
+0.3% vs 2022
Employees
1,741,313
+4.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$179.0B
+8.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$102,782
+3.9% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 16,462 | 204,348 | $115,412 | 1.25% |
| Texas | 10,351 | 180,983 | $110,122 | 1.51% |
| Florida | 10,133 | 104,512 | $90,386 | 1.05% |
| Michigan | 2,959 | 91,672 | $106,003 | 2.27% |
| Virginia | 3,485 | 85,320 | $107,518 | 2.38% |
| New York | 6,111 | 76,041 | $103,641 | 0.87% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,890 | 69,991 | $95,600 | 1.22% |
| Colorado | 4,220 | 54,377 | $113,047 | 2.12% |
| Illinois | 3,641 | 54,153 | $104,251 | 0.96% |
| Maryland | 2,327 | 51,834 | $105,973 | 2.10% |
| Massachusetts | 2,770 | 50,379 | $111,476 | 1.44% |
| Ohio | 2,982 | 50,306 | $91,779 | 0.99% |
| Washington | 3,196 | 46,670 | $107,721 | 1.53% |
| North Carolina | 3,577 | 44,317 | $94,386 | 1.04% |
| Georgia | 3,443 | 43,073 | $96,133 | 0.98% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 6,262 | 77,037 | $107,450 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 3,232 | 74,297 | $121,500 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,868 | 73,236 | $118,130 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,450 | 72,104 | $107,525 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 6,024 | 66,828 | $109,901 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,046 | 46,241 | $107,313 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,185 | 44,450 | $114,065 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,642 | 39,773 | $102,412 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,706 | 36,472 | $127,752 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,111 | 34,008 | $117,678 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,036 | 33,642 | $95,931 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,416 | 31,914 | $100,771 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 3,406 | 28,378 | $87,091 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,919 | 28,259 | $115,438 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,889 | 26,762 | $107,364 |
Business size
US Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 68,881 | 58.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 18,185 | 15.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 13,683 | 11.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 10,294 | 8.8% |
| 50 to 99 | 3,659 | 3.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,987 | 1.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 477 | 0.4% |
| 500 to 999 | 172 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 79 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services and the 8 industries directly below it
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54133 | Engineering Services | 1,260,577 | $109,949 |
| 54131 | Architectural Services | 189,468 | $98,717 |
| 54138 | Testing Laboratories and Services | 158,265 | $75,284 |
| 54137 | Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services | 58,087 | $74,108 |
| 54132 | Landscape Architectural Services | 29,046 | $77,778 |
| 54135 | Building Inspection Services | 28,755 | $60,645 |
| 54134 | Drafting Services | 10,108 | $67,800 |
| 54136 | Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services | 7,007 | $109,086 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services in the US?
1.74 million people worked at 117,417 US Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services business locations in 2023, up 4.7% from 2022. That is 1.25% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services?
$102,782 a year per employee in 2023, from $179.0 billion in annual payroll (up 3.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services jobs?
California had the most, with 204,348 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (180,983) and Florida (104,512).
Which metro areas have the most Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (77,037), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (74,297), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (73,236) had the most Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employees in 2023.
Are most Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services businesses small?
85.8% of the 117,417 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 251 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.