AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Architects, Except Landscape and Naval?

Task-level automation exposure for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: 25 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

51% weighted task index

25 of 25 tasks scored

Median Salary

$99,280 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

High

106,770 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+4.3% employment change

6,900 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 53 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$60,120 – $120,580

Highest medians

Wyoming $120,580

Massachusetts $117,330

Maryland $114,550

Alaska $108,730

California $108,540

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $60,120

Guam $69,990

New Mexico $77,720

Arkansas $78,190

Maine $78,600

State figures come from the 17-1011 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 51%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 0%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 30%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 20%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 9/100 Low

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

25 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 31%

8 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 54%

13 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 15%

4 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#20479 · Core · 50% automatable

Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.

visual inspection — Generates structure graphics; survey accuracy human

Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.

#19596 · Core · 55% automatable

Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.

decision support — AI proposes green features; engineer owns design decisions

Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities.

#20481 · Core · 50% automatable

Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.

interpersonal — Discussing designs with clients needs human persuasion

Discuss designs or plans with clients.

#134 · Core · 65% automatable

Prepare contract documents for building contractors.

text generation — Draft disclosures; legal accountability human

Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.

#20483 · Core · 61% automatable

Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.

text generation — Detailed work plans drafted from specifications

Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes. Prepare detailed work plans.

#20484 · Core · 22% automatable

Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.

visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human

Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.

#131 · Core · 50% automatable

Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.

interpersonal — Discussing designs with clients needs human persuasion

Discuss designs or plans with clients.

#136 · Core · 50% automatable

Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.

decision support — AI assists structural design; engineer accountable for safety

Design structures or facilities.

#20486 · Core · 50% automatable

Plan layouts of structural architectural projects.

decision support — AI assists structural design; engineer accountable for safety

Design structures or facilities.

#20480 · Core · 35% automatable

Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents.

interpersonal — Directing design work needs accountability and judgment

Direct design or development activities.

#130 · Core · 82% automatable

Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.

text generation — Draft technical design docs from provided details

Document technical design details.

#138 · Core · 65% automatable

Administer construction contracts.

text generation — Draft disclosures; legal accountability human

Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.

#20485 · Core · 30% automatable

Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures.

interpersonal — Supervising engineers needs accountability and motivation

Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.

#20488 · Core · 50% automatable

Create three-dimensional or interactive representations of designs, using computer-assisted design software.

visual inspection — Generates structure graphics; survey accuracy human

Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.

#19592 · Core · 55% automatable

Design or plan construction of green building projects to minimize adverse environmental impact or conserve energy.

decision support — AI proposes green features; engineer owns design decisions

Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities.

#24016 · Core · 22% automatable

Inspect the condition of structures.

physical manipulation — Material characteristic testing needs physical instruments

Test characteristics of materials or structures. Verify alignment of structures or equipment.

#19591 · Core · 35% automatable

Design environmentally sound structural upgrades to existing buildings, such as natural lighting systems, green roofs, or rainwater collection systems.

decision support — AI aids system design; site engineering and hydrology human

Design water conservation systems.

#20487 · Core · 22% automatable

Inspect proposed building sites to determine suitability for construction.

visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human

Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.

#19593 · Core · 55% automatable

Design structures that incorporate environmentally friendly building practices or concepts, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

decision support — AI proposes green features; engineer owns design decisions

Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities.

#19595 · Core · 55% automatable

Perform predesign services, such as feasibility or environmental impact studies.

data analysis — Impact assessment aided; site-specific data human

Investigate the environmental impact of projects.

#20482 · Core · 62% automatable

Develop marketing materials, proposals, or presentations to generate new work opportunities.

text generation — Campaign content and analysis drafted; human executes strategy

Perform marketing activities.

#19594 · Core · 55% automatable

Gather information related to projects' environmental sustainability or operational efficiency.

data analysis — Impact assessment aided; site-specific data human

Investigate the environmental impact of projects.

#139 · Core · 65% automatable

Represent clients in obtaining bids or awarding construction contracts.

text generation — Draft disclosures; legal accountability human

Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.

#140 · Core · 78% automatable

Prepare operating and maintenance manuals, studies, or reports.

text generation — Draft procedural documents from provided content

Prepare procedural documents.

#19590 · Core · 70% automatable

Calculate potential energy savings by comparing estimated energy consumption of proposed design to baseline standards.

data analysis — Cost-benefit analysis from given inputs; human reviews

Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.

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Community Sentiment

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Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

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