The total number of registered architects in the United States has continued to grow over the past year, despite the pressures of COVID-19 disruption on both the professional industry and licensing pathways.

New data from the National Council of Architectural Registrations Board (NCARB) has found that the number of licensed architects in the United States grew to 121,997 by the end of 2020, representing a 5% increase on 2019. The continued increase in U.S. architects last year is notable, given that the number of newly licensed architects during 2020 was 40% lower than the rolling three-year average.

Despite the shutdown of construction sites and transition to remote working, there remained a strong increase in both initial (in-state) licenses and reciprocal (out-of-state) licenses. There were 140,342 reciprocal licenses reported in 2020, a 2% increase on the 2019 figure. The number of reciprocal licenses within the U.S. outnumbers the number of individual architects by 20,000, with the average U.S. architect licensed in at least two states.

The latest data from NCARB also means that the number of architects in the U.S. has steadily grown throughout the past decade, with 17% more architects today than there were in 2011. This resilience comes despite the long-lasting shock of the 2008 recession on the industry as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

These numbers are the latest in a series of studies of NCARB data over recent months. In July, we reported NCARB’s findings that female candidates and candidates of color are less likely to pass the ARE, sparking a series of reforms and initiatives to improve access to licensing. In June, meanwhile, NCARB noted that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a 40% drop in newly licensed architects, with the delivery of AREs dropping by 44%.

NCARB’s studies are also joined by a number of recent insights into the design and construction sector from various bodies and organizations. Last month, the AIA published their latest Architecture Billings Index, showing economic recovery amongst a looming hiring crunch, while also publishing a report finding that construction should surge from 2022 onwards. Also last month, a report from the federal government found that U.S. residential construction is accelerating, but that not all regions are feeling the increase equally.

In June, an AIA survey found that the demand for larger homes has increased for the first time in five years, while a separate report by the AIA found that the impact of COVID-19 on architectural business conditions varied widely, with disruption to commercial and institutional projects contrasted by demands for residential projects.