Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | Architect | Professional Engineer (PE) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Architecture | Engineering |
| Median Salary | $93,310 | $100,640 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $502 | $340 |
| Difficulty | Very High | Very High |
| Education | B.Arch or M.Arch + AXP (3740 hours) | BS Engineering + 4 years experience |
| Exam | ARE (6 divisions) | FE + PE Exam |
| Time to License | 8-11 years | 8 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 2 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 24 hrs | 30 hrs |
| States Requiring | 53 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Professional Engineer (PE) earns $7,330 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $73,300 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.