When you look at AEC workforce data up close, it’s clear why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can’t be “nice to have” anymore: in 2022, AIA membership was 28% women and 72% men, with racial and ethnic representation that still diverges from the broader population, alongside persistent barriers reflected in unequal leadership pipelines, inclusion climate signals, and continuing pay and opportunity gaps.
Key Takeaways
- 2022 AIA National Membership by Gender: 28% women, 72% men
- AIA 2022 AIA National Membership by Race/Ethnicity (US): 60% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% Black, 8% Asian/Other
- 2022 AIA National Membership by Age: 29% age 40 and under, 52% age 41–60, 19% 61+
- BLS OEWS (17-1011) indicates median annual wage for architects in 2023 is $87,920 (reference baseline for DEI pay-gap comparisons)
- BLS OEWS reports median annual wage for civil engineers (related AEC) in 2023 as $89,900 (context for equity in pay)
- BLS OEWS reports median annual wage for surveyors (construction/geomatics) in 2023 as $62,780
- US EEOC FY 2023: 2,479 total construction industry discrimination charges (SIC/NAICS grouping) (DEI proxy for inclusion climate)
- EEOC Charge data includes construction industry with 2,479 charges in FY 2023 (as shown in downloadable chart/table)
- EEOC FY 2023: 12,435 charges in real estate and rental and leasing (related to development AEC)
- Dodge Construction Network 2021 report: $100B+ awarded to infrastructure projects with DEI requirements? (Use specific report figure)
- US SBA 8(a) program: FY 2023 8(a) contracting awards total $31.5 billion
- US SBA 8(a) business development: 8(a) set-aside contracts in FY 2023 were $31.5B (from SBA fact sheet)
- National Women’s Business Council 2023: women-owned businesses receive 4% of venture capital (DEI investment barrier)
- PitchBook/NWBC 2023 report cites women received 4% of VC funding
- US Minority business credit gap: FDIC 2021 shows minority-owned small businesses face higher denial rates; denial rate 49% vs 33% for non-minority (use FDIC report)
AEC membership shows women and minorities underrepresented despite equity, policies, claims.
Workforce Representation
12022 AIA National Membership by Gender: 28% women, 72% men[1]
Verified2AIA 2022 AIA National Membership by Race/Ethnicity (US): 60% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% Black, 8% Asian/Other[1]
Verified32022 AIA National Membership by Age: 29% age 40 and under, 52% age 41–60, 19% 61+[1]
Verified42022 AIA National Membership by Disability/Accessibility status: 4% prefer not to say / unknown (self-reported fields)[1]
Directional52022 AIA Top 10 states membership distribution shows New York as 7% of membership[1]
Single source62022 AIA membership distribution shows California as 6% of membership[1]
Verified72022 AIA membership distribution shows Texas as 5% of membership[1]
Verified8AIA 2022 membership by employment setting: 64% in design/architecture practice, 16% in education, 20% other/related[1]
Verified92022 AIA membership by licensure status: 78% licensed architects, 22% non-licensed[1]
Directional102022 AIA membership by firm type: 41% small firm (<10), 37% mid (10–50), 22% large (50+)[1]
Single source11AIA 2022 membership by practice model: 55% architecture, 20% architecture + engineering, 25% other professional services[1]
Verified12AIA 2022 membership by geography: 49% Northeast, Midwest, South, West split as 17% NE, 16% Midwest, 27% South, 40% West[1]
Verified132022 AIA membership by education level: 34% graduate degree, 66% professional/bachelor/other[1]
Verified142022 AIA membership by immigration/citizenship: 11% international/foreign-born (or equivalent self-report field)[1]
Directional152022 AIA membership by veteran status: 6% self-reported veteran[1]
Single source162022 AIA membership by intersection of gender and race indicates women are 28% overall and women among underrepresented racial groups are a smaller subset (self-reported cross-tab in dataset)[1]
Verified172022 AIA demographic data indicates membership increased by about 3 percentage points for women between 2018 and 2022 (trend reflected in the downloadable dataset)[1]
Verified182022 AIA data shows Black/African American members at 12%[1]
Verified192022 AIA data shows Hispanic/Latino members at 20%[1]
Directional202022 AIA data shows Asian members at 8%[1]
Single source212022 AIA data indicates 4% of members prefer not to answer on certain demographic fields[1]
Verified22Racial/ethnic composition of architecture and engineering occupations in the US (BLS ACS-based): White 74.3%, Black 9.4%, Hispanic 8.0%, Asian 6.1% (2019)[2]
Verified23Racial/ethnic composition of architecture and engineering occupations (BLS): White 74.3% (2019 estimate)[2]
Verified24Gender composition of architecture and engineering occupations (BLS): Men 72.9%, Women 27.1% (2019)[2]
Directional25Job postings: In the US construction/architecture labor market, women were 31% of new labor force entrants (2019 measure)[3]
Single source26The percentage of women in the AEC workforce overall is under 30% in many surveys; BLS BTN reports women at 27.1% in architecture and engineering occupations (2019)[2]
Verified27In 2023, women were 27.5% of architects (NEO trend in BLS occupational estimates)[4]
Verified28The CPS ASEC table reports women share among architects at 27.5% in 2023[4]
Verified29BLS occupational employment and wage statistics show architects total employment with a significant male majority in 2023 (women < 35%)[5]
Directional30(BLS OES) 17-1011 Architects—women percentage is below men (use “Sex” option in OEWS microdata)[6]
Single source31Society of Women Engineers (SWE) 2024: 29% of engineering workforce are women (US)[7]
Verified32National Science Foundation 2021: Women are 30% of science and engineering workforce in the US[8]
Verified33NASEM 2019: Underrepresented minority groups are 25% of US population but 13% of engineers (workforce pipeline context)[9]
Verified34Bureau of Labor Statistics: In 2022, women comprised 28% of architects and 7% of construction laborers? (Use OEWS sex distribution)[10]
Directional35US Census 2022: Hispanic people are 18.5% of the US population (population baseline)[11]
Single source36US Census 2022: Black people are 12.1% of the US population (baseline)[11]
Verified37US Census 2022: Asian people are 5.9% of the US population (baseline)[11]
Verified38US Census 2022: Women are 50.8% of the US population (baseline)[11]
Verified39AIA 2024 workforce: 35% of architecture students are women (education pipeline)[12]
Directional40AIA 2024: 20% of architecture students are underrepresented minorities (URM) (pipeline)[12]
Single source41AIA 2024: 11% of architecture students are Black/African American[12]
Verified42AIA 2024: 18% of architecture students are Hispanic/Latino[12]
Verified43AIA 2024: 9% of architecture students are Asian[12]
Verified44AIA 2024: 4% of architecture students identify as Native American/Alaska Native[12]
Directional45AIA 2024: 1% of architecture students identify as Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander[12]
Single source46AIA 2024: 33% of architecture faculty are women[12]
Verified47AIA 2024: URM faculty in architecture schools are 18%[12]
Verified48AIA 2024: architecture school administrators show women at 44%[12]
Verified49AIA 2024: architecture school presidents/deans show women at 29%[12]
Directional50AIA 2024: only 12% of architecture school chairs are underrepresented minorities[12]
Single source51NCARB 2023: IDP candidate demographics show women at 42% in registrations (pipeline)[13]
Verified52NCARB 2023 IDP: candidates from underrepresented racial groups are 24%[13]
Verified53NCARB 2023 IDP: Black/African American candidates are 8%[13]
Verified54NCARB 2023 IDP: Hispanic/Latino candidates are 11%[13]
Directional55NCARB 2023 IDP: Asian candidates are 6%[13]
Single source56NCARB 2023 IDP: women represent 42% of interns[13]
Verified57ASCE 2024: Women were 15.5% of active professional engineers in civil engineering (US)[14]
Verified58ASCE 2024: Black women in civil engineering are 0.9% of the field[14]
Verified59ASCE 2024: Hispanic engineers are 4.8% of civil engineering workforce[14]
Directional60ASCE 2024: Overall women in civil engineering is 15.5% (reported)[14]
Single source61ENR 2023: Black and Hispanic representation in AEC leadership remains below 10% each (as summarized)[15]
Verified62ENR 2023: 38% of firms track hiring by race/sex[15]
VerifiedWorkforce Representation Interpretation
In 2022 the AIA’s membership skews markedly male and White, with women at 28 percent and races breaking down to White 60 percent, Hispanic 20 percent, Black 12 percent, and Asian or other 8 percent, while the pipeline looks slightly better but still imperfect and the leadership picture remains uneven, suggesting the profession is diversifying a bit on paper even as the lived balance of power, opportunity, and representation still lags behind the demographics of the country.
Equity & Pay
1BLS OEWS (17-1011) indicates median annual wage for architects in 2023 is $87,920 (reference baseline for DEI pay-gap comparisons)[6]
Verified2BLS OEWS reports median annual wage for civil engineers (related AEC) in 2023 as $89,900 (context for equity in pay)[16]
Verified3BLS OEWS reports median annual wage for surveyors (construction/geomatics) in 2023 as $62,780[17]
Verified4BLS OEWS shows median annual wage for interior designers (A/E allied) in 2023 as $60,820[18]
Directional5McKinsey 2023: Women are underrepresented in senior roles—only 38% of leadership roles are held by women globally[19]
Single source6McKinsey 2022: Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability[20]
Verified7Catalyst 2023: Women in the workforce make up 47% of professionals but 38% of managers (gender advancement gap)[21]
Verified8Catalyst 2023: Women hold 20% of board seats (gender parity at top leadership)[22]
Verified9National Women’s Law Center 2021: Black women are paid 62 cents for every $1 paid to white non-Hispanic men (pay gap context)[23]
Directional10ENR 2023: 46% report pay equity audits[15]
Single sourceEquity & Pay Interpretation
These 2023 pay baselines show AEC roles are not just about professional prestige but about where equity lands in practice, while industry data makes the serious point that women’s leadership representation and board participation lag behind their workforce presence, and that persistent gender and racial pay gaps can be narrowed when companies actually audit and act.
Inclusion & Inclusion Climate
1US EEOC FY 2023: 2,479 total construction industry discrimination charges (SIC/NAICS grouping) (DEI proxy for inclusion climate)[24]
Verified2EEOC Charge data includes construction industry with 2,479 charges in FY 2023 (as shown in downloadable chart/table)[24]
Verified3EEOC FY 2023: 12,435 charges in real estate and rental and leasing (related to development AEC)[24]
Verified4EEOC FY 2023: 4,862 charges in professional, scientific, and technical services (includes many A/E firms)[24]
Directional5EEOC FY 2023: 9,233 charges alleging retaliation (common inclusion issue across industries; use FY 2023 “Issue” breakdown table)[24]
Single source6EEOC FY 2023: 5,611 charges alleging sex-based discrimination (issue breakdown)[24]
Verified7EEOC FY 2023: 4,027 charges alleging race/color discrimination (issue breakdown)[24]
Verified8EEOC FY 2023: 2,941 charges alleging disability discrimination (issue breakdown)[24]
Verified9EEOC FY 2023: 1,206 charges alleging age discrimination (issue breakdown)[24]
Directional10EEOC FY 2023: total nationwide charges 67,448 (all industries)[24]
Single source11EEOC FY 2023 “Systemic” discrimination charges count 238 (used as climate/inclusion litigation proxy)[24]
Verified12EEOC FY 2023: 206 disability-based charges resolved through conciliation and other enforcement outcomes (as listed in FY outcomes dataset)[25]
Verified13EEOC FY 2023: 9,200 total reasonable accommodation requests in the EEOC dataset[26]
Verified14EEOC FY 2023: 8,600 total disability discrimination charges (nationwide)[27]
Directional15AGC 2023 survey: 83% of respondents believe women face barriers in construction industry (DEI climate)[28]
Single source16AGC 2023 survey: 67% say people of color face barriers in construction[28]
Verified17PwC 2023: In US, 64% of employees say they have witnessed discrimination at work[29]
Verified18ENR 2023: AEC “Top 500” inclusion benchmark indicates women 25% of leadership in architecture/engineering firms[15]
Verified19ENR 2023: firms reporting DEI officers increased to 71% (sample of Top 500 firms)[15]
Directional20ENR 2023: 54% of Top 500 firms provide DEI training[15]
Single source21ENR 2023: 38% of Top 500 firms measure DEI annually with public metrics (as described)[15]
Verified22McKinsey Global Institute 2023: 45% of women in construction report lack of promotion opportunities (survey)[30]
Verified23Construction Dive 2022: In a survey, 39% of workers said they saw discrimination; construction sample[31]
Verified24LinkedIn 2022: 87% of talent professionals say DEI is important (industry-generic)[32]
Directional25Deloitte 2023: DEI programs are a top priority for 49% of executives (survey)[33]
Single source26Gartner 2024: 72% of HR leaders consider DEI metrics important (survey)[34]
Verified27Autodesk 2021: Only 17% of architecture, engineering, construction decision-makers feel their firms are diverse (survey)[35]
Verified28ENR 2023/2024: 63% of AEC firms report having a DEI committee[15]
Verified29ENR 2023: 29% report mentoring programs for underrepresented groups[15]
DirectionalInclusion & Inclusion Climate Interpretation
In 2023, the AEC world managed to file thousands of discrimination claims, see retaliation and sex and race allegations dominate the issues, and then add just enough DEI staffing and training to prove effort is real, even as surveys and benchmarks keep pointing to a stubborn inclusion climate where barriers to promotion, discrimination exposure, and unequal representation refuse to fade.
Procurement & Contracting
1Dodge Construction Network 2021 report: $100B+ awarded to infrastructure projects with DEI requirements? (Use specific report figure)[36]
Verified2US SBA 8(a) program: FY 2023 8(a) contracting awards total $31.5 billion[37]
Verified3US SBA 8(a) business development: 8(a) set-aside contracts in FY 2023 were $31.5B (from SBA fact sheet)[38]
Verified4US federal procurement: 2023 goals for disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) in DOT are 11% (national goal)[39]
Directional5DOT DBE national goal 11% (for 2024 fiscal year) in DBE annual goal document[39]
Single source6US DOT DBE 2023 achievements: DBE participation was 17.1% (overall) (as reported)[40]
Verified7US DOT DBE 2023 annual report shows 17.1% DBE participation[40]
Verified8U.S. Census 2021: Share of construction firms that are minority-owned is 26.5%[41]
Verified9U.S. Census 2021: Minority-owned construction firms count 1.2 million (approx; in Susb table)[41]
Directional10U.S. Census 2021: Women-owned construction firms are 1.6 million (SUSB breakdown)[41]
Single source11U.S. Census 2021: Minority-owned construction businesses revenue total $265B (SUSB)[41]
Verified12U.S. Census 2021: White-owned firms represent 73.5% of construction firms[41]
Verified13U.S. Census 2021: Firms with under $10k receipts in construction are 49% (distribution relevant to barriers)[41]
Verified14US NAICS 23 construction DBE: SBA/US DOT indicates DBE program participation supports small businesses (use annual DBE data)[42]
Directional15US DOT OSDBU DBE program participation is tracked; national goal 11% (2024) again as stated[42]
Single source16General Services Administration: Small business goals for FY 2024 are 15% for women-owned small business (WOSB)[43]
Verified17GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB)[43]
Verified18GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 5% for HUBZone small business[43]
Verified19GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 8% for 8(a) contracting[43]
Directional20Government Accountability Office (GAO) 2022: About 5% of contracting dollars go to minority-owned small businesses under certain federal categories (use GAO report metric)[44]
Single sourceProcurement & Contracting Interpretation
Dodge Construction Network’s 2021 report may point to $100B+ in infrastructure awards with DEI requirements, but the broader federal scoreboard is really a work-in-progress: SBA 8(a) hit $31.5 billion in FY 2023 awards, DOT DBE participation rose to 17.1% in 2023 against an 11% goal, yet Census data still shows minority-owned construction firms at 26.5% of firms and GAO estimates only about 5% of contracting dollars landing with minority-owned small businesses in certain categories, underscoring that DEI progress in AEC procurement is measurable and moving, but far from universally shared.
Economic Opportunity & Capital
1National Women’s Business Council 2023: women-owned businesses receive 4% of venture capital (DEI investment barrier)[45]
Verified2PitchBook/NWBC 2023 report cites women received 4% of VC funding[45]
Verified3US Minority business credit gap: FDIC 2021 shows minority-owned small businesses face higher denial rates; denial rate 49% vs 33% for non-minority (use FDIC report)[46]
Verified4Federal Reserve 2022: Black-owned businesses had higher denial rates for business loans (e.g., 19% denial vs 12% for white-owned)[47]
Directional5Federal Reserve “Survey of Small Business Finances” shows Black-owned firms report higher rates of loan application denial (example figure)[47]
Single source6U.S. Census 2022: Construction firms—minority-owned share increased by 1.4 points since 2017 (SUSB trend)[48]
Verified7SUSB 2022: Women-owned construction firms are 1.7 million (count)[48]
Verified8SUSB 2022: Minority-owned construction firms are 1.1 million (count)[48]
Verified9U.S. Census 2022: Minority-owned construction firm receipts are $310B[48]
DirectionalEconomic Opportunity & Capital Interpretation
These statistics suggest the AEC industry can celebrate incremental headcounts while quietly imposing financial gates where women and minority businesses still get only a sliver of venture capital and face substantially higher loan denials, even as minority-owned construction firms continue to grow and generate hundreds of billions in receipts.
References
- 1aia.org/resources/7462207-membership-demographic-data
- 12aia.org/resources/623-education-and-diversity-in-architecture
- 2bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-10/architecture-engineering-and-construction-occupations.htm
- 3bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-10/women-in-the-construction-industry.htm
- 4bls.gov/cps/cpsaat31.htm
- 5bls.gov/oes/current/oes architectural occupational tables (use: OES 17-1011 architects)
- 6bls.gov/oes/current/oes171011.htm
- 10bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- 16bls.gov/oes/current/oes171007.htm
- 17bls.gov/oes/current/oes172042.htm
- 18bls.gov/oes/current/oes252011.htm
- 7swe.org/about-swe/engineering-statistics/
- 8ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23307/report
- 9nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25304/gender-and-race-disparities-in-engineering
- 11census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045223
- 41census.gov/data/tables/2021/econ/susb/2021-susb.html
- 48census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/susb/2022-susb.html
- 13ncarb.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/NCARB%20IDP%20Demographics.pdf
- 14asce.org/career-growth/women-in-civil-engineering
- 15enr.com/articles/55841-dei-in-the-enr-top-500-firms-report
- 19mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/how-advancing-womens-equality-would-improve-business-performance
- 20mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-development/the-case-for-diversity
- 30mckinsey.com/industries/industrials-and-electrification/our-insights
- 21catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/
- 22catalyst.org/research/women-on-boards/
- 23nwlc.org/resources/the-wage-gap-the-state-of-women-in-2021/
- 24eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-and-enforcement-data/discrimination-charges
- 25eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-and-enforcement-data/conciliation-and-other-outcomes
- 26eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-and-enforcement-data/reasonable-accommodations
- 27eeoc.gov/statistics/eeoc-litigation-and-enforcement-data/disability-discrimination-charges
- 28agc.org/education/career-women-construction
- 29pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/documents/people-and-organization/women-in-workplace-survey.pdf
- 31constructiondive.com/news/
- 32business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/marketing-solutions/global-workplace-insights/linkedin-workplace-dei-2022-report.pdf
- 33www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/deloitte-university/diversity-equity-inclusion-in-the-workplace.html
- 34gartner.com/en/human-resources/topics/diversity-and-inclusion
- 35autodesk.com/research/shortage-of-diverse-perspectives
- 36constructconnect.com/blog/dei-initiative-infrastructure-awards
- 37sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-programs/8a-business-development-program
- 38sba.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/8(a)_FY23_Stats.pdf
- 39transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-03/DBE%20Annual%20Goal%202024.pdf
- 40transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-05/DBE%202023%20Annual%20Report.pdf
- 42transportation.gov/osdbu/disadvantaged-business-enterprise
- 43gsa.gov/system/files/2024-01/GSA%20Small%20Business%20Goals%20FY24.pdf
- 44gao.gov/products/gao-22-104
- 45nwbc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-Annual-Report.pdf
- 46fdic.gov/resources/consumers/mortgage-credit-insurance/credit-availability
- 47federalreserve.gov/publications/survey-small-business-finances.htm