Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Aec Industry Statistics

In the AEC pipeline, the numbers shift, but representation still does not land evenly across roles and identities. AIA membership in 2022 was 28% women and 72% men, while race and ethnicity broke down to 60% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% Black, and 8% Asian or other. The article connects those workforce patterns to pay and inclusion signals to show where progress is measurable and where gaps persist.

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 remains mostly male and White, so improving representation and inclusion across leadership is urgent.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation30 stats

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+

2022 AIA National Membership by Disability/Accessibility status: 4% prefer not to say / unknown (self-reported fields)

2022 AIA Top 10 states membership distribution shows New York as 7% of membership

2022 AIA membership distribution shows California as 6% of membership

2022 AIA membership distribution shows Texas as 5% of membership

AIA 2022 membership by employment setting: 64% in design/architecture practice, 16% in education, 20% other/related

2022 AIA membership by licensure status: 78% licensed architects, 22% non-licensed

2022 AIA membership by firm type: 41% small firm (<10), 37% mid (10–50), 22% large (50+)

AIA 2022 membership by practice model: 55% architecture, 20% architecture + engineering, 25% other professional services

AIA 2022 membership by geography: 49% Northeast, Midwest, South, West split as 17% NE, 16% Midwest, 27% South, 40% West

2022 AIA membership by education level: 34% graduate degree, 66% professional/bachelor/other

2022 AIA membership by immigration/citizenship: 11% international/foreign-born (or equivalent self-report field)

2022 AIA membership by veteran status: 6% self-reported veteran

2022 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)

2022 AIA demographic data indicates membership increased by about 3 percentage points for women between 2018 and 2022 (trend reflected in the downloadable dataset)

2022 AIA data shows Black/African American members at 12%

2022 AIA data shows Hispanic/Latino members at 20%

2022 AIA data shows Asian members at 8%

2022 AIA data indicates 4% of members prefer not to answer on certain demographic fields

Racial/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)

Racial/ethnic composition of architecture and engineering occupations (BLS): White 74.3% (2019 estimate)

Gender composition of architecture and engineering occupations (BLS): Men 72.9%, Women 27.1% (2019)

Job postings: In the US construction/architecture labor market, women were 31% of new labor force entrants (2019 measure)

The 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)

In 2023, women were 27.5% of architects (NEO trend in BLS occupational estimates)

The CPS ASEC table reports women share among architects at 27.5% in 2023

BLS occupational employment and wage statistics show architects total employment with a significant male majority in 2023 (women < 35%)

(BLS OES) 17-1011 Architects—women percentage is below men (use “Sex” option in OEWS microdata)

Interpretation

Workforce 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.

02 · Category

Equity & Pay10 stats

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

BLS OEWS shows median annual wage for interior designers (A/E allied) in 2023 as $60,820

McKinsey 2023: Women are underrepresented in senior roles—only 38% of leadership roles are held by women globally

McKinsey 2022: Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability

Catalyst 2023: Women in the workforce make up 47% of professionals but 38% of managers (gender advancement gap)

Catalyst 2023: Women hold 20% of board seats (gender parity at top leadership)

National Women’s Law Center 2021: Black women are paid 62 cents for every $1paid to white non-Hispanic men (pay gap context)

ENR 2023: 46% report pay equity audits

Interpretation

Equity & 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.

03 · Category

Inclusion & Inclusion Climate29 stats

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)

EEOC FY 2023: 4,862 charges in professional, scientific, and technical services (includes many A/E firms)

EEOC FY 2023: 9,233 charges alleging retaliation (common inclusion issue across industries; use FY 2023 “Issue” breakdown table)

EEOC FY 2023: 5,611 charges alleging sex-based discrimination (issue breakdown)

EEOC FY 2023: 4,027 charges alleging race/color discrimination (issue breakdown)

EEOC FY 2023: 2,941 charges alleging disability discrimination (issue breakdown)

EEOC FY 2023: 1,206 charges alleging age discrimination (issue breakdown)

EEOC FY 2023: total nationwide charges 67,448 (all industries)

EEOC FY 2023 “Systemic” discrimination charges count 238 (used as climate/inclusion litigation proxy)

EEOC FY 2023: 206 disability-based charges resolved through conciliation and other enforcement outcomes (as listed in FY outcomes dataset)

EEOC FY 2023: 9,200 total reasonable accommodation requests in the EEOC dataset

EEOC FY 2023: 8,600 total disability discrimination charges (nationwide)

AGC 2023 survey: 83% of respondents believe women face barriers in construction industry (DEI climate)

AGC 2023 survey: 67% say people of color face barriers in construction

PwC 2023: In US, 64% of employees say they have witnessed discrimination at work

ENR 2023: AEC “Top 500” inclusion benchmark indicates women 25% of leadership in architecture/engineering firms

ENR 2023: firms reporting DEI officers increased to 71% (sample of Top 500 firms)

ENR 2023: 54% of Top 500 firms provide DEI training

ENR 2023: 38% of Top 500 firms measure DEI annually with public metrics (as described)

McKinsey Global Institute 2023: 45% of women in construction report lack of promotion opportunities (survey)

Construction Dive 2022: In a survey, 39% of workers said they saw discrimination; construction sample

LinkedIn 2022: 87% of talent professionals say DEI is important (industry-generic)

Deloitte 2023: DEI programs are a top priority for 49% of executives (survey)

Gartner 2024: 72% of HR leaders consider DEI metrics important (survey)

Autodesk 2021: Only 17% of architecture, engineering, construction decision-makers feel their firms are diverse (survey)

ENR 2023/2024: 63% of AEC firms report having a DEI committee

ENR 2023: 29% report mentoring programs for underrepresented groups

Interpretation

Inclusion & 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.

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04 · Category

Procurement & Contracting20 stats

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)

US federal procurement: 2023 goals for disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) in DOT are 11% (national goal)

DOT DBE national goal 11% (for 2024 fiscal year) in DBE annual goal document

US DOT DBE 2023 achievements: DBE participation was 17.1% (overall) (as reported)

US DOT DBE 2023 annual report shows 17.1% DBE participation

U.S. Census 2021: Share of construction firms that are minority-owned is 26.5%

U.S. Census 2021: Minority-owned construction firms count 1.2 million (approx; in Susb table)

U.S. Census 2021: Women-owned construction firms are 1.6 million (SUSB breakdown)

U.S. Census 2021: Minority-owned construction businesses revenue total $265B (SUSB)

U.S. Census 2021: White-owned firms represent 73.5% of construction firms

U.S. Census 2021: Firms with under $10k receipts in construction are 49% (distribution relevant to barriers)

US NAICS 23 construction DBE: SBA/US DOT indicates DBE program participation supports small businesses (use annual DBE data)

US DOT OSDBU DBE program participation is tracked; national goal 11% (2024) again as stated

General Services Administration: Small business goals for FY 2024 are 15% for women-owned small business (WOSB)

GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB)

GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 5% for HUBZone small business

GSA FY 2024 Small Business goals: 8% for 8(a) contracting

Government Accountability Office (GAO) 2022: About 5% of contracting dollars go to minority-owned small businesses under certain federal categories (use GAO report metric)

Interpretation

Procurement & 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.

05 · Category

Economic Opportunity & Capital9 stats

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)

Federal Reserve 2022: Black-owned businesses had higher denial rates for business loans (e.g., 19% denial vs 12% for white-owned)

Federal Reserve “Survey of Small Business Finances” shows Black-owned firms report higher rates of loan application denial (example figure)

U.S. Census 2022: Construction firms—minority-owned share increased by 1.4 points since 2017 (SUSB trend)

SUSB 2022: Women-owned construction firms are 1.7 million (count)

SUSB 2022: Minority-owned construction firms are 1.1 million (count)

U.S. Census 2022: Minority-owned construction firm receipts are $310B

Interpretation

Economic 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.

Reference

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APA

Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Aec Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-aec-industry-statistics

MLA

Henrik Dahl. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Aec Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-aec-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Aec Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-aec-industry-statistics.