Architectural and Engineering Managers: Career Profile
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.
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What Do Architectural and Engineering Managers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of architectural and engineering managers include:
- Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
- Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
- Consult or negotiate with clients to prepare project specifications.
- Prepare budgets, bids, or contracts.
- Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
- Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
- Assess project feasibility by analyzing technology, resource needs, or market demand.
- Review, recommend, or approve contracts or cost estimates.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective architectural and engineering managers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Architect Manager
- Architectural Project Manager
- Civil Engineering Manager
- Civil Project Manager (Civil PM)
- Data Engineering Director
- Data Engineering Manager
- Electrical Engineering Director
- Electrical Engineering Manager
How Many Architectural and Engineering Managers Are There?
There are roughly 189,973 architectural and engineering managers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Architectural and Engineering Managers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $101,277 |
| Hourly median | $48.69 |
| 10th percentile | $69,051 |
| 25th percentile | $85,164 |
| 75th percentile | $117,389 |
| 90th percentile | $133,502 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Architectural and Engineering Managers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $215,730 |
| California | $201,810 |
| Washington | $181,080 |
| Massachusetts | $178,800 |
| District of Columbia | $176,950 |
| Colorado | $176,610 |
| New Jersey | $174,230 |
| Delaware | $173,910 |
| New York | $173,530 |
| Arizona | $172,680 |
| Connecticut | $171,770 |
| New Hampshire | $171,630 |
| Texas | $170,650 |
| Rhode Island | $170,410 |
| Virginia | $168,780 |
| Minnesota | $168,220 |
| Louisiana | $167,840 |
| Florida | $167,680 |
| Maryland | $167,500 |
| Oregon | $166,860 |
| South Carolina | $163,790 |
| North Carolina | $163,430 |
| Michigan | $163,000 |
| Ohio | $159,940 |
| Georgia | $158,920 |
| Vermont | $158,030 |
| Alabama | $157,520 |
| Illinois | $157,480 |
| Idaho | $157,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $154,400 |
| Tennessee | $153,920 |
| Missouri | $153,670 |
| Nevada | $153,340 |
| Oklahoma | $153,130 |
| South Dakota | $152,540 |
| Alaska | $152,290 |
| Utah | $149,990 |
| Hawaii | $148,620 |
| Kansas | $147,020 |
| Indiana | $144,880 |
| West Virginia | $143,800 |
| Wyoming | $141,990 |
| North Dakota | $140,560 |
| Maine | $140,430 |
| Wisconsin | $138,710 |
| Iowa | $137,870 |
| Mississippi | $136,010 |
| Kentucky | $134,880 |
| Nebraska | $134,090 |
| Arkansas | $132,660 |
| Montana | $128,680 |
| Puerto Rico | $115,280 |
| Guam | $96,530 |
Where Architectural and Engineering Managers Earn the Most
Pay for architectural and engineering managers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $194,967 | 19.8% | 1.25 |
| New England | $173,433 | 8.3% | 1.78 |
| Southwest | $172,787 | 13.2% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $166,584 | 13.9% | 0.99 |
| Rocky Mountains | $162,998 | 4.1% | 1.01 |
| Southeast | $160,313 | 18.3% | 0.75 |
| Great Lakes | $155,355 | 16.2% | 1.64 |
| Plains States | $153,036 | 5.7% | 0.86 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Architectural and Engineering Managers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $226,940 | 5,270 |
| Midland, TX | TX | $209,970 | 220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $208,580 | 6,380 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $202,290 | 930 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $200,820 | 200 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $196,810 | 330 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | FL | $196,520 | 90 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $195,790 | 650 |
Top Industries Employing Architectural and Engineering Managers
The bulk of architectural and engineering managers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 77,010 | $169,210 |
| Manufacturing | 73,820 | $166,850 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 11,580 | $173,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,030 | $167,760 |
| Utilities | 4,690 | $165,300 |
| Construction | 4,050 | $153,510 |
| Information | 3,470 | $204,010 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,320 | $169,200 |
Architectural and Engineering Managers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Maven (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Project management software: Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for architectural and engineering managers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Most architectural and engineering managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Construction Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Primary-Long)
- Natural Sciences Managers (Primary-Long)
- Logistics Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Civil Engineers (Supplemental)
- Electrical Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for architectural and engineering managers typically earn programs in:
Architecture and Related Services
8 programs across 6 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9041.00 (Architectural and Engineering Managers).