Architectural and Engineering Managers

What Architectural and Engineering Managers Do

Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.

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Work Environment

Most architectural and engineering managers work in offices, although some may also work in research laboratories and industrial production plants or at construction sites. Most work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week.

How to Become an Architectural or Engineering Manager

Architectural and engineering managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and considerable work experience as an architect or engineer.

Pay

The median annual wage for architectural and engineering managers was $144,830 in May 2019.

Job Outlook

Employment of architectural and engineering managers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Many of the new jobs for architectural and engineering managers are expected to be in computer systems design and related services and in consulting firms.

Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.

Duties

Architectural and engineering managers typically do the following:

• Make detailed plans for the development of new products and designs
• Determine staff, training, and equipment needs
• Propose budgets for projects and programs
• Hire and supervise staff
• Lead research and development projects to produce new products, processes, or designs
• Check the technical accuracy of their staff’s work
• Ensure the soundness of methods their staff uses
• Coordinate work with other staff and managers

Architectural and engineering managers use their knowledge of architecture or engineering to oversee a variety of activities. They may direct and coordinate building activities at construction sites or activities related to production, operations, quality assurance, testing, or maintenance at manufacturing sites.

Architectural and engineering managers are responsible for developing the overall concept of a new product or for solving the technical problems that prevent the completion of a project. To accomplish this, they must determine technical goals and produce detailed plans.

Architectural and engineering managers spend a great deal of time coordinating the activities of their staff with the activities of other staff or organizations. They often confer with other managers, including those in finance, production, and marketing, as well as with contractors and equipment and materials suppliers.

In addition, architectural and engineering managers must know how to prepare budgets, hire staff, and supervise employees. They propose budgets for projects and programs and determine staff, training, and equipment needs. These managers must also hire people and assign them specific parts of each project to carry out. Architectural and engineering managers supervise the work of their employees, set schedules, and create administrative procedures.

Architectural and engineering managers held about 198,100 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of architectural and engineering managers were as follows:

Manufacturing	35%
Architectural, engineering, and related services	26
Government	9
Scientific research and development services	6
Management of companies and enterprises	6

Most architectural and engineering managers work in offices, although some may also work in research laboratories and industrial production plants or at construction sites.

Work Schedules

Most architectural and engineering managers work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week. These managers are often under considerable pressure to meet deadlines and budgets.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of architectural and engineering managers.

	Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2019
	Aerospace Engineers	Aerospace engineers design primarily aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles.	Bachelor’s degree	$116,500
	Architects	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	Bachelor’s degree	$80,750
	Civil Engineers	Civil engineers design, build, and supervise infrastructure projects and systems.	Bachelor’s degree	$87,060
	Construction Managers	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	Bachelor’s degree	$95,260
	Electrical and Electronics Engineers	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment.	Bachelor’s degree	$101,250
	Industrial Engineers	Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	Bachelor’s degree	$88,020
	Industrial Production Managers	Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants.	Bachelor’s degree	$105,480
	Materials Engineers	Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products.	Bachelor’s degree	$93,360
	Mechanical Engineers	Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices.	Bachelor’s degree	$88,430
	Nuclear Engineers	Nuclear engineers research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems used to derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation.	Bachelor’s degree	$113,460

For information on architecture and engineering management programs, visit

ABET

American Institute of Architects

Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering

CareerOneStop

For a career video on architectural and engineering managers, visit

Architectural and engineering managers

O*NET

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers