Architectural and Engineering Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.
Also called: Civil Engineering Manager · Electrical Engineering Manager · Engineering Director · Engineering Group Manager · Engineering Program Manager · Mechanical Engineering Manager
Median pay (national)
$167,740
$111,450–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
210,340
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.8%
~14,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for architectural and engineering managers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $111,450 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $167,740 leaves roughly 43% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.8% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 14,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, New Mexico pays the most for this role (median $215,730, +29% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $96,530 — a 123% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
- Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
- Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
- Establish scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management.
- Direct recruitment, placement, and evaluation of architecture or engineering project staff.
- Perform administrative functions, such as reviewing or writing reports, approving expenditures, enforcing rules, or purchasing of materials or services.
- Develop or implement programs to improve sustainability or reduce the environmental impacts of engineering or architecture activities or operations.
- Evaluate the environmental impacts of engineering, architecture, or research and development activities.
- Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
- Consult or negotiate with clients to prepare project specifications.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Amazon DynamoDB
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
- Amazon Redshift
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Ansible software
- Apache Cassandra
- Apache Hadoop
- Apache Hive
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Maven
- Apple macOS
- Atlassian Confluence
Knowledge areas
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics