Architectural and Engineering Managers

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Summary

Architectural and engineering managers
Architectural and engineering managers need to review plans when they oversee projects.
Quick Facts: Architectural and Engineering Managers
2010 Median Pay $119,260 per year
$57.34 per hour
Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation More than 5 years
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2010 176,800
Job Outlook, 2010-20 9% (Slower than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20 15,200

What Architectural and Engineering Managers Do

Architectural and engineering managers plan, coordinate, and direct activities in architecture and engineering, including research and development in these fields.

Work Environment

Architectural and engineering managers spend most of their time in an office. Some managers may also work in industrial plants and laboratories or at construction sites. Most work full time.

How to Become an Architectural or Engineering Manager

Architectural and engineering managers typically have at least a bachelor’s degree and significant work experience.

Pay

The median annual wage of architectural and engineering managers was $119,260 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of architectural and engineering managers is expected to grow by 9 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of architectural and engineering managers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about architectural and engineering managers by contacting these additional resources.

What Architectural and Engineering Managers Do About this section

Architectural and engineering managers
Architectural and engineering managers spend much of their time supervising employees.

Architectural and engineering managers plan, coordinate, and direct activities in architecture and engineering, including research and development in these fields.

Duties

Architectural and engineering managers typically do the following:

  • Make detailed plans to reach technical goals, such as development of new products and designs
  • Manage research and development teams that produce new products, processes, or designs, or improve existing ones
  • Check the technical accuracy of the work and soundness of the methods their staff uses
  • Direct and coordinate the design of equipment and machinery
  • Confer with other levels of management on architectural and engineering activities
  • Propose budgets for projects and programs and determine staff, training, and equipment needs
  • Hire, assign, and supervise staff

Architectural and engineering managers use their knowledge in architecture or engineering to oversee a variety of activities. They determine technical goals, such as improving manufacturing or building processes, or developing new products or designs, and then they make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.

They may direct and coordinate production, operations, quality assurance, testing, or maintenance in industrial plants. They may develop the overall concepts of a new product or identify technical problems preventing the completion of a project.

Architectural and engineering managers must know how to budget, hire, and supervise. They propose budgets for projects and programs and determine staff, training, and equipment needs. Architectural and engineering managers hire and assign people to carry out specific parts of each project. They supervise the work of these employees and set administrative procedures, policies, or standards, such as environmental standards.

Architectural and engineering managers spend a great deal of time coordinating the activities of their unit with the activities of other units or organizations. They confer with other managers, including financial, production, and marketing managers, and with contractors and equipment and materials suppliers.

Work Environment About this section

Architectural and engineering managers
Architectural and engineering managers frequently work in groups.

Architectural and engineering managers held about 176,800 jobs in 2010. They spend most of their time working in offices. Some may also work in laboratories and industrial production plants or at construction sites.

As shown below, 21 percent of architectural and engineering managers worked for architectural and engineering services firms in 2010:

Architectural, engineering, and related services21%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing5
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing5
Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences5
Management of companies and enterprises4

Work Schedules

Architectural and engineering managers may need to work long hours to meet production deadlines. Most worked full time. In 2010, 47 percent worked more than 40 hours a week. They may also experience considerable pressure to meet technical goals on a short deadline or within a tight budget.

How to Become an Architectural or Engineering Manager About this section

Architectural and engineering managers
Architectural and engineering managers help to develop and train their employees.

Architectural and engineering managers usually advance to management positions after years of employment in their fields. Nearly all architectural and engineering managers, therefore, have at least a bachelor’s degree in some specialty of engineering or a professional degree in architecture.

Education

Nearly all architectural and engineering managers have at least a bachelor’s degree in an engineering specialty or a professional degree in architecture. Many also gain business management skills by completing a master’s degree in engineering management (MEM) or technology management (MSTM), or a master’s in business administration (MBA), either before or after advancing to management positions. Employers often pay for such training. Typically, those who prefer to manage in technical areas pursue an MEM or MSTM, and those interested in more general management skills earn an MBA.

Engineering management programs typically include classes in accounting, engineering economy, financial management, industrial and human resources management, industrial psychology, and quality control. Technology management programs usually provide instruction in production and operations management, project management, computer applications, quality control, safety and health issues, statistics, and general management principles.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Architectural and engineering managers should be able to evaluate information and solve complex problems.

Communication skills. Architectural and engineering managers oversee staff and confer with other levels of management. They must be able to communicate well to lead teams in meeting goals. 

Detail oriented. Architectural and engineering managers must pay attention to detail. Their duties require an understanding of complex systems, and a minor error can cause major problems.

Math skills. Architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other advanced mathematics to develop new products and processes.

Organizational skills. Architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets all at once.

Technical skills. Managers in these fields must thoroughly understand the specific area (architecture or a specific type of engineering) that they are managing.

Licenses

Architectural and engineering managers are typically experienced architects or engineers, and many states license these occupations. For more information, see the profiles on architects and engineering occupations.

Work Experience

Architectural and engineering managers advance to their positions after years of employment in their fields. Managers typically have experience working on increasingly difficult projects, developing designs, solving problems, and making decisions. Before moving up to a management position, they also typically have experience leading engineering teams.

Pay About this section

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Median annual wages, May 2010

Architectural and Engineering Managers

$119,260

Management Occupations

$91,440

Total, All Occupations

$33,840

 

The median annual wage of architectural and engineering managers was $119,260 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $77,440, and the top 10 percent earned more than $166,400. 

Median annual wages in selected industries employing architectural and engineering managers in 2010 were as follows:  

Research and development in the physical,
engineering, and life sciences
$138,590
Semiconductor and other electronic component
manufacturing
132,720
Navigational, measuring, electromedical,
and control instruments manufacturing
132,380
Management of companies and enterprises122,480
Architectural, engineering, and related services119,830

In addition, architectural and engineering managers, especially those at higher levels, often receive more benefits—such as expense accounts, stock-option plans, and bonuses—than do workers who are not managers in their organizations.

Architectural and engineering managers may need to work long hours to meet production deadlines. In 2010, 47 percent worked more than 40 hours a week. They may also experience considerable pressure to meet technical goals on a short deadline or within a tight budget.

Job Outlook About this section

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Total, All Occupations

14%

Architectural and Engineering Managers

9%

Management Occupations

7%

 

Employment of architectural and engineering managers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than average for all occupations. Employment growth should be affected by many of the same factors that affect the growth of the staff that these managers supervise. However, job growth for managers is expected to be somewhat slower than for architects and engineers because companies are increasingly outsourcing research and development to specialized engineering services firms, leading to some consolidation of management.

Job Prospects

Job opportunities should be better in rapidly growing disciplines, such as environmental and biomedical engineering, than in more slowly growing areas, such as electrical and mechanical engineering. Those with advanced technical knowledge and strong communication skills will likely be in the best position to become managers.

Because architectural and engineering managers are involved in the financial, production, and marketing activities of their firm, business management skills are a plus for those seeking management positions. In addition to the openings resulting from employment growth, job openings will result from the need to replace managers who retire or move into other occupations.

Employment projections data for architectural and engineering managers, 2010-20
Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2010 Projected Employment, 2020 Change, 2010-20 Employment by Industry
Percent Numeric

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Architectural and Engineering Managers

11-9041 176,800 192,000 9 15,200 [XLS]

Similar Occupations About this section

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 Help 2010 MEDIAN PAY Help
Architects

Architects

Architects plan and design buildings and other structures.

Bachelor’s degree $72,550
Construction managers

Construction Managers

Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from early development to completion.

Associate’s degree $83,860
Industrial production managers

Industrial Production Managers

Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct the activities used to create a wide range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, or paper products.

Bachelor’s degree $87,160
Natural sciences managers

Natural Sciences Managers

Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct research and development projects and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.

Bachelor’s degree $116,020
Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Architectural and Engineering Managers,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/architectural-and-engineering-managers.htm (visited October 02, 2012).

Publish Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012