Architectural and Engineering Managers

What Architectural and Engineering Managers Do

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

0.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Designimportance 4.3/5
• Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.3/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.9/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.9/5
• English Languageimportance 3.9/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.8/5
• Mechanicalimportance 3.7/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5

Related Careers

• Project Management Specialists
• Industrial Engineers
• Logisticians
• Electrical Engineers
• Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
• Architectural and Civil Drafters
• Engineers, All Other
• Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers97% skill match
• Postmasters and Mail Superintendents97% skill match
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks97% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers96% skill match
• Administrative Services Managers96% skill match
• General and Operations Managers96% skill match
• Gambling Managers95% skill match
• Residential Advisors95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.5/5
• Instructingimportance 3.3/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Innovation
• Attention to Detail
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• InvestigativeMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• RealisticLow
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where architectural and engineering managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Columbus, IN4.44× national avg
2. 2Huntsville, AL4.33× national avg
3. 3Manchester-Nashua, NH3.44× national avg
4. 4Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI3.43× national avg
5. 5San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA3.19× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Petroleum EngineersCareer Change
• General and Operations ManagersLateral Move
• Physicians, PathologistsCareer Change
• Administrative Services ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from Architectural and Engineering Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.