Management · Holland code EIC
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: Engineering Director, Engineering Program Manager, Project Engineering Manager, Project Manager, Civil Engineering Manager, Electrical Engineering Manager, Engineering Group Manager, Mechanical Engineering Manager.
O*NET 11-9041.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $171,270
- Middle half earn $139,360 to $212,500. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree
- 46% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
- US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034
- +4% · As fast as average
- 212,500 jobs in 2024, projected 220,500. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Architectural and engineering managers".
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1 / 5
- Active Listening4.0 / 5
- Writing4.0 / 5
- Speaking4.0 / 5
- Mathematics3.9 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Design4.3 / 5
- Engineering and Technology4.3 / 5
- Mathematics3.9 / 5
- Administration and Management3.9 / 5
- English Language3.9 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic33
- Investigative59
- Artistic27
- Social33
- Enterprising90
- Conventional57
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- project manager · DE Projektmanager/Projektmanagerin · FR chef de projet
- oil and gas production manager · DE Führungskraft in der Öl- und Gasförderung · FR chef de chantier pétrole, gaz
- construction manager · DE Führungskraft bei Bauprojekten · FR directeur de la construction immobilière/directrice de la construction immobilière
- aviation communications and frequency coordination manager · DE Koordinator für Flugverkehrskommunikation und -frequenzen/Koordinatorin für Flugverkehrskommunikation und -frequenzen · FR coordinateur des fréquences et radiocommunications aéronautiques/coordinatrice des fréquences et radiocommunications aéronautiques
- aviation surveillance and code coordination manager · DE Kontrolleur der Flugüberwachung und der Einhaltung des Luftverkehrsgesetzes/Kontrolleurin der Flugüberwachung und der Einhaltung des Luftverkehrsgesetzes · FR responsable des dispositifs de contrôle aérien et du respect du code de navigation
- architect · DE Architekt/Architektin · FR architecte
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services (1163)8,000 employed
- Research and development (R&D) managers (2161)86,200 employed
- Production managers and directors in construction (1122)167,400 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Managers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €96,629 |
| Italy | €96,052 |
| Germany | €90,192 |
| Austria | €82,936 |
| Netherlands | €69,857 |
| Sweden | €60,369 |
| France | €58,740 |
| Ireland | €55,854 |
| Spain | €54,121 |
| Portugal | €39,189 |
| Poland | €19,596 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.84. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (11-9041).
Related careers
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