State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Architectural and Engineering Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Architectural and Engineering Managers is $171,270 a year ($82.34/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.8% through 2034, with about 14,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-9041ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Projected growth
- +3.8%
- Openings a year
- 14,500
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Civil Engineering Manager, Electrical Engineering Manager, Engineering Director, Engineering Group Manager, Engineering Program Manager, Mechanical Engineering Manager.
How much do Architectural and Engineering Managers make?
10th percentile$120,810
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$139,360
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$171,270
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$212,500
Upper quartile
90th percentile$262,760
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $171,270 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $82.34/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $181,540 |
| People employed | 220,260 |
Versus all US occupations
At $171,270, Architectural and Engineering Managers earn 236% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $120,290 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 36% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $262,760 or more while the bottom 10% earn $120,810, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 96% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Mexico pays the most at $215,120, and still leads at $233,289 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Architectural and Engineering Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $215,120 | $233,289 | 2,270 |
| California | $210,280 | $189,921 | 29,630 |
| Massachusetts | $201,430 | $190,465 | 7,690 |
| Washington | $189,680 | $177,249 | 6,060 |
| District of Columbia | $185,220 | $168,533 | 1,290 |
| Colorado | $183,810 | $178,366 | 4,900 |
| Delaware | $181,190 | $181,539 | 560 |
| New Jersey | $180,640 | $166,022 | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $177,190 | $171,428 | N/A |
| Virginia | $176,160 | $174,236 | 4,390 |
Is Architectural and Engineering Manager a growing career?
Architectural and Engineering Managers3.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Architectural and Engineering Managers to change 3.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 8,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,500 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 212,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth will largely reflect the overall demand for architectural and engineering workers. Demand for civil engineering services is expected to continue as the nation’s aging infrastructure requires repair and as the electrical grid requires updates and expansion. These managers also should be needed for projects such as renewable energy construction and design.
How to become an Architectural and Engineering Manager
To enter the occupation, architectural and engineering managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and considerable work experience as an architect or engineer.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as architectural and engineering managers.
- Bachelor's Degree45.5%
- Master's Degree27.0%
- First Professional Degree12.2%
- Post-Master's Certificate11.9%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)1.2%
What does an Architectural and Engineering Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.
Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering.
Day-to-day tasks
- Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
- Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for engineering and technical work.
- Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
- Perform administrative functions, such as reviewing or writing reports, approving expenditures, enforcing rules, or purchasing of materials or services.
- Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
- Review, recommend, or approve contracts or cost estimates.
- Direct recruitment, placement, and evaluation of architecture or engineering project staff.
- Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where architectural and engineering managers work
| Manufacturing | 35% |
|---|---|
| Architectural, engineering, and related services | 26% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 9% |
| Scientific research and development services | 6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Coordination3.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Instructing3.3/5
- Service Orientation3.3/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.3/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Architectural and Engineering Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic3.0
Investigativeprimary4.6
Artistic2.6
Social3.0
Enterprisingprimary6.4
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Architectural and Engineering Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Architectural and Engineering Managers make?
Architectural and Engineering Managers earn a median of $171,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 236% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $82.34/hr. The middle half earn between $139,360 and $212,500. The top 10% earn $262,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Architectural and Engineering Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Architectural and Engineering Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 45.5% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Architectural and Engineering Manager a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.8% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Architectural and Engineering Manager do?
Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering. A core O*NET task: confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Cloud-based management software.
Which states pay Architectural and Engineering Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Architectural and Engineering Managers are New Mexico ($215,120), California ($210,280), Massachusetts ($201,430) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Architectural and Engineering Manager?
O*NET scores Architectural and Engineering Managers highest on the Enterprising, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.