Leads teams that design and verify computer chips, owning schedules, quality and staffing from specification through manufacturing handoff. BLS does not publish separate figures for architectural and engineering managers; it counts them within architectural and engineering manager (SOC 11-9041), whose median pay is $171,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-9041
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Silicon Engineering Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $171,270a year, or $82.34/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $121KTop 10% $263K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.5%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 14,900220,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025220.9K
- Projected 2035233.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 220.9K Projected 2035 233.1K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's1.2%
- Bachelor's45.5%
- Post-bacc certificate1.2%
- Master's27%
- Post-master’s certificate11.9%
- Professional degree12.2%
Highest education held by architectural and engineering managers Segment Value Associate's 1.2% Bachelor's 45.5% Post-bacc certificate 1.2% Master's 27% Post-master’s certificate 11.9% Professional degree 12.2%
Also advertised as: Semiconductor Design Manager, ASIC Design Manager, Director of Silicon Engineering, VLSI Design Manager, Hardware Engineering Manager, Silicon.
Pay
How much do Architectural and Engineering Managers make?
Every silicon engineering manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$171,270
Middle half earn $139,360 to $212,500
- 10th
- $120,810
- 25th
- $139,360
- 75th
- $212,500
- 90th
- $262,760
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $120,810 |
| 25th | $139,360 |
| Median | $171,270 |
| 75th | $212,500 |
| 90th | $262,760 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 95% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay Architectural and Engineering Managers the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Mexico | $215,120 | $233,289 | 2,270 |
| 2California | $210,280 | $189,921 | 29,630 |
| 3Massachusetts | $201,430 | $190,465 | 7,690 |
| 4Washington | $189,680 | $177,249 | 6,060 |
| 5District of Columbia | $185,220 | $168,533 | 1,290 |
| 6Colorado | $183,810 | $178,366 | 4,900 |
| 7Delaware | $181,190 | $181,539 | 560 |
| 8New Jersey | $180,640 | $166,022 | 4,540 |
| 9Oregon | $177,190 | $171,428 | N/A |
| 10Virginia | $176,160 | $174,236 | 4,390 |
Job outlook
Is Silicon Engineering Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | +5.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Architectural and Engineering Managers to change 5.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 12,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,900 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 220,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Silicon Engineering Manager
Most silicon engineering managers hold a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical or computer engineering and spent many years as design, verification or physical design engineers. Experience taking several chips through tape-out is usually expected before leading a team.
The usual path is to become a technical lead for a block or subsystem, mentor junior engineers and run part of the schedule, then move into management. Knowledge of electronic design automation tools, verification methods and semiconductor manufacturing flows is essential. Industry bodies such as the Semiconductor Industry Association and federal CHIPS programs support the growing US workforce.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
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%
- First Professional Degree12.2%
- Post-Master's Certificate11.9%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree1.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 45.5% |
| Master's Degree | 27% |
| First Professional Degree | 12.2% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 11.9% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 1.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Silicon Engineering Manager do?
Silicon engineering managers lead the teams that turn a chip specification into a design ready for manufacturing. Their teams may cover digital design, verification, physical design or the full flow. They plan the work, track progress against tape-out, the milestone when a design goes to the factory, and make tradeoffs when performance, power or schedule targets are at risk.
Managers hire and develop engineers, coordinate with architects, software teams and manufacturing partners, and report status to directors and program managers. Because mistakes found after manufacturing are extremely expensive, they spend a lot of effort on verification coverage, design reviews and sign-off checks. Many stay technical enough to dig into timing or verification problems themselves.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan chip design and verification schedules to tape-out
- Hire, coach and evaluate design and verification engineers
- Track progress on timing, power, area and verification coverage
- Make tradeoffs when design targets or schedules are at risk
- Coordinate with architects, software teams and foundry partners
- Lead design reviews and sign-off checks before manufacturing
- Report status and risks to engineering directors
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Silicon engineering managers work at semiconductor companies, device and cloud companies with in-house chip teams, and hardware startups. The work is office-based or hybrid, with meetings, reviews and planning alongside technical deep dives. The weeks before tape-out often bring long hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Mathematics3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Monitoring3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Time Management3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Instructing3.3
- Service Orientation3.3
- Management of Personnel Resources3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Silicon Engineering Manager?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code EIR) built on O*NET's Architectural and Engineering Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Silicon Engineering Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Enterprising6.4
- Investigative4.9
- Conventional4.4
- Realistic3.6
- Social3.0
- Artistic2.6
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Silicon Engineering Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Architecture and Engineering
- Business and Financial Operations
- Architecture and Engineering
- Educational Instruction and Library
More management careers
Median annual pay, with architectural and engineering managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Silicon Engineering Manager$171,270
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Silicon Engineering Manager | $171,270 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Silicon Engineering Manager appears on
Questions
Silicon Engineering Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Architectural and Engineering Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for architectural and engineering managers. It counts them within architectural and engineering manager, whose median pay is $171,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $139,360 and $212,500, and the top 10% earn $262,760 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Silicon 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 Silicon Engineering Manager a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.5% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 14,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Silicon Engineering Manager do?
Silicon engineering managers lead the teams that turn a chip specification into a design ready for manufacturing. A typical task: plan chip design and verification schedules to tape-out. 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 a Silicon 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 1,731 careers in the bank.