Architectural and Engineering Managers: salary, outlook & degrees

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

U.S. median wage
$171,270

Middle half $139,360–$212,500. 220,260 jobs.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025

Ages 25-34 in this job
$140,532

91% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $142,135.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation

Outlook, 2025-35
+5.5%

About 14,900 openings a year, including replacements.

BLS Employment Projections 2025-35

Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).

BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone

Degrees that lead to this career

What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.

Field of bachelor's degreeShareDegree pages
Mechanical Engineering23%Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science9%Computer Science
Electrical Engineering9%Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering7%Computer Engineering
General Engineering5%Engineering
Civil Engineering4%Civil Engineering
Chemical Engineering3%Chemical Engineering
Industrial And Manufacturing Engineering3%Industrial Engineering
Business Management And Administration2%Business Administration
Aerospace Engineering2%Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.

Education workers say the job requires

High school or lessunder 1%
Some college, certificate or associate1%
Bachelor's46%
Graduate degree53%

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.

Pay by state and metro

StateMedian wage
New Mexico$215,120
California$210,280
Massachusetts$201,430
Washington$189,680
District of Columbia$185,220
Colorado$183,810
Delaware$181,190
New Jersey$180,640
Oregon$177,190
Virginia$176,160
Rhode Island$175,910
New York$175,710
Connecticut$175,490
Maryland$172,670
New Hampshire$172,240
Minnesota$172,130
Texas$171,370
Florida$170,740
South Carolina$169,040
North Carolina$167,840
Arizona$167,480
Michigan$166,930
Ohio$166,870
Pennsylvania$164,690
South Dakota$164,330
Alaska$164,260
Illinois$163,610
Wyoming$163,560
Idaho$162,970
Louisiana$162,850
Alabama$162,350
Nevada$161,560
Georgia$161,470
Tennessee$161,430
Utah$161,120
Kansas$160,150
Missouri$157,800
Vermont$157,710
Oklahoma$157,330
Indiana$155,810
Hawaii$151,670
West Virginia$149,430
Kentucky$147,680
North Dakota$147,400
Iowa$147,320
Montana$146,030
Maine$145,720
Mississippi$142,790
Wisconsin$142,060
Nebraska$141,020
Arkansas$140,600
PR$130,560
GU$100,740

Florida metro areas

  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$177,990
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$167,160
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$169,310
  • Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$175,490
  • Jacksonville$167,800
  • North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$174,380
  • Tallahassee$140,790
  • Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$163,840

Virginia metro areas

  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$185,220
  • Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$161,340
  • Richmond$167,170
  • Kingsport-Bristol$138,550
  • Roanoke$139,170
  • Lynchburg$152,360
  • Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$137,870
  • Charlottesville$168,400

California metro areas

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$190,900
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$234,590
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$221,580
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$202,810
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$193,970
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$172,600
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$179,760
  • Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$207,900

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.

What the work takes

Top skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics

Knowledge used

  • Design
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Administration and Management
  • English Language

Work styles

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

People in this job tend to have Enterprising (leading), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.

O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.

Architectural and Engineering Managers: questions

How much do architectural and Engineering Managers make?

Architectural and Engineering Managers earn a U.S. median $171,270 a year; the middle half earn $139,360 to $212,500 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $140,532 (Census ACS 2020-2024).

Is architectural and Engineering Managers a growing field?

BLS projects growth of 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,900 openings a year, including replacements.

What degree do you need to be an architectural and Engineering Manager?

BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 99% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is mechanical Engineering (23%).

How much do architectural and Engineering Managers make in Florida?

The median in Florida is $170,740 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $171,270 nationally.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 11-9041. Method
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Cite this: “Architectural and Engineering Managers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers.