Architectural and Engineering Managers
Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041) earn a median $171,270 a year ($82.34 an hour) in the United States, with 220,260 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Mexico.
What architectural and engineering managers do
Architectural and engineering managers direct the technical work of firms and departments that design buildings, infrastructure, products, and systems, or that carry out research and development in those fields. The managers coordinate and integrate technical activities across projects, review and approve design changes, and negotiate with clients to settle project specifications. They prepare budgets, bids, and contracts and explain proposals and results to clients. Titles include civil engineering manager, architectural project manager, and engineering director. The occupation is distinct from architects and engineers, who perform the design and analysis themselves, and from natural sciences managers, who lead research in life, physical, and mathematical sciences. Computer and information systems managers oversee technology staff rather than engineering projects. They also assess project feasibility by analyzing technology, resource needs, or market demand. Managers also confer with management, production, or marketing staff about project specifications and procedures.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Architect Manager, Architectural Project Manager, Civil Engineering Manager, Civil Project Manager (Civil PM), Data Engineering Director.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $58.08 | $67.00 | $82.34 | $102.16 | $126.33 | $87.28 | 220,260 |
| Annual | $120,810 | $139,360 | $171,270 | $212,500 | $262,760 | $181,540 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where architectural and engineering managers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $78.62 | $100.14 | $103.42 | $124.84 | $128.94 | $103.62 | 2,270 | 2.61 | 1.84 |
| Annual | $163,530 | $208,290 | $215,120 | $259,680 | $268,190 | $215,540 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $66.30 | $81.32 | $101.10 | $121.10 | $142.37 | $102.46 | 29,630 | 1.63 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $137,900 | $169,140 | $210,280 | $251,890 | $296,130 | $213,110 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $66.23 | $80.02 | $96.84 | $108.98 | $137.70 | $97.61 | 7,690 | 2.11 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $137,750 | $166,430 | $201,430 | $226,680 | $286,410 | $203,040 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $71.60 | $79.94 | $91.19 | $104.36 | $126.71 | $96.17 | 6,060 | 1.71 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $148,930 | $166,270 | $189,680 | $217,070 | $263,550 | $200,030 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $66.57 | $77.63 | $89.05 | $93.84 | $108.21 | $89.05 | 1,290 | 1.84 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $138,470 | $161,470 | $185,220 | $195,190 | $225,080 | $185,230 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $66.30 | $81.32 | $101.10 | $121.10 | $142.37 | $102.46 | 29,630 | 1.63 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $137,900 | $169,140 | $210,280 | $251,890 | $296,130 | $213,110 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $57.92 | $69.40 | $82.39 | $104.17 | $133.55 | $90.16 | 19,030 | 1.35 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $120,460 | $144,340 | $171,370 | $216,670 | $277,790 | $187,520 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $56.49 | $65.00 | $80.25 | $90.68 | $104.83 | $80.61 | 14,820 | 3.37 | 2.38 |
| Annual | $117,490 | $135,210 | $166,930 | $188,610 | $218,050 | $167,660 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $56.56 | $64.47 | $80.22 | $97.40 | $106.24 | $81.78 | 9,690 | 1.75 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $117,640 | $134,090 | $166,870 | $202,580 | $220,990 | $170,090 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $56.81 | $64.41 | $79.18 | $90.04 | $106.70 | $80.75 | 9,640 | 1.59 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $118,170 | $133,960 | $164,690 | $187,270 | $221,940 | $167,960 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $84.06 | $103.04 | $112.78 | $140.51 | $153.08 | $121.49 | 5,130 | 4.52 | 3.19 |
| Annual | $174,850 | $214,320 | $234,590 | $292,250 | $318,400 | $252,690 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $79.40 | $88.81 | $106.53 | $138.31 | $153.90 | $113.88 | 5,000 | 2.11 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $165,160 | $184,720 | $221,580 | $287,680 | $320,120 | $236,870 | ||||
| Albuquerque, NM | Hourly | $72.62 | $103.42 | $103.42 | $115.32 | $128.94 | $103.34 | 1,160 | 2.87 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $151,050 | $215,120 | $215,120 | $239,860 | $268,190 | $214,950 | ||||
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | Hourly | $63.71 | $79.63 | $102.44 | $109.40 | $129.01 | $96.87 | 180 | 1.47 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $132,520 | $165,630 | $213,070 | $227,550 | $268,340 | $201,490 | ||||
| Peoria, IL | Hourly | $60.88 | $82.33 | $102.32 | $105.32 | $128.70 | $94.59 | 540 | 3.22 | 2.28 |
| Annual | $126,620 | $171,250 | $212,820 | $219,070 | $267,690 | $196,750 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $63.88 | $77.95 | $91.78 | $109.55 | $129.48 | $94.90 | 9,570 | 1.53 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $132,870 | $162,140 | $190,900 | $227,870 | $269,320 | $197,390 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $61.87 | $66.60 | $81.03 | $97.98 | $104.83 | $83.22 | 9,260 | 4.86 | 3.43 |
| Annual | $128,680 | $138,520 | $168,550 | $203,800 | $218,050 | $173,100 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $64.30 | $75.62 | $88.41 | $107.11 | $139.21 | $94.74 | 7,580 | 0.80 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $133,740 | $157,290 | $183,890 | $222,800 | $289,560 | $197,060 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $66.81 | $80.55 | $98.62 | $109.02 | $139.64 | $98.57 | 6,690 | 2.48 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $138,960 | $167,540 | $205,130 | $226,770 | $290,440 | $205,030 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $54.06 | $63.99 | $78.57 | $96.34 | $113.10 | $82.34 | 6,670 | 1.48 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $112,440 | $133,100 | $163,430 | $200,400 | $235,240 | $171,260 | ||||
Top industries employing architectural and engineering managers
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 26.2% of architectural and engineering managers nationally (57,730 jobs) at a median $168,410 a year ($80.97 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (6.8%) and Scientific Research and Development Services (6.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 57,730 | 26.2% | $168,410 | $80.97 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 14,950 | 6.8% | $181,720 | $87.36 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 13,240 | 6.0% | $211,450 | $101.66 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 11,760 | 5.3% | $192,800 | $92.69 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing NAICS 334500 | 9,080 | 4.1% | $177,090 | $85.14 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (220,260). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $152,350 for architectural and engineering managers in May 2021 and $171,270 in May 2025, with employment of 187,100 and 220,260.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $152,350 | $73.25 | 187,100 |
| May 2022 | $159,920 | $76.88 | 197,180 |
| May 2023 | $165,370 | $79.50 | 207,800 |
| May 2024 | $167,740 | $80.64 | 210,340 |
| May 2025 | $171,270 | $82.34 | 220,260 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico profile | $103.42 | $215,120 | $163,530 | $268,190 | 2,270 | 2.61 | 1.84 |
| 2 | California profile | $101.10 | $210,280 | $137,900 | $296,130 | 29,630 | 1.63 | 1.15 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $96.84 | $201,430 | $137,750 | $286,410 | 7,690 | 2.11 | 1.49 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $91.19 | $189,680 | $148,930 | $263,550 | 6,060 | 1.71 | 1.21 |
| 5 | District of Columbia profile | $89.05 | $185,220 | $138,470 | $225,080 | 1,290 | 1.84 | 1.30 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | $88.37 | $183,810 | $135,380 | $272,950 | 4,900 | 1.71 | 1.20 |
| 7 | Delaware profile | $87.11 | $181,190 | $131,490 | $222,050 | 560 | 1.15 | 0.81 |
| 8 | New Jersey profile | $86.85 | $180,640 | $129,690 | $275,950 | 4,540 | 1.06 | 0.75 |
| 9 | Oregon profile | $85.19 | $177,190 | $129,470 | $239,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 10 | Virginia profile | $84.69 | $176,160 | $124,830 | $253,060 | 4,390 | 1.07 | 0.75 |
| 11 | Rhode Island profile | $84.57 | $175,910 | $124,410 | $257,780 | 370 | 0.75 | 0.53 |
| 12 | New York profile | $84.48 | $175,710 | $128,500 | $274,870 | 8,250 | 0.85 | 0.60 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $84.37 | $175,490 | $122,200 | $245,970 | 4,970 | 2.93 | 2.07 |
| 14 | Maryland profile | $83.02 | $172,670 | $114,080 | $231,460 | 5,240 | 1.90 | 1.34 |
| 15 | New Hampshire profile | $82.81 | $172,240 | $120,350 | $266,950 | 2,160 | 3.17 | 2.24 |
| 16 | Minnesota profile | $82.75 | $172,130 | $128,430 | $223,540 | 4,580 | 1.55 | 1.10 |
| 17 | Texas profile | $82.39 | $171,370 | $120,460 | $277,790 | 19,030 | 1.35 | 0.95 |
| 18 | Florida profile | $82.09 | $170,740 | $116,900 | $251,590 | 8,710 | 0.88 | 0.62 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $81.27 | $169,040 | $115,280 | $226,970 | 3,200 | 1.39 | 0.98 |
| 20 | North Carolina profile | $80.69 | $167,840 | $121,900 | $231,350 | 6,960 | 1.41 | 0.99 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $80.52 | $167,480 | $121,500 | $249,990 | 4,680 | 1.44 | 1.02 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $80.25 | $166,930 | $117,490 | $218,050 | 14,820 | 3.37 | 2.38 |
| 23 | Ohio profile | $80.22 | $166,870 | $117,640 | $220,990 | 9,690 | 1.75 | 1.23 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $79.18 | $164,690 | $118,170 | $221,940 | 9,640 | 1.59 | 1.12 |
| 25 | South Dakota profile | $79.00 | $164,330 | $116,320 | $209,210 | 310 | 0.69 | 0.48 |
| 26 | Alaska profile | $78.97 | $164,260 | $113,790 | $236,490 | 900 | 2.76 | 1.95 |
| 27 | Illinois profile | $78.66 | $163,610 | $112,090 | $231,880 | 8,900 | 1.46 | 1.03 |
| 28 | Wyoming profile | $78.64 | $163,560 | $116,010 | $224,990 | ** | ** | ** |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $78.35 | $162,970 | $103,130 | $219,970 | 850 | 0.99 | 0.70 |
| 30 | Louisiana profile | $78.29 | $162,850 | $119,600 | $218,970 | 1,840 | 0.95 | 0.67 |
| 31 | Alabama profile | $78.06 | $162,350 | $106,100 | $236,230 | 3,790 | 1.79 | 1.27 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $77.67 | $161,560 | $108,300 | $228,590 | 780 | 0.50 | 0.36 |
| 33 | Georgia profile | $77.63 | $161,470 | $107,170 | $221,750 | 3,590 | 0.73 | 0.52 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $77.61 | $161,430 | $105,980 | $239,240 | 3,600 | 1.10 | 0.77 |
| 35 | Utah profile | $77.46 | $161,120 | $113,080 | $221,400 | 2,290 | 1.32 | 0.93 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $76.99 | $160,150 | $113,990 | $235,170 | 2,010 | 1.40 | 0.99 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | $75.87 | $157,800 | $105,170 | $213,050 | 2,250 | 0.77 | 0.54 |
| 38 | Vermont profile | $75.82 | $157,710 | $110,930 | $214,980 | 350 | 1.15 | 0.81 |
| 39 | Oklahoma profile | $75.64 | $157,330 | $108,990 | $234,620 | 2,070 | 1.21 | 0.85 |
| 40 | Indiana profile | $74.91 | $155,810 | $102,030 | $214,470 | 4,610 | 1.44 | 1.02 |
| 41 | Hawaii profile | $72.92 | $151,670 | $99,920 | $216,650 | 1,220 | 1.95 | 1.37 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | $71.84 | $149,430 | $103,690 | $211,550 | 420 | 0.60 | 0.42 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $71.00 | $147,680 | $114,220 | $201,730 | 1,800 | 0.90 | 0.63 |
| 44 | North Dakota profile | $70.86 | $147,400 | $112,130 | $215,100 | 270 | 0.62 | 0.44 |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $70.83 | $147,320 | $103,470 | $210,220 | 1,520 | 0.97 | 0.69 |
| 46 | Montana profile | $70.21 | $146,030 | $105,270 | $204,300 | 560 | 1.10 | 0.78 |
| 47 | Maine profile | $70.06 | $145,720 | $111,490 | $208,140 | 820 | 1.28 | 0.90 |
| 48 | Mississippi profile | $68.65 | $142,790 | $99,210 | $205,560 | 860 | 0.74 | 0.52 |
| 49 | Wisconsin profile | $68.30 | $142,060 | $103,720 | $207,680 | 4,550 | 1.55 | 1.09 |
| 50 | Nebraska profile | $67.80 | $141,020 | $103,070 | $222,240 | 1,510 | 1.48 | 1.04 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $67.60 | $140,600 | $98,520 | $209,320 | 1,220 | 0.94 | 0.66 |
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-9041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-9041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.