Become An Architectural Designer

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Working As An Architectural Designer

Thinking Creatively
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Mostly Sitting
Stressful
$53,824
Average Salary

What Does An Architectural Designer Do

An Architectural Designer is specialized in planning and designing structures/urban landscapes. They ensure that company policies and standards are maintained when providing services to clients.

How To Become An Architectural Designer

There are typically three main steps to becoming a licensed architect: completing a professional degree in architecture, gaining relevant experience through a paid internship, and passing the Architect Registration Examination.

Education

In all states, earning a professional degree in architecture is typically the first step to becoming an architect. Most architects earn their professional degree through a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program, intended for students with no previous architectural training. Many earn a master’s degree in architecture, which can take 1 to 5 years in addition to the time spent earning a bachelor’s degree. The amount of time required depends on the extent of the student’s previous education and training in architecture.

A typical bachelor’s degree program includes courses in architectural history and theory, building design with an emphasis on computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), structures, construction methods, professional practices, math, physical sciences, and liberal arts. Central to most architectural programs is the design studio, where students apply the skills and concepts learned in the classroom to create drawings and three-dimensional models of their designs.

Currently, 34 states require that architects hold a professional degree in architecture from one of the 123 schools of architecture accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). State licensing requirements can be found at the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). In the states that do not have that requirement, applicants can become licensed with 8 to 13 years of related work experience in addition to a high school diploma. However, most architects in these states still obtain a professional degree in architecture.

Training

All state architectural registration boards require architecture graduates to complete a lengthy paid internship—generally 3 years of experience—before they may sit for the Architect Registration Examination. Most new graduates complete their training period by working at architectural firms through the Intern Development Program (IDP), a program run by NCARB that guides students through the internship process. Some states allow a portion of the training to occur in the offices of employers in related careers, such as engineers and general contractors. Architecture students who complete internships while still in school can count some of that time toward the 3-year training period.

Interns in architectural firms may help design part of a project. They may help prepare architectural documents and drawings, build models, and prepare construction drawings on CADD. Interns may also research building codes and write specifications for building materials, installation criteria, the quality of finishes, and other related details. Licensed architects will take the documents that interns produce, make edits to them, finalize plans, and then sign and seal the documents.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

All states and the District of Columbia require architects to be licensed. Licensing requirements typically include completing a professional degree in architecture, gaining relevant experience through a paid internship, and passing the Architect Registration Examination.

Most states also require some form of continuing education to keep a license, and some additional states are expected to adopt mandatory continuing education. Requirements vary by state but usually involve additional education through workshops, university classes, conferences, self-study courses, or other sources.

A growing number of architects voluntarily seek certification from NCARB. This certification makes it easier to become licensed across states, because it is the primary requirement for reciprocity of licensing among state boards that are NCARB members. In 2014, approximately one-third of all licensed architects had the certification.

Advancement

After many years of work experience, some architects advance to become architectural and engineering managers. These managers typically coordinate the activities of employees and may work on larger construction projects.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Architects must understand the content of designs and the context in which they were created. For example, architects must understand the locations of mechanical systems and how those systems affect building operations.

Communication skills. Architects share their ideas, both in oral presentations and in writing, with clients, other architects, and workers who help prepare drawings. Many also give presentations to explain their ideas and designs.

Creativity. Architects design the overall look of houses, buildings, and other structures. Therefore, the final product should be attractive and functional.

Organizational skills. Architects often manage contracts. Therefore, they must keep records related to the details of a project, including total cost, materials used, and progress.

Technical skills. Architects need to use CADD technology to create plans as part of building information modeling (BIM).

Visualization skills. Architects must be able to see how the parts of a structure relate to each other. They also must be able to visualize how the overall building will look once completed.

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Architectural Designer jobs

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Architectural Designer Career Paths

Architectural Designer

Job Captain Architect

Architectural Project Manager

8 Yearsyrs

Project Designer Project Architect Construction Manager

Capital Project Manager

10 Yearsyrs

Project Manager General Manager Maintenance Technician

Chief Engineer

10 Yearsyrs

Design Manager Senior Project Manager

Construction Consultant

11 Yearsyrs

Project Architect Project Manager

Construction Manager

10 Yearsyrs

Project Coordinator Property Manager General Contractor

Construction Superintendent

9 Yearsyrs

Interior Designer Senior Designer

Design Manager

7 Yearsyrs

Project Architect Construction Manager Operations Director

Director Of Facilities

11 Yearsyrs

Structural Designer Project Engineer Assistant Project Manager

Estimator Project Manager

9 Yearsyrs

Construction Manager Maintenance Technician Facilities Maintenance Manager

Facilities Project Manager

9 Yearsyrs

Design Manager Operations Manager Property Manager

General Contractor

6 Yearsyrs

Job Captain Project Coordinator Assistant Project Manager

General Superintendent

11 Yearsyrs

Computer Aided Design Designer Designer Interior Designer

Interior Designer/Project Manager

5 Yearsyrs

Interior Designer Project Coordinator Project Engineer

Project Superintendent

10 Yearsyrs

Project Manager Construction Manager

Senior Construction Manager

14 Yearsyrs

Project Designer Senior Designer

Senior Designer/Project Manager

8 Yearsyrs

Structural Designer Design Engineer Mechanical Design Engineer

Senior Mechanical Designer

11 Yearsyrs

Computer Aided Design Designer Project Manager Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager Construction

14 Yearsyrs

Project Coordinator Operations Manager Site Manager

Site/Project Manager

9 Yearsyrs

Senior Designer Field Engineer Assistant Superintendent

Superintendent

9 Yearsyrs

Average Length of Employment

Project Architect 5.1 years
Computer Aided Design Designer 4.5 years
Residential Designer 4.4 years
Senior Architectural Designer 4.4 years
Draftsman/Designer 4.4 years
Architectural Project Manager 4.3 years
Interior Designer/Project Manager 4.2 years
Architectural Designer 4.0 years
Designer/Estimator 3.6 years
Autocad Designer 3.5 years
Landscape Designer 3.5 years
Job Captain 3.5 years
Facility Designer 3.3 years
Design Architect 3.2 years
Architectural Draftsman 3.0 years
Project Designer 3.0 years
Architectural Technician 3.0 years
Building Architectural Designer 3.0 years
Architectural Drafter 2.8 years
Architect Assistant 2.0 years
Junior Architect 1.8 years
Architectural Internship 1.8 years
Junior Designer 1.6 years
Drafting Internship 0.9 years

Top Careers Before Architectural Designer

Top Careers After Architectural Designer

Architectural Designer Demographics

Gender

Male
67.3%
Female
29.0%
Unknown
3.7%

Ethnicity

White
70.1%
Hispanic or Latino
13.6%
Asian
12.3%
Unknown
3.3%
Black or African American
0.6%

Languages Spoken

Spanish
45.7%
French
9.2%
Italian
7.5%
Mandarin
5.2%
German
5.2%
Chinese
4.6%
Arabic
4.6%
Portuguese
3.5%
Japanese
3.5%
Russian
1.7%
Irish
1.7%
Persian
1.7%
Korean
1.2%
Cantonese
1.2%
Hebrew
0.6%
Romanian
0.6%
Gujarati
0.6%
Hindi
0.6%
Dutch
0.6%
Cornish
0.6%

Architectural Designer

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Architectural Designer Education

Schools

Lawrence Technological University
14.1%
Northeastern University
5.9%
Syracuse University
5.6%
Wentworth Institute of Technology
5.6%
Savannah College of Art and Design
5.2%
Illinois Institute of Technology
4.8%
Florida International University
4.8%
Temple University
4.5%
State University of New York Buffalo
4.5%
New Jersey Institute of Technology
4.5%
Boston Architectural College
4.5%
University of California - Berkeley
4.1%
Pratt Institute-Main
4.1%
Harvard University
4.1%
University of Oregon
4.1%
Drexel University
4.1%
University of Illinois at Chicago
4.1%
Iowa State University
4.1%
University of Texas at Arlington
3.7%
Cornell University
3.7%

Majors

Architecture 46.0%
Drafting And Design 7.9%
Environmental Design 6.8%
Business 4.5%
Interior Design 4.5%
Urban Planning 3.5%
Project Management 2.7%
Architectural Engineering 2.7%
Graphic Design 2.6%
Architectural Technology 2.4%
Construction Management 2.4%
Civil Engineering 2.3%
Fine Arts 2.1%
Computer Science 1.9%
Architectural Engineering Technology 1.6%
Interior Architecture 1.5%
Management 1.3%
Landscape Architecture 1.2%
Electrical Engineering 1.1%
Engineering 1.1%

Degrees

Bachelors
38.0%
Masters
26.1%
Other
18.0%
Associate
11.0%
Certificate
4.2%
Diploma
1.4%
Doctorate
0.9%
License
0.3%

Architectural Designer

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

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Real Architectural Designer Salaries

Job Title	Company	Location	Start Date	Salary
Architectural Designer	LAR Ny LLC	New York, NY	Oct 01, 2015	$210,436
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Dec 07, 2016	$150,000
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Jul 12, 2016	$150,000
Architectural Designer	Is Development	New York, NY	Sep 04, 2015	$150,000
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pederson Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Aug 15, 2016	$135,000
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Dec 07, 2016	$135,000
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Jul 12, 2016	$135,000
Architectural Designer III	Kohn Pederson Fox Associates PC	New York, NY	Aug 20, 2015	$135,000
Solution Architect, 4-Architecture/Design-Mobile&Web Api's	Sutter Health	Mather, CA	Dec 19, 2016	$130,000
Architectural Designer	LAR Ny LLC	New York, NY	Aug 30, 2016	$124,468
Architectural Designer	Martin Brudnizki Design Studio LLC	New York, NY	Nov 08, 2016	$110,000
Landscape Architectural Designer	Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, Inc.	San Francisco, CA	Jun 15, 2016	$101,733
Architectural Designer	Grimshaw Architects P.C.	New York, NY	Sep 25, 2015	$60,686
Architectural Designer	Adaptive Architecture	Cupertino, CA	Sep 23, 2016	$60,440
Architectural Designer	Johnson Fain	Los Angeles, CA	Sep 30, 2016	$60,362
Architectural Designer	5 Design, Inc.	Los Angeles, CA	Oct 01, 2015	$60,362
Architectural Designer	Li/Saltzman Architects PC	New York, NY	Feb 03, 2016	$60,320
Architectural Designer	M3 Engineering & Technology Corporation	Tucson, AZ	Dec 15, 2016	$60,320
Architectural Designer	Harley Ellis Devereaux Corporation	Los Angeles, CA	Sep 01, 2015	$60,320
Architectural Designer	Li/Saltzman Architects P.C.	New York, NY	Mar 03, 2015	$60,320
Architectural Designer	Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects	New Haven, CT	Sep 08, 2015	$54,080
Landscape Architectural Designer	Plat Studio Inc.	Berkeley, CA	Sep 21, 2016	$54,000 - $57,000
Architectural Designer	Fennick McCredie Architecture Ltd.	Boston, MA	Jun 09, 2016	$54,000
Junior Architectural Designer	Elkus Manfredi Architects, Ltd.	Boston, MA	Aug 30, 2016	$54,000
Architectural Designer	Spruce Street Partners LLC	Winnetka, IL	Dec 12, 2015	$54,000
Architectural Designer	Ennead Architects LLP	New York, NY	Mar 14, 2016	$54,000
Architectural Designer	Leo A Daly Company	Washington, DC	Jul 12, 2015	$53,976
Architectural Designer	Lehman Smith McLeish, PLLC	Washington, DC	Sep 09, 2015	$53,976 - $63,000

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Top Skills for An Architectural Designer

Top Architectural Designer Skills

Architectural Construction Documents
Autocad Architecture
Architectural Drawings

You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:

Completed all architectural construction documents.
Assist architects with the design and modeling of Tribal Projects in AutoCAD Architecture Assist in transition from AutoCAD to Revit
Prepared architectural drawings of residential and commercial structures.
Utilized Auto CAD, hand drafting and colored renderings.
Worked with a partner on the schematic design, code analysis, planning, and drawings for a cruise terminal competition.