Architect vs. Architectural Engineer

An architect is someone who designs buildings and other structural projects, while an architectural engineer is an architect that utilizes engineering principles and technology to construct key systems within a building.

What degree do you need to be an architectural engineer?

You need a bachelor's degree to be an architectural engineer. However, this is just the start; To become a licensed architectural engineer you must also complete an internship and pass several exams along the way.

How To Become An Architectural Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an architectural engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Christy Graves

For the science-minded individual who likes to build and create, architectural engineering could be a potentially rewarding career. Architectural engineers are primarily responsible for ensuring construction projects adhere to structural, electrical, mechanical, and fire safety protocols and procedures, as well as governmental regulations. Their duties often involve thorough examination of blueprints and plans prior to construction in order to identify potential safety risks or code violations.

Architectural engineers commonly work with architects and construction companies in order to design and build structures of all types, from single-family homes to skyscrapers. They are skilled in design and construction, capable of managing staff, and can coordinate with architects, civil engineers, and construction crews.

Architectural engineers often have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in architecture, engineering, or a comparable field, but an advanced degree is not necessarily a requirement for individuals possessing previous experience or the employer's desired skill set. The reported annual salary for an architectural engineer falls within the range of $70,000-$144,000/year, with job growth in the U.S predicted to increase by 3% by 2028. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon academic qualification, having previous experience, and possession of the aforementioned skills.

What general advice would you give to an architectural engineer?

Christy Graves

Professor/Program Manager, Seminole State College of Florida

I would advise the graduate to learn from everyone they work with within the workplace environment. Even though a degree in architectural engineering technology is valuable, it's impossible to learn everything you need to know to be successful in the industry by taking classes in school and earning a degree. Do not be afraid to ask others for help when you aren't sure about the task you've been assigned to do. In addition, keep up with new technology. Remember, learning should be a lifetime pursuit. It shouldn't end with earning a degree.

ScoreArchitectural EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $105,163

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 15.10%

Black or African American 3.75%

Hispanic or Latino 11.02%

Unknown 4.63%

White 65.21%

Gender

female 19.27%

male 80.73%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an architectural engineer

Explore architectural engineer education requirements

Most common architectural engineer degrees

Bachelor's

69.9 %

Master's

13.8 %

Associate

11.5 %

Start to develop specific architectural engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Python	12.64%
C++	10.82%
Revit	5.87%
Java	5.15%
Project Management	4.91%

Complete relevant architectural engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New architectural engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an architectural engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real architectural engineer resumes.

Research architectural engineer duties and responsibilities

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Manage overall SaaS implementation for large scale clients, including scoping requirements, designing solutions, planning project timelines.
Lead application security teams in defining role base access controls to automate user provisioning.
Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.

Prepare your architectural engineer resume

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