Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between architectural engineers and structures engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an architectural engineer and a structures engineer. Additionally, an architectural engineer has an average salary of $105,163, which is higher than the $73,391 average annual salary of a structures engineer.
The top three skills for an architectural engineer include python, C++ and revit. The most important skills for a structures engineer are structural analysis, revit, and RISA.
| Architectural Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $105,163 | $73,391 |
| Hourly rate | $50.56 | $35.28 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 54,845 | 20,778 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Architectural engineers are engineering professionals who design buildings that enhance the standard of living and improve the quality of life by applying science and technology to the real world. These engineers are required to collaborate with architects to evaluate prototypes used for buildings or systems construction and provide recommendations on how to comply with codes and safety standards. They must analyst sketches, blueprints, and models to identify issues related to the environment, acoustics, and safety. Architectural engineers must also ensure that building constructions are following government regulations and acts.
A structures engineer works in designing, planning, and overseeing the development of the latest buildings and bridges or modifications and extensions to an existing property or other structures. They are mainly concerned with the safety and capability of the structure to withstand the elements to which they will be exposed--also improving the existing building structural integrity. Part of the task is inspecting properties regarding the conditions/foundation and checking work undertaken by contractors. The job is very similarly related to a civil engineer.
Architectural engineers and structures engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Architectural Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Average salary | $105,163 | $73,391 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $157,000 | Between $54,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an architectural engineer and a structures engineer in terms of educational background:
| Architectural Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between architectural engineers' and structures engineers' demographics:
| Architectural Engineer | Structures Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 15.1% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.3% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |