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Project architect vs project manager

The differences between project architects and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $76,812 average annual salary of a project architect.

The top three skills for a project architect include revit, autocad and sketch. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Project architect vs project manager overview

Project ArchitectProject Manager
Yearly salary$76,812$91,578
Hourly rate$36.93$44.03
Growth rate3%8%
Number of jobs82,192167,116
Job satisfaction-4.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4547
Years of experience4-

What does a project architect do?

A project architect spearheads and oversees a construction project's design and development procedures from the planning stages to its completion, ensuring it adheres to standards, budgets, and deadlines. They primarily coordinate with the clients to understand and identify project needs, leading the engineers and contractors throughout the project. They are also typically in charge of preparing all of the necessary documents and ensuring that procedures adhere to state and federal laws, including the environmental, zoning, and safety standards. Additionally, a project architect maintains an open communication line with the clients, updating them regularly.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Project architect vs project manager salary

Project architects and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project ArchitectProject Manager
Average salary$76,812$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $110,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyWestern Alliance BankThe Citadel
Best paying industryConstructionTechnology

Differences between project architect and project manager education

There are a few differences between a project architect and a project manager in terms of educational background:

Project ArchitectProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorArchitectureBusiness
Most common collegeCornell UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Project architect vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between project architects' and project managers' demographics:

Project ArchitectProject Manager
Average age4547
Gender ratioMale, 80.9% Female, 19.1%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 16.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage15%10%

Differences between project architect and project manager duties and responsibilities

Project architect example responsibilities.

  • Manage the distribution of and collection of RFQ from and to contractors and sub-contractors.
  • Manage design team (s) & consultants of various projects throughout NYC & Washington DC.
  • Advise clients on means to achieve actionable goals through sustainable design practices per USGBC leer standards.
  • Lead teams in developing use cases, models, systems, and interfaces leveraging J2EE technology.
  • Lead the rebranding of all visual communications, including a new website design and print collateral standards.
  • Coordinate with leer consultants to achieve project certifications.
  • Show more

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
  • Show more

Project architect vs project manager skills

Common project architect skills
  • Revit, 21%
  • Autocad, 10%
  • Sketch, 6%
  • SketchUp, 5%
  • Healthcare, 5%
  • Building Codes, 5%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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