Hiring Architectural and Engineering Managers
Employers across the 92 metro areas we have BLS OEWS wage data for pay architectural and engineering managers a median of $134,010 to $234,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A search through recruitlocalpros runs Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340, set by seniority, never by location or salary. Our vetted recruiting partner handles sourcing, screening and placement end to end.
What do architectural and engineering managers do?
- Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
- Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
- Consult or negotiate with clients to prepare project specifications.
- Prepare budgets, bids, or contracts.
- Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
- Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 11-9041.00.
What does it take to become one?
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.
Employers commonly list experience with Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 for this role.
What do architectural and engineering managers get paid?
BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for architectural and engineering managers in 92 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $134,010 to $234,590 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $165,620. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.
BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 11-9041.
What does hiring one cost?
The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for architectural and engineering managers in this build is $234,590. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $46,918 to $70,377 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.
Frequently asked
- How fast can a architectural and engineering managers search fill?
- 23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.
- What if the hire does not work out?
- A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.
Price a architectural and engineering managers search
Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen, with the contingency comparison if you are paying one now.
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