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Architectural Engineering

Types of Degrees Architectural Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Architectural Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	21
Associate’s Degree	645
Bachelor’s Degree	412
Master’s Degree	472

What Architectural Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Architectural Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Architectural Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Architectural Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Architectural Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Architectural Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Architectural Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Architectural Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Architectural Engineering graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Engineering Assistant
• Fire Protection Engineering Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Civil Designer
• Drafting Technician
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Photonics Laboratory Technician (Photonics Lab Tech)
• Medical Laser Technician (Medical Laser Tech)
• Fiber Optics Splicer
• Fiber Optics Specialist
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)
• Ruling Technician (Ruling Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Architectural Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	34.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	24.2%
Postsecondary certificate	13.4%
Some college courses	12.9%
Bachelor’s degree	11.8%
Master’s degree	1.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Architectural Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 62.4% of Architectural Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	585	37.6%
Men	972	62.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Architectural Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	799	51.3%
Asian	65	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	367	23.6%
Black or African American	136	8.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	55	3.5%
Race Unknown	48	3.1%
International Students	80	5.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Architectural Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Architectural Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,677
4 years	$63,449
5 years	$65,836

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,836 — roughly 5% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Architectural Engineering Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Architectural Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	6

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Architectural Engineering Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Architectural Engineering graduates earn a median of $63,449 four years after completion — roughly 67% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering Technologies	15
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.02
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.12
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	15.10
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.13
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.03
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	15.04
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	15.17
Engineering-Related Fields	15.15
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	15.11
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.99
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	15.00

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.