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Architectural engineering offers a great career to those who want to bring creative architectural ideas to life. The architect creates building ideas, concepts and drawings. The architectural engineer is responsible for assuring the actual structural systems are properly designed for actual use by the public.
There are different career paths you can take after earning your engineering degree. Because the architectural engineer can be involved in the planning and design of particular building components, it is not unusual to specialize either.
For example, you may choose to specialize in illumination which includes all the electrical systems. You could specialize in air conditioning and heating systems for large buildings. Other specialties include plumbing, fire control systems, and total structural design.
There are a growing number of opportunities in areas like “smart buildings” and “green buildings.”
You can also specialize in particular topical areas like:
- Urban planning
- Interiors
- Industrial design
- Engineering technology
- Energy conservation (green buildings)
- Construction management
The amount of money you earn will be closely tied to the type of work you choose to do. This degree leads to some of the highest paying jobs for college graduates just starting their careers. According to PayScale a civil engineer, which is what this particular profession falls under, is paid an average salary of $62,425.
A building design architect, in comparison, is paid $53,658. You can earn quite a bit more right out of college with an architectural engineering degree.
Choose the Industry
Architectural engineers work in a number of different areas. You have a choice of architectural engineering careers in the following industries:
- State and federal government agencies
- Universities or colleges
- Architecture firms
- Construction firms
- Nonprofits like the Peace Corp
- Self-employment
- Computer assisted designs
In the category of architecture/engineering/construction federal government staff earns the highest average annual salary at almost $70,000 according to PayScale.
Also earning high salaries are state and local staffs at $68,000 and the self-employed earning the same amount as state and local professionals. Once you have your state license and some hands-on experience, you can become an independent consultant if you want to be self-employed.
Generally speaking, the more experience you have the more you will earn with average annual salaries topping off at $106,000 after 26 to 30 years of experience. This is according to the Engineering Workforce Commission of the American Association of Engineering Societies.
Professional Assistance Can Boost Your Career
You need a bachelor’s degree and a state license to pursue your architectural engineering degree. You can also take advantage of a number of professional organizations to network and stay on top of industry standards. Rapid technological changes make it imperative that you pursue continuing education opportunities for as long as you work.
Following is a short list of some of the many professional organizations offering certification workshops and ongoing education:
- The Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers
- American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
- American Society for Engineering Education
- National Association of Management Personnel in the Design Profession
- Society of Fire Protection Engineers
- Structural Engineering Institute
The demand for architectural engineers is expected to remain strong. During your career, you will work with many other professionals including mechanical and electrical engineers. This is a great career choice because it’s the type of job that is adaptable and offers new opportunities all the time.
One of the reasons is that technology is constantly improving. Building system innovations are leading to innovative career paths. For example, sophisticated computer software is frequently being introduced both for planning, design and building controls.
According to the University of Kansas, Architectural Engineers began their careers at an average annual salary of $51,411. The range was $39,500 to $60,000 which is a fairly wide spread. Many factors can impact starting pay including the city of employment and the industry in which the job is located.
Career Paths
Your career path will begin with a job working for a licensed senior engineer. During this time you will get hands-on experience with actual projects. As the project progresses, you will probably take on additional duties including higher level analysis work in the focus area such as HVAC or illumination.
Once you obtain your Professional Engineer license, you can then take responsibility as a project lead. Eventually you could become a project manager which includes building site monitoring and implementation of new technology.
In many states the licensing exam is given in 2 parts. The first part can be taken upon completion of your studies leading to a bachelor’s degree. The second part is taken after you have at least 4 years of work experience.
You can also pursue a graduate degree in Architectural Engineering if you want to fast track your career.
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