Architectural Engineering

Types of Degrees Architectural Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many architectural engineering technology graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	558
Bachelor’s Degree	400
Basic Certificate	210
Undergraduate Certificate	35

What Architectural Engineering Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to ae tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for AE Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Skills for AE Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to ae tech:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for AE Tech Majors

As you progress with your ae tech degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

What Can You Do With a Architectural Engineering Major?

People with a ae tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Photonics Technicians	5.2%	$63,200

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Architectural Engineering?

Architectural Engineering Technology runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #33 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 553 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. This major tends to be male dominated. About 61% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ae tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	13
Black or African American	49
Hispanic or Latino	100
White	336
International Students	19
Other Races/Ethnicities	41

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in AE Tech. About 3.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Japan

How Much Do Architectural Engineering Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to ae tech is $65,720. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Architectural Engineering

Some careers associated with ae tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for ae tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	12.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	12.1%
Some College Courses	16.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	32.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	12.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	8.1%
Master’s Degree	8.1%

Online Architectural Engineering Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	16	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	86	3
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Architectural Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a ae tech grad is $65,720 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 65% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $516,400 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Architectural Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ae tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,288
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,780
Environmental Control Technology	9,376
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,822
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,347
Engineering-Related Fields	6,553
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,205
Construction Engineering Technology	4,299
General Engineering Technology	3,841
Quality Control Technology	3,720
Computer Engineering Technology	3,509
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,907
Energy Systems Technologies	1,277
Civil Engineering Technology	1,155
Engineering-Related Technologies	969
Mining & Petroleum Technology	410
Nuclear Engineering Technology	235
Nanotechnology	104

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.