Harper College

Careers in Architectural Studies

Interested in a career in Architectural Studies? Find out where your degree or certificate from Harper College can take you.

About Architectural Studies

A career in architectural studies involves creating scale drawings and designs for buildings, often using computer-aided design (CAD) tools. As an architect, you may work with interior designers and engineers to plan the structure and specifications of a building, as well as select materials for construction.

This career requires knowledge of CAD technology, building codes and regulations, and an eye for design. It also involves attention to detail when determining measurements and drafting plans.

Architects work on various types of structures, from residential homes to commercial buildings. If you are interested in this field, keep in mind that it often takes several years of education and experience before becoming licensed as an architect. However, a career in architectural studies can lead to exciting opportunities to bring your creative designs to life in the built world.

Get a list of top accounting job titles, and number of job postings for that position over the previous 12 months. (Souce: Lightcast, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI region, as of 11/16/2023)

This table lists architecture job titles, as well as the number of postings in the past 12 months. In the last column, it lists the BLS general occupation group.

Job Titles # of Postings (as of 11/16/23) Occupation Group
Engineering Managers 434 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Project Engineers 420 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Project Architects 232 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Directors of Engineering 184 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Chief Engineers 179 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Architects 173 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Franchise Owners 138 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Architectural Designers 124 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Data Engineering Managers 88 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Engineering Project Leads 86 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Restoration Project Managers 75 Architectural and Engineering Managers
BIM Specialists 67 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Project Engineering Managers 66 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Architectural Project Managers 62 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Electrical Engineering Managers 50 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Unclassified 50 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Structural Designers 49 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Vice Presidents of Engineering 49 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Engineering Leads 43 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Directors of Data Engineering 41 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Industrial Project Managers 37 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Distinguished Architects 33 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Industrial Engineering Managers 33 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Engineering Program Managers 32 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Mechanical Project Managers 32 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Engagement Directors 31 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Cloud Engineers 29 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Product Engineering Managers 29 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Civil Designers 28 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Platform Engineering Managers 27 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Project Managers 27 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Construction Project Engineers 23 Architectural and Engineering Managers
Drafters 21 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Space Planners 20 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Interior Architects 19 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Unclassified 19 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Structural Drafters 17 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil Drafters 16 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Architectural Staff 14 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
CAD Drafters 13 Architectural and Civil Drafters
AutoCAD Drafters 12 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil Technicians 10 Architectural and Civil Drafters
CAD Drafters/Designers 8 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Lead Piping Designers 8 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Structural Packaging Designers 8 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Unclassified 8 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Architectural CAD Drafters 7 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Architectural Project Designers 7 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil CAD Designers 6 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Graduate Design Engineers 5 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Structural Designers/Drafters 5 Architectural and Civil Drafters
AutoCAD Drafters/Designers 4 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil Engineering Designers 4 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil/Structural Designers 4 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Plumbing Designers 4 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Truss Designers 4 Architectural and Civil Drafters
AutoCAD Designers 3 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Civil 3D Designers 3 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Drafters/Detailers 3 Architectural and Civil Drafters

Most professionals in the architecture field have a bachelor's degree, though there are opportunities for those with an associate degree or CAD training.

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Architecture Career Profiles

Explore careers in architecture and view data on salaries, projected job growth, top local employers and more.

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Last Updated: 4/8/24