Architect
Career Area: Construction, Extraction, and Architecture
Occupation Group: Architects
Salary
Percentile wages tell how much a certain percentage of an overall population in a geographic area or within a given industry or field makes. The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
An example would be the 25th percentile, 25 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 75 percent earn more than the estimated wage value. At the 75th percentile, 75 percent of workers employed in that occupation earn less and 25 percent earn more than the estimated wage value.
A typical Architect earns the following wages (national and state):
State
The average salary in North Carolina for those pursuing this career is $83,636
National
The average salary in the United States for those pursuing this career is $85,957
What Does a Professional in this Career Do?
Plans and designs buildings and other structures. Drafts drawings and blueprints, uses computer software, and oversees the construction process for a building or structure. Works with clients to create designs that are functional and aesthetically appealing.
Employment Trends
The job demand and job growth statistics shown here were derived from job posts over the past year. Expected job growth projections are extrapolated from year-over-year job post listing history.
Job demand and job growth is expected at the following rates:
| Location | Growth | |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 941 | +11.4% |
| Nationwide | 32606 | +8.4% |
Skills
A professional in this position typically utilizes the following skills in the course of everyday work in this exciting and challenging field:
Baseline Skills
The following are baseline skills every Architect is expected to have in order to experience success in this field:
- Communication Skills: The ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently.
- Teamwork / Collaboration: Experience working in collaborative efforts with a team to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
- Planning: Working experience with the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve desired goals.
- Creativity: Mental characteristic that allows a person to think outside of the box, which results in innovative or different approaches to a particular task.
- Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office is an office suite of applications, servers, and services developed by Microsoft.
Specialized Skills
These skills are specific to working in this career:
- Revit: Working experience of Revit. Autodesk Revit is building information modeling software for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, designers and contractors developed by Autodesk. It allows users to design a building and structure and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements, and access building information from the building model's database. Revit is 4D BIM capable with tools to plan and track various stages in the building's lifecycle, from concept to construction and later maintenance and/or demolition.
- Project Management: Project management is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria.
- AutoCAD: AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application.
- Project Architecture: Aproject architect(PA) is the individual who is responsible for overseeing the architectural aspects of the development of thedesign, production of the construction documents (plans) andspecifications.
- Budgeting: Experience planning how the financial resources of a business or department are to be allocated during the next business period.
Distinguishing Skills
Any Architect that possesses the following skills will stand out against the competition:
- Schematic Design: A schematic, or schematic diagram, is a representation of the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.
- Shop Drawings: Working experience of Shop Drawings. A shop drawing is a drawing or set of drawings produced by the contractor, supplier, manufacturer, subcontractor, or fabricator. Shop drawings are typically required for prefabricated components. Examples of these include: elevators, structural steel, trusses, pre-cast concrete, windows, appliances, cabinets, air handling units, and millwork.
- Autodesk: Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational software corporation that makes software for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, and entertainment industries.
- Construction Documentation: The drawings and specifications an architect and/or engineer provides to describe construction requirements for a project.
- Building Design: Building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering and technical applications to the design of buildings.
Experience
This position typically requires the following level of experience. The numbers presented in the pie charts below were derived from actual job posts over the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.
| Experience Required | % |
| 0 to 2 years | 15% |
| 3 to 5 years | 46% |
| 6 to 8 years | 20% |
Many of the programs offered through NC State are designed for working professionals who need additional credentials to enhance existing work experience.
Students who do not have the expected level of experience may wish to look into internship and employment opportunities.
Common Job Titles
It is possible to find work in this field in positions commonly listed as the following job titles:
- Project Architect
- Architect
- Architectural Designer
- Architectural Project Manager
- Architectural Captain
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