Architecture & Construction
Architecture and construction are all about designing and building the roads, skyscrapers, and structures we use almost every single day. It ranges from designing brand new buildings to demolishing or renovating old structures. Think about building a bridge or constructing a new home, the electrical, plumbing, welding and more, all require specialized skills and tools to get the job done right!
- This area employs around 10,035,600 people, about 6.5% of the entire workforce.
- By 2030, the projected number of jobs is set to increase by about 4.69%.
- The mean wage is $26.47 an hour or $55,063 annually.
There are 3 main areas or pathways to consider –
- Design and Preparation for Construction – Focuses on planning a build project and managing resources and the process.
- Construction and Implementation – Focuses on building homes, offices, streets and bridges.
- Ongoing Repair and Required Maintenance – Focuses on maintaining and restoring machinery, equipment and various tools with routine maintenance and troubleshooting breakdowns.
Industries in Architecture & Construction –
- Building Construction – Comprised of organizations that design and build new structures like houses, industrial and commercial buildings or make changes to existing ones.
- Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction – Comprised of organizations that design and building heavy, large-scale construction projects, such as highways, parks, or dams.
- Repair and Maintenance – Comprised of organizations that works to prevent equipment breaking down and repairing equipment and other products.
- Specialty Trade Contractors – Comprised of organizations who complete specific and skilled work, such as plumbing, roofing, or electrical work.
- Utilities – Comprised of organizations that provide utilities, like electricity, water, gas, and sewage removal for homes or businesses.
- Waste Management Services – Comprised of organizations that collect, remove, treat and dispose of waste materials and contaminated sites.
Careers in Architecture & Construction –
| Job Title | Mean Hourly Wage | Projected Growth By 2030 | Minimum Education Required | Average Years Of School & Training | Average Debt From School & Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architects | $43.01 | -0.9% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $28.42 | 6.7% | Associate’s Degree | 2 Years | -$15,000 |
| Boilermakers | $33.42 | -13.6% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Brick masons and Blockmasons | $28.09 | -2.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Carpenters | $26.06 | -1.8% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Carpet Installers | $22.19 | 3.1% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | $34.82 | -5.4% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $23.74 | 3.9% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $27.21 | 13.1% | Associate’s Degree | 2 Years | -$15,000 |
| Civil Engineers | $45.88 | 5.7% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Commercial Divers | $34.54 | -11.8% | Postsecondary Nondegree Award | 1 – 2 Years | -$15,000 |
| Construction Laborers | $20.67 | -3.5% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Construction Managers | $51.57 | 12.6% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $28.05 | 2.8% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers | $30.00 | 1.3% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $18.05 | 9.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Cost Estimators | $35.08 | 9.6% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $30.77 | 11.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $24.17 | 10.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Dredge Operators | $25.86 | 4.7% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $24.97 | 14.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Earth Drillers, Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $24.54 | 14.1% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $35.78 | 9.0% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers | $18.63 | -13.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Electricians | $29.59 | 5.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $41.44 | 21.0% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | $23.32 | 8.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Fence Erectors | $19.29 | 25.5% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $35.09 | -32.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Grounds keeping Workers | $25.98 | 6.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Floor Layers | $23.91 | -5.3% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Floor Sanders and Finishers | $19.90 | 5.0% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Gas Plant Operators | $35.24 | 12.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Glaziers | $24.50 | 6.3% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Grounds Maintenance Workers | $19.36 | 8.0% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Health and Safety Engineers | $46.80 | 4.6% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $25.68 | -0.7% | Postsecondary Nondegree Award | 1 – 2 Years | -$15,000 |
| Helpers, Construction Trades | $16.89 | 17.9% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Helpers–Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | $19.32 | 13.7% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Helpers–Carpenters | $17.00 | 11.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Helpers–Electricians | $17.04 | 3.8% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Helpers–Extraction Workers | $18.82 | 17.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Helpers–Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | $16.33 | 9.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Helpers–Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | $16.12 | 12.9% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $16.82 | 30.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Helpers–Roofers | $16.86 | 16.3% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | $20.77 | 5.6% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | $30.16 | 9.1% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | $22.53 | -1.7% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $26.67 | -8.7% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Interior Designers | $29.52 | 26.2% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Landscape Architects | $36.27 | 2.3% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $16.25 | 11.5% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers | $17.48 | -0.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Mechanical Door Repairers | $21.80 | -14.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Mechanical Drafters | $29.56 | 8.4% | Associate’s Degree | 2 Years | -$15,000 |
| Millwrights | $28.40 | 5.6% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers | $21.24 | 5.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $26.58 | -0.8% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $22.33 | 27.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Paperhangers | $23.95 | 0.9% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $22.31 | 4.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Pile Driver Operators | $34.56 | -12.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Pipelayers | $21.66 | 6.0% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $25.05 | 15.1% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $29.37 | 2.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Power Plant Operators | $39.37 | 11.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Refractory Materials Repairers | $26.48 | 8.1% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $26.30 | -7.3% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Riggers | $25.49 | -17.8% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | $18.48 | 7.8% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | $29.76 | 14.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Roofers | $22.60 | -0.8% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $28.34 | 13.5% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $20.27 | 4.6% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | $25.07 | 16.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | $21.12 | 2.0% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $25.25 | 14.7% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $26.60 | -4.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | $23.08 | 11.9% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $32.77 | 5.8% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Stonemasons | $32.22 | -0.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $28.20 | 8.2% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $21.51 | -2.4% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Surveying and Mapping Technicians | $23.93 | 6.8% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Surveyors | $33.78 | 8.9% | Bachelor’s Degree | 4 – 5 Years | -$25,000 |
| Tapers | $29.87 | 11.2% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $27.13 | -29.7% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Tile and Stone Setters | $23.31 | -0.4% | No Formal Educational Credential | None | None |
| Tree Trimmers and Pruners | $21.18 | -8.5% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Underground Mining Machine Operators and Extraction Workers, All Other | $25.83 | 6.1% | High School Diploma or Equivalent | None | None |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $38.18 | 1.7% | Master’s Degree | 6 – 7 Years | -$70,000 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | $28.53 | -15.9% | Postsecondary Nondegree Award | 1 – 2 Years | -$15,000 |
Resources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes_nat.htm.” Accessed December 13, 2021.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Projections and Worker Characteristics, www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm.” Accessed December 13, 2021.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh” Accessed December 13, 2021.
