Career Options - AIAS circa 1993

Below are career options for those that pursue a degree in architecture; it is from the AIAS Career Options publication first published in 1993.  Over the summer and fall, I will be helping AIAS to update the list and publish a new version.  If you have ideas, send them to me -- lwaldrep@gmail.com.

Thanks!

AIAS Career Options (text from 1993)

Art and Design

Careers in Art and Design are appealing because of their potential for creative and aesthetic expression.  Although the design process is learned in an architectural education, many of these careers require additional specialized training or degrees.  The median salary for more design or art careers is below the median salary of the practicing architect.

Architectural Careers

Landscape Architect

Interior Designer

Model Maker

Architectural Photographer

Computer Presentation Designer

Architectural Renderer

Design Careers

Urban Art Designer

Furniture Designer

Set Designer

Graphic Designers

Fashion Designer

Industrial Designer

Jewelry Designer

Prop Designer

Related Careers

Museum Curator

Illustrator

Technical Illustrator

Film-Design Development

Creative Director – Advertising

Painter

Sculptor

Environmental Artist

Printmaker

Bookbinder

Fine Arts Appraiser

Carpenter

Corporate and Managerial

These careers are becoming a large part of architectural practice.  Many of the jobs with corporations and institutions involve facility planning and management.  Often, facilities personnel are the link between their organization and outside architectural firms.  The primary differences from private practice is that one’s employ is the only cliet, and much of the control over major decisions is lost.  The benefits are job security, medical benefits, retirement packages, paid vacation, and substantially higher salaries.  Some people recommend getting an MBA for this type of work, but others see this as only marginally helpful.

Facilities Management

Facilities Architect

Physical Plant Manager

University Design Manager

Campus Planning

Administration

Project Manager

Construction Manager

Related Corporate Careers

Building Products Technology Development

Cost and Construction Analyst

Corporate Consultant

Building Products Industry Officer

Market Researcher

Marketing – Construction

Marketing – Design and Communications

Technical and Engineering

Technical Occupations

Construction Inspector

Cartographer

Land Surveyor

Building Pathologist

Architectural Programmer

Computer Systems Analyst

Preconstruction Estimator

Construction Software Designer

CAD Coordinator

Fire Protection Designer

Technical Consulting Opportunities

CAD Consultant

Energy Consultant

Environmental Consultant

Airport Consultant

Color Consultant

Sweets Catalog Consultant

Related Engineering Careers

Structural Engineer

Civil Engineer

Marine Architect

Illuminating Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

Solar Energy Engineer

Planning Engineer

Design Automation

Specifications Engineer

Design Build Team Manager

Related Professional

Related Professions

Urban Planner

Real Estate Agent

Real Estae Project Manager

Developer

Contractor

Architectural Lawyer

Public Relations

Construction Specifier

Environmental Planner

Building Pathologist

Loan Officer

Property Assessor

Writing

Writing Careers

Freelance Writer

Technical Writer

Architecture Theorist

Proposal Writer

Document Design

Publisher – Architecture Journal

Architecture Critic

Magazine and Newspaper Editor

Publisher

Writer / Producer – TV and Film

Education

Architectural Education

Professor

Architectural Historian

Educator – Architecture in the Classroom

Librarian – Special Collections

College or University Dean

Researcher

Entrepreneuring

Related Careers

Furniture and Material Inventor and Fabricator

Architectural Inventor

Construction Company Founder

CEO – Corporate

Product Inventor

Sale Manager

Architectural Products and Services

Computer Presentations

Building Products

Graphic Supplies

Solar Technology

Office Systems

Environmental Products

Prefabricated Housing

Traditional Practice

Principal

Project Architect

Staff Architect

Draftsperson

Intern