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