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Architectural technician

Architectural technicians with closely with architectural teams on the design process of building projects.

£18,000 to £40,000 average per year

40 per week

1. Entry requirements

You’ll usually need a higher national diploma (HND), foundation degree or degree in:

architectural technology
construction
the built environment

You could also get taken on as a trainee. It will improve your chances of finding a traineeship if you have:

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent
2 A levels at grade C or above (or equivalent UCAS Tariff points) in related subjects like maths, science, IT and technology

You could also get into this career through an advanced apprenticeship.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

drawing skills and the ability to visualise objects in 3D
the ability to read designs and technical drawings
computer aided design (CAD) skills
maths skills
communication and teamworking skills

3. What you'll do

You'll work on the design plans of building projects like home extensions or sports stadiums.

You'll work for private architects’ practices, housing associations, property developers, and building and construction companies.

Your duties could include:

preparing technical information to plan projects
collecting and reading technical data
preparing plans using computer aided design (CAD) software
preparing applications for approval by regulatory bodies
developing specifications for building work
giving technical advice to the project team
visiting sites to check on progress

You'll work closely with architectural technologists, architects and other professionals.

4. Salary

Starter: £18,000 to £23,000

Experienced: £23,000 to £30,000

Highly Experienced: up to £40,000

These figures are a guide.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. You'll also usually work extra hours to meet deadlines.

You’ll be mainly office-based, but you'll also visit clients and construction sites.

6. Career path and progression

With experience you could work towards Technician (TCIAT) membership of CIAT.

With further training, you could work towards becoming an architectural technologist.