Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors
What they do?
A. Architects plan and develop designs for the construction/renovation of residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings.
B. Landscape architects develop landscape designs and oversee the landscaping of commercial projects, office complexes, parks, golf courses, and residences.
C. Urban and land use planners prepare and recommend land development plans for urban/rural areas and remote regions.
D. Land surveyors direct and conduct legal surveys to establish property boundaries, and prepare/maintain associated documents.
Where they find work?
1. Architectural engineering and related services - 64.0%
2. Public administration - 19.0%
3. Construction - 6.0%
4. Administrative and support waste management and remediation services - 2.0%
What education do I need?
1. In general, you need a university degree.
2. To be an architect, you must have a professional architecture degree and two years' experience with a registered architect or studies from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada syllabus program, and eight years' experience with a registered architect. You must register with your provincial/territorial association and pass the Architect Regulation examination. In Quebec, you must be a member of the professional corporation for architects.
3. To be a landscape architect, you need a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture. You may also need a master's degree. You need to finish a two-year internship, and in Ontario and British Columbia you need to write a provincial registration exam. In the remaining provinces, you usually need two years' design experience and an interview to obtain certification with your provincial association.
4. To be an urban or land use planner, you need a bachelor's degree in urban/regional planning or a related field. You may also need a master's degree. In most cases you need to belong to the Canadian Institute of Planners and, in some provinces, you must belong to a provincial association.
5. To be a land surveyor, you need a degree in geomatics or survey engineering or a community college program in survey science or geomatics technology with additional credits. You must also pass the official land surveyor examinations. You need to article for one- to three-years and pass professional land survey examinations for a federal or provincial licence. To practise in British Columbia and Quebec, you must be a member of the provincial professional land surveyor association.
6. Most recent entrants have an undergraduate university degree and almost 3 in 10 have a community college diploma.
High School Subject that will help:
1. Math
2. English
3. Drafting
4. Computer-related courses
What can you expect to make:
The average hourly wages for Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors is $25.62/HR, which is close to the average for occupations in the natural and applied sciences and related occupations and close to the average for all professional occupations. These wages grew at a below-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Average Wage
Expected Wage by Age
Unemployment:
3% of Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors are unemployed. This rate is close to the average for professionnal occupations.
Unemployment
Trends in Unemployment
Current Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors is considered Average because:
1. Employment grew at a below-average rate.
2. The retirement rate is above average, and the number of retiring workers contributes to job openings.
3. Hourly wages ($25.62) are above the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is below average.
4. The unemployment rate (3%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).
Future Job Prospects:
Your job outlook will continue to be Average because:
1. The employment growth rate will likely be close to the average.
2. The retirement rate will likely be above average and the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings.
3. The number of job seekers will likely exceed the number of job openings.
Highest Concetration:
The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors are found in Alberta and British Columbia while the lowest concentrations are in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.
Unionization Rate:
The unionization rate (31%) is close to the average (32%) for all occupations.
Useful Experience:
1. Project management
2. Team project work
3. Proposal writing
Age Demographics
Age Demographics:
The relatively low percentage of younger workers suggests few entry-level job openings, and could point to a greater need for workers with experience or a number of years of training. The older-than-average age (44) of worker will likely result in an above-average retirement rate to 2009.
