Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Management and business operations / 11-9041.00

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.

US jobs
220,260
Median wage
$171,270 a year
Job family
Management and business operations

Can agents do the work of architectural and engineering managers?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Management and business operations:

  • Task levelPartialOnly adjacent evidence. On TheAgentCompany, which gives agents workplace tasks inside a simulated software company, the best agent resolves 42.9% of tasks (a November 2025 result). No task-level benchmark in our collection maps directly to management or business operations.
  • Project levelPartialMixed. OpenAI reports that GPT-5.5's GDPval deliverables won or tied against professionals' work in 84.9% of comparisons, and the best agent passes 73.5% of APEX-Agents tasks on the first try. Running a business is weaker: on Vending-Bench 2 the best model ends a simulated year with $15,515, about a quarter of Andon Labs' estimate for a good strategy.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in management and business operations, not always this occupation's tasks.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
  • Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
  • Consult or negotiate with clients to prepare project specifications.
  • Prepare budgets, bids, or contracts.
  • Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
  • Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
  • Assess project feasibility by analyzing technology, resource needs, or market demand.
  • Review, recommend, or approve contracts or cost estimates.
  • Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for engineering and technical work.
  • Establish scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management.
  • Direct recruitment, placement, and evaluation of architecture or engineering project staff.
  • Perform administrative functions, such as reviewing or writing reports, approving expenditures, enforcing rules, or purchasing of materials or services.
Other job titles for this occupation (33)

Civil Engineering Manager · Electrical Engineering Manager · Engineering Director · Engineering Group Manager · Engineering Program Manager · Mechanical Engineering Manager · Process Engineering Manager · Project Engineering Manager · Project Manager · Architect Manager · Architectural Project Manager · Civil Project Manager (Civil PM) · Data Engineering Director · Data Engineering Manager · Electrical Engineering Director · Electrical Project Manager (Electrical PM) · Electronics Engineering Manager · Engineering Design Manager · Engineering Project Manager · Engineering Project Specialist · Engineering Research Manager · Engineering Supervisor · Environmental Engineering Manager · Global Engineering Manager · Mechanical Engineering Director · Mechanical Project Manager (MPM) · Product Development Director · Project Coordinator · Prototype Engineer Manager · Research and Development Manager (R&D Manager) · Research Development Manager · Research Manager · Transmitter Engineer-in-Charge