A BIM Coordinator works mainly in construction and manufacturing and typically has about seven to ten years of training and experience from working in different capacities using BIM technology and methodologies to qualify for employment in the profession. BIM Coordinators usually have a bachelor’s degree related to engineering, business, construction management, architecture, and structural design for working with BIM software, tools, and procedures for designing and developing products and building structures. Working as a BIM Coordinator usually involves managing 3D modeling and collecting data in collaboration with Engineers and Architects, as well as informing clients through a shared database or cloud platform. BIM technology helps solve potential issues related to a building’s development before construction starts such as clash detection for identifying how areas like ceilings, walls, beams, or plumbing might interfere with each other.
BIM Coordinators work with digital technology for designing 3D models used on construction projects. Among the requirements for working as a BIM Coordinator is being able to work with BIM software like Autodesk Revit and Navisworks to ensure that construction projects get finished on time and within budget while applying the appropriate standards. BIM Coordinators help with transforming design concepts into 3D models that can help others involved in a project understand architectural design or engineering concepts. With the emergence of digital technology and its influence on every aspect of life nowadays, skills in working with BIM software can open up a myriad of career options involving design in the construction industry.
What is a BIM Coordinator?
BIM Coordinators are tasked with managing projects related to the construction industry. Their jobs typically involve developing strategies, coordinating 3D modeling, collaborating with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers, and maintaining communication among colleagues as well as clients. BIM Coordinators ensure that everyone involved in a project stays in lockstep with responsibilities for creating, managing, and coordinating 3D modeling from the planning stages through completing construction.
BIM Coordinators have to make sure that proposed concepts are viable for construction projects by thoroughly analyzing designs to make sure that they are not only aesthetically pleasing but structurally sound as well as compliant with local codes and zoning regulations through applying BIM processing. BIM Coordinators’ responsibilities include assuring the geometry of a design revealed through 3D modeling for examining shapes, lines, and points within the design to determine structural integrity.
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Once a plan goes forward, BIM Coordinators are responsible for supervising 2D and 3D modeling involved with construction projects related to architectural design and engineering. This requires working with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers to oversee modeling with an emphasis on structural design and MEP engineering.
BIM Careers
Building Information Modeling is an area of digital technology that has become a popular tool within the construction industry. Skills with BIM can enhance career opportunities for people who have the ability to create 3D models for use on construction projects due to the software not only facilitating 3D modeling but also opening up avenues for collaboration among Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers, which includes helping with recognizing trends or forecasting weather before starting construction, which is extremely important for the industry. There are several careers related to possessing skills in BIM technology, including becoming a BIM Coordinator as well as similar positions.
BIM Coordinator
BIM is a relatively new area of technology used mainly in the construction and manufacturing industries for 3D modeling, data analytics, and structural analysis. BIM Coordinators work on projects with responsibilities for bringing distinct and separate parties together along with creating 3D models as well as maintaining quality control with architecture, structural design, and MEP engineering to fit different sections of an assignment into a coherent and organized unit.
A BIM Coordinator’s main role is streamlining different parties on a project for working in sync with architecture, structural design, and engineering, which includes finding and resolving clashes before construction gets underway. According to Glassdoor.com, the average annual income for BIM Coordinators in the United States ranges from $71,000 to $111,000, depending, of course, on where people live along with their level of experience. BIM Coordinators usually work with Engineers, Architects, Project Managers, and General Contractors with responsibilities for ensuring that BIM standards connected to a project are followed properly.
BIM Manager
The BIM Manager position is often confused with BIM Coordinators as both involve working with BIM technology as well as coordinating projects related to construction and manufacturing. However, the professions are slightly different. BIM Managers have more generalized responsibilities within an organization with overall operations that still involve working with people, overseeing 3D modeling along with the Designers tasked with developing them, and communicating in areas related to architecture, engineering, structural design, and plumbing on construction projects.
BIM Managers oversee the development and management of designs essential for completing construction projects. A BIM Manager’s role includes supervising 3D Modelers as well as communicating with Architects and Engineers. The role also requires informing stakeholders and clients on the status of a project. According to Glassdoor.com, the average income for a BIM Manager in the United States ranges between $92,000 and $139,000 a year, which varies depending on location and experience. Responsibilities as a BIM Manager include collaborating with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers to ensure that BIM standards related to a project are followed properly along with preparing construction documents related to BIM technology.
BIM Engineers
BIM Engineers develop models, automate tasks, and work with programming languages with the goal of facilitating efficiency by using BIM software. Skills in engineering are vital for analyzing structural design and ensuring structural integrity. Like BIM Coordinators, BIM Engineers work as part of a design team in construction with Architects and other Engineers to coordinate and adjust design information throughout the life cycle of a project. BIM Engineers are instrumental in analyzing and implementing critical data related to construction design and structural integrity through working with data visualization for modeling and simulating structural designs. According to Glassdoor.com, BIM Engineers can earn a yearly income ranging from $81,000 to $132,000 for work related to structural design.
Architect
Architects design construction plans based on a client’s specifications, which includes developing designs for structural systems; central air, heating, and ventilation systems; and plumbing. Architects can apply skills with BIM software combined with AutoCAD for designing building structures as part of their job for creating construction drawings and blueprints. Working as an Architect requires being able to hand draw as well as design blueprints during the conceptual stage of construction projects. According to Glassdoor.com, Architects working around the United States can make from $115,000 to $210,000 a year for developing building structures that are aesthetically pleasing and functionally sound.
CAD Designer
A CAD Designer needs to have skills with AutoCAD for creating 2D and 3D modeling designs for working on different types of projects that provide similar functions as BIM. While CAD skills are not the same as BIM, knowledge of CAD can complement skills for working with building information modeling. Becoming a CAD Designer requires technical training and expertise for designing and drafting on a variety of projects. People who have skills with AutoCAD can work in industries like manufacturing, engineering, product development, and construction. A CAD Designer can earn between $73,000 and $129,000 a year across the country, according to Glassdoor.com.
How to Decide Which Career is Right for You
Working as a BIM Coordinator may not be for everyone, but for some people, the career could be the right move to apply skills in 3D modeling along with the ability to communicate and work well with others. There may be construction companies that need people who have skills with BIM software and who feel comfortable collaborating in an intense working environment with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers to help streamline construction projects.
BIM Coordinators must be able to look at design concepts from several different angles, which means that anyone taking on this career must be self-motivated and disciplined. A BIM Coordinator’s main goal is to help projects meet deadlines. Completing deadlines and meeting expectations is crucial if a BIM Coordinator hopes to establish a strong reputation for reliable work to keep advancing in the profession.
Learn the Skills to Become a BIM Coordinator at Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop offers options for learning BIM technology, software, and procedures through VDCI, an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification in a variety of technologies, including building information modeling. Anyone considering becoming a BIM Coordinator might want to enroll in a certificate program or gain certification in the methodology or similar technologies. VDCI offers options for broader professional training, including the BIM Certificate Program, which aims to provide students with all the skills and experience they need to start working on BIM projects in a professional capacity. This course covers over 400 hours of training content, all of which is modeled on real-world construction projects. There is also a combined CAD/BIM Certificate Program for students looking for even more professional construction training.
Certificate programs provide hands-on experience with BIM or similar technologies for working with Engineers and Architects as BIM Coordinators. Certification, on the other hand, verifies a person’s expertise in specific skills such as programming languages, software, and tools like BIM. Education providers like VDCI also offer various AutoCAD-related certification programs, including the AutoCAD Certification Program that provides comprehensive training that prepares candidates for Autodesk certification exams. Training involves learning the fundamentals of technical drawing along with skills for drafting and creating 2D and 3D drawings using AutoCAD.
Achieving certification requires passing an exam administered by an industry-recognized organization. Ambitious BIM Coordinators can pursue BIM certification through Autodesk, which offers several paths contingent on a person’s career ambitions. The Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP) certification, for example, confirms a candidate's skills with AutoCAD, including being able to solve complicated problems with workflows and designs related to using BIM software. BIM Coordinators can also gain certification to improve career options with expertise in tools like Autodesk Revit for working in 3D modeling and designing and analyzing building structures. This can include taking on the Revit Certification Course to gain expertise in creating and managing architectural models using the Revit software.