How to hire a computer architect

How to hire a computer architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer architect hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a computer architect job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new computer architect
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the computer architect you need to hire. Certain computer architect roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a computer architect to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a computer architect that fits the bill.

   This list presents computer architect salaries for various positions.

   Type of Computer Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Architect	Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures.	$29-67
   Job Captain	A Job Captain is responsible for overseeing the drafting process of a project and completing outstanding items or tasks that remain to be accomplished. They take direction from the Project Manager, the Project Architect, and/or the Architect of Record.	$24-46
   Architectural Consultant	An architectural consultant is a professional who owns or works for an independent architecture or multidisciplinary design firm to develop innovative building design solutions. The essential skills that an architectural consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good creative ability and strong organizational, technical, and visualization skills... Show more	$19-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cloud
   • C++
   • Cloud Computing
   • AWS
   • Azure
   • Java
   • Linux
   • OS
   • HPC
   • Virtualization
   • Windows
   • CPU
   • Desktop
   • Governance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead creation of client virtualization strategy and roadmap.
   • Lead ITIL processes, contract negotiations, architecture, vendor management, and project management.
   • Manage the desktop computing environment that includes hardware and software, defining standards, ensuring security and support.
   • Manage technical architects for development and support of existing and new terminal platforms to support Walmart mobile and batch application infrastructure.
   • Function successfully in both Java and .Net programming.
   • Consult for university academic groups and research groups HPC needs.

   More computer architect duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your computer architect job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A computer architect salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a computer architect in Florida may be lower than in California, and an entry-level computer architect usually earns less than a senior-level computer architect. Additionally, a computer architect with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average computer architect salary

   $93,616yearly

   $45.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer architect salary

   $62,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average computer architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$134,049	$64
   2	Virginia	$99,521	$48
   3	Washington	$97,718	$47
   4	District of Columbia	$96,147	$46
   5	Oregon	$94,051	$45
   6	Wisconsin	$93,791	$45
   7	Michigan	$92,072	$44
   8	Massachusetts	$91,175	$44
   9	Missouri	$88,398	$43
   10	New York	$85,818	$41
   11	Ohio	$84,125	$40
   12	Texas	$81,153	$39
   13	Colorado	$80,915	$39
   14	North Carolina	$76,449	$37
   15	Maryland	$76,048	$37
   16	Illinois	$73,607	$35
   17	Tennessee	$72,450	$35
   18	New Jersey	$72,016	$35
   19	Florida	$71,258	$34

   Average computer architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$166,464	$80.03	46
   2	Apple	$151,644	$72.91	85
   3	Microsoft	$138,073	$66.38	122
   4	NVIDIA	$136,203	$65.48	197
   5	Synaptics	$132,689	$63.79
   6	Booz Allen Hamilton	$119,203	$57.31	141
   7	Bank of America	$112,575	$54.12	18
   8	Amd	$112,394	$54.04	32
   9	Virtusa	$111,956	$53.83	51
   10	General Electric	$109,142	$52.47	67
   11	Staffing.com	$108,893	$52.35	1
   12	Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc	$107,548	$51.71
   13	Advertising Specialty Institute	$107,026	$51.45
   14	Micron Technology	$106,917	$51.40	24
   15	Intel	$106,663	$51.28	56
   16	Unisys	$105,788	$50.86	1
   17	Boeing	$101,687	$48.89	136
   18	Lucid Motors	$99,379	$47.78	8
   19	Compunnel	$93,901	$45.14	1
   20	Integration International	$93,142	$44.78

4. Writing a computer architect job description

   A good computer architect job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a computer architect job description:

   Computer architect job description example

   Group 89-Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group
   The Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group conducts quantum information science research from a shared foundation of innovative control-signal design, outstanding fabrication tools, and well-equipped measurement laboratories. The group has a broad range of experimental and prototyping activities. The group's quantum information science activities include the development of superconducting and trapped-ion qubits and quantum sensing with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. In addition, the group has robust capabilities in classical superconducting circuits, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) design and fabrication, and integrated photonics. These component technologies are used in synergy with quantum information science demonstrations, as well as in standalone applications that include beyond-CMOS circuit technologies, energy-starved sensors, compact optical communication and laser radar transceivers, and microwave photonic signal processing.
   
   The group seeks a full time technical staff to join our research team in theoretical quantum computing and quantum information science. The range of theoretical efforts in the group includes the design and evaluation of fault-tolerant quantum error correction protocols, gate-level implementation of quantum algorithms, and realistic modeling of error in physical qubit systems. A candidate that could establish themselves as an expert in one or more of these areas is desired.
   
   The candidate will help with the design of small-scale demonstrations of error correction and algorithms on physical devices, to include superconducting qubits and ions. An understanding of how the physical constraints of these hardware platforms impact the design of fault-tolerant protocols is desired. Experience implementing quantum algorithms at the gate-level with a limited universal gate-set is of interest including experience with high-level quantum languages and development environments such as Quipper.
   
   Also of interest is the modeling and simulation of the realistic treatment of error in physical qubit devices. Work in this area would include the development of the physical models for qubit devices and error processes, as well as the incorporation of these models into software simulation tools, and performing the analysis of the impact of error. Experience using Quantum Characterization, Verification and Validation techniques to analyze both simulation and experimental results is of interest. The successful candidate should have a strong interest in working as part of a team that includes other theoretical physicists and engineers as well as experimental physicists who are developing physical qubit systems using superconducting circuits and trapped-ion technology.
   
   Requirements:
   PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or related field. Must have a strong background in theoretical quantum computing and experience in quantum error correction. Prior research with characterizing quantum systems and the development of quantum error models is highly desired. The ability to develop software in programming languages such as: C++, Python, Matlab, and/or Mathematica is required. Experience with high-performance computing is desired.
   
   MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.
   
   Nearest Major Market: Boston

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right computer architect for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with computer architects they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit computer architects who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your computer architect job on Zippia to find and recruit computer architect candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as aaonetwork, aia , ala , an jobs, archareer .
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit computer architects, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new computer architect

   Once you have selected a candidate for the computer architect position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new computer architect. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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