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The average salary for a Computer Architect in the United States is $93,616 annually, translating to about $45 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry.
Entry-level Computer Architects can expect to earn less, while those with several years of experience can command salaries upwards of $120,000. For instance, professionals in leadership roles or specialized fields may see higher compensation.
In terms of location, states such as California and Washington tend to offer the highest salaries for Computer Architects, reflecting the demand for tech professionals in major tech hubs.
The growing reliance on technology across various sectors ensures that Computer Architects remain in demand. By staying updated with industry trends and continuously enhancing skills, professionals can maximize their earning potential and career advancement opportunities.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level computer architect | $84,600 | $40.68 |
| Mid-level computer architect | $94,500 | $45.44 |
| Senior-level computer architect | $104,000 | $50.20 |
The highest-paying states for computer architects are California, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. The lowest average computer architect salary states are Florida, Hawaii, and Oklahoma.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $105,173 | $50.56 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $97,736 | $46.99 |
| 3 | Nevada | $94,380 | $45.38 |
| 4 | Washington | $97,331 | $46.79 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $89,131 | $42.85 |
| 6 | Georgia | $92,133 | $44.29 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $101,039 | $48.58 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $86,301 | $41.49 |
| 9 | Arizona | $91,484 | $43.98 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $93,574 | $44.99 |
| 11 | Michigan | $92,276 | $44.36 |
| 12 | California | $122,695 | $58.99 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $96,014 | $46.16 |
| 14 | Virginia | $98,823 | $47.51 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $89,026 | $42.80 |
| 16 | Maine | $90,546 | $43.53 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $85,676 | $41.19 |
| 18 | Oregon | $95,297 | $45.82 |
| 19 | Missouri | $88,147 | $42.38 |
| 20 | Ohio | $85,022 | $40.88 |
| 21 | Texas | $80,935 | $38.91 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $82,299 | $39.57 |
| 23 | New York | $85,721 | $41.21 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $82,821 | $39.82 |
| 25 | Utah | $88,384 | $42.49 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $91,041 | $43.77 |
| 27 | Vermont | $86,745 | $41.70 |
| 28 | Colorado | $80,885 | $38.89 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $76,729 | $36.89 |
| 30 | Montana | $76,994 | $37.02 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $83,186 | $39.99 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $83,045 | $39.93 |
| 33 | Maryland | $75,838 | $36.46 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $80,844 | $38.87 |
| 35 | Alaska | $77,734 | $37.37 |
| 36 | Illinois | $73,400 | $35.29 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $81,773 | $39.31 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $75,950 | $36.51 |
| 39 | Alabama | $75,179 | $36.14 |
| 40 | Indiana | $75,010 | $36.06 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $72,048 | $34.64 |
| 42 | Delaware | $74,846 | $35.98 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $69,479 | $33.40 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $72,352 | $34.78 |
| 45 | Kansas | $72,225 | $34.72 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $72,069 | $34.65 |
| 47 | Idaho | $65,649 | $31.56 |
| 48 | Florida | $70,462 | $33.88 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $62,860 | $30.22 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $66,734 | $32.08 |
| 51 | Iowa | $64,179 | $30.86 |
The highest-paying cities for computer architects are San Francisco, CA, McLean, VA, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $134,049 | $64.45 |
| 2 | McLean, VA | $99,521 | $47.85 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $97,718 | $46.98 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $96,147 | $46.22 |
| 5 | Hillsboro, OR | $94,051 | $45.22 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $93,791 | $45.09 |
| 7 | Lansing, MI | $92,072 | $44.27 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $91,175 | $43.83 |
| 9 | Saint Louis, MO | $88,398 | $42.50 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $85,818 | $41.26 |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | $84,125 | $40.44 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $81,153 | $39.02 |
| 13 | Englewood, CO | $80,915 | $38.90 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | $76,449 | $36.75 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $76,048 | $36.56 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $73,607 | $35.39 |
| 17 | Knoxville, TN | $72,450 | $34.83 |
| 18 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $72,016 | $34.62 |
| 19 | Orlando, FL | $71,258 | $34.26 |
A computer architect's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| Average | $93,616 | $7,801 | $45 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
The highest paying types of computer architects are principal, architectural firm, senior architect/design manager, and integration architect.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job Captain | $71,047 | $5,921 | $34.16 | 60,149 |
| Architectural Consultant | $72,886 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 43,113 |
| Technology Architect | $108,837 | $9,070 | $52.33 | 131,229 |
| Design Architect | $89,139 | $7,428 | $42.86 | 111,505 |
| Architect | $86,635 | $7,220 | $41.65 | 94,621 |
| Integration Architect | $109,630 | $9,136 | $52.71 | 89,611 |
Top companies hiring computer architects now:
Computer architect salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average computer architect salary at companies like Microsoft and NVIDIA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $166,464 | $80.03 |
| 2 | Apple | $151,644 | $72.91 |
| 3 | Microsoft | $138,073 | $66.38 |
| 4 | NVIDIA | $136,203 | $65.48 |
| 5 | Synaptics | $132,689 | $63.79 |
| 6 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $119,203 | $57.31 |
| 7 | Bank of America | $112,575 | $54.12 |
| 8 | Amd | $112,394 | $54.04 |
| 9 | Virtusa | $111,956 | $53.83 |
| 10 | General Electric | $109,142 | $52.47 |
| 11 | Staffing.com | $108,893 | $52.35 |
| 12 | Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc | $107,548 | $51.71 |
| 13 | Advertising Specialty Institute | $107,026 | $51.45 |
| 14 | Micron Technology | $106,917 | $51.40 |
| 15 | Intel | $106,663 | $51.28 |
| 16 | Unisys | $105,788 | $50.86 |
| 17 | Boeing | $101,687 | $48.89 |
| 18 | Lucid Motors | $99,379 | $47.78 |
| 19 | Compunnel | $93,901 | $45.14 |
| 20 | Integration International | $93,142 | $44.78 |
The average computer architect salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $127,037 | $61.08 |
| 2 | Media | $112,995 | $54.32 |
| 3 | Transportation | $100,954 | $48.54 |
| 4 | Finance | $73,971 | $35.56 |
The average computer architect salary has risen by $10,212 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average computer architect earned $83,404 annually, but today, they earn $93,616 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for computer architects over the last decade.
Compare computer architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare computer architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $93,600 | $45.01 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $91,800 | $44.15 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $90,300 | $43.40 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $89,200 | $42.90 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $87,500 | $42.06 | +1.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Senior Computing Architect | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $153,000 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Computing Architect | Everett, WA | 06/30/2025 | $124,400 |
| Boeing | Senior Computing Architect | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $153,000 |
| Boeing | Senior Computing Architect | Everett, WA | 06/25/2025 | $124,400 |
| Oracle | Compute Architect | Sacramento, CA | 06/13/2025 | $161,700 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Computing Architect | Seattle, WA | 04/29/2025 | $142,800 |
| Boeing | Senior Computing Architect | Seattle, WA | 04/22/2025 | $142,800 |
| Mediatek | Computer Architect | San Jose, CA | 03/26/2025 | $190,000 |
| General Atomics | Senior High Performance Computing Architect | Boston, MA | 03/19/2025 | $128,130 |
| Qualcomm | Soc/Computer Architect, Cloud/Ai Data Center | Santa Clara, CA | 03/09/2025 | $190,100 |
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