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Computer systems architect salary
Average computer systems architect salary
$83,727
Understanding Computer Systems Architect Salaries
The average salary for a Computer Systems Architect stands at $83,727 per year, translating to approximately $40 per hour. This role plays a critical part in designing and managing complex IT systems, making it essential in various industries.
Salaries by State
Salary levels can fluctuate significantly based on geographic location. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the demand for tech talent. Here's a snapshot of average salaries by state:
- California: $95,000
- New York: $90,000
- Texas: $82,000
Top Cities for Computer Systems Architects
Cities like San Francisco and Seattle lead the way in offering lucrative salaries for Computer Systems Architects. Professionals in these areas can expect competitive pay due to the concentration of tech companies and startups.
Career Opportunities
With the continuous growth of technology, the demand for skilled Computer Systems Architects is projected to rise. This presents a wealth of job opportunities across multiple sectors, making it a promising career choice for those interested in technology and system design.
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Where can a Computer Systems Architect earn more?
Average computer systems architect salary by state
The highest-paying states for computer systems architects are Hawaii, California, and Oregon. The lowest average computer systems architect salary states are West Virginia, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for computer systems architects
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $116,937 | $56.22 |
| 2 | Alaska | $110,031 | $52.90 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $194,606 | $93.56 |
| 4 | Nevada | $103,007 | $49.52 |
| 5 | Idaho | $93,917 | $45.15 |
| 6 | Arizona | $91,438 | $43.96 |
| 7 | Oregon | $118,482 | $56.96 |
| 8 | Maryland | $87,027 | $41.84 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $81,357 | $39.11 |
| 10 | Texas | $80,088 | $38.50 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $77,563 | $37.29 |
| 12 | California | $122,733 | $59.01 |
| 13 | Colorado | $87,535 | $42.08 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $76,153 | $36.61 |
| 15 | Virginia | $86,508 | $41.59 |
| 16 | Alabama | $83,723 | $40.25 |
| 17 | Delaware | $77,851 | $37.43 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $74,329 | $35.74 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $75,497 | $36.30 |
| 20 | Utah | $83,320 | $40.06 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $75,412 | $36.26 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $72,886 | $35.04 |
| 23 | New York | $76,511 | $36.78 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $74,534 | $35.83 |
| 25 | Ohio | $73,518 | $35.35 |
| 26 | Missouri | $73,701 | $35.43 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $74,799 | $35.96 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $79,139 | $38.05 |
| 29 | Florida | $73,277 | $35.23 |
| 30 | Georgia | $72,082 | $34.65 |
| 31 | Illinois | $72,799 | $35.00 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $73,626 | $35.40 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $70,220 | $33.76 |
| 34 | Montana | $70,360 | $33.83 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $73,813 | $35.49 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $66,137 | $31.80 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $77,690 | $37.35 |
| 38 | Iowa | $71,520 | $34.38 |
| 39 | Michigan | $69,064 | $33.20 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $70,729 | $34.00 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $71,743 | $34.49 |
| 42 | Indiana | $70,230 | $33.76 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $68,950 | $33.15 |
| 44 | Kansas | $67,990 | $32.69 |
| 45 | Vermont | $68,098 | $32.74 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $63,178 | $30.37 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $63,339 | $30.45 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $62,617 | $30.10 |
| 49 | Maine | $62,760 | $30.17 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $63,123 | $30.35 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $62,268 | $29.94 |
Highest paying cities for computer systems architects
The highest-paying cities for computer systems architects are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $141,278 | $67.92 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $120,547 | $57.96 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $91,538 | $44.01 |
| 4 | Columbia, MD | $87,006 | $41.83 |
| 5 | Reston, VA | $86,787 | $41.72 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $80,087 | $38.50 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $77,752 | $37.38 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $76,659 | $36.86 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $76,435 | $36.75 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $75,486 | $36.29 |
| 11 | Edison, NJ | $74,811 | $35.97 |
| 12 | Nashua, NH | $74,609 | $35.87 |
| 13 | Stamford, CT | $74,594 | $35.86 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $73,726 | $35.45 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $73,613 | $35.39 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $73,399 | $35.29 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $72,894 | $35.05 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $72,576 | $34.89 |
| 19 | Alpharetta, GA | $72,082 | $34.65 |
| 20 | Columbus, IN | $70,306 | $33.80 |
Computer systems architect salary details
A computer systems architect's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a computer systems architect's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| Average | $83,727 | $6,977 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
Highest paying computer systems architect jobs
The highest paying types of computer systems architects are principal systems engineer, lead systems engineer, and senior network engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Engineer | $83,557 | $6,963 | $40.17 | 72,346 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
| Administrator | $72,882 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 67,553 |
| Network Technician | $68,938 | $5,745 | $33.14 | 79,712 |
| Information Technology Administrator | $73,195 | $6,100 | $35.19 | 159,499 |
| Systems Integration Engineer | $106,065 | $8,839 | $50.99 | 217,599 |
Top companies hiring computer systems architects now:
Which companies pay computer systems architects the most?
Computer systems architect salaries at Google and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average computer systems architect salary at companies like Glu Mobile and Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (sgt) are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $160,238 | $77.04 | |
| 2 | Apple | $147,786 | $71.05 |
| 3 | Glu Mobile | $123,632 | $59.44 |
| 4 | Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (sgt) | $122,198 | $58.75 |
| 5 | Systems Technology Group | $120,871 | $58.11 |
| 6 | Ocwen Financial | $120,785 | $58.07 |
| 7 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $118,303 | $56.88 |
| 8 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $117,299 | $56.39 |
| 9 | Proofpoint | $113,900 | $54.76 |
| 10 | Serendebyte | $112,308 | $53.99 |
| 11 | CompuGain | $110,551 | $53.15 |
| 12 | Conga | $109,937 | $52.85 |
| 13 | Populus Group | $106,094 | $51.01 |
| 14 | SYSCOM | $104,939 | $50.45 |
| 15 | General Motors | $103,801 | $49.90 |
| 16 | eClinicalWorks | $103,743 | $49.88 |
| 17 | Acumen Solutions | $102,709 | $49.38 |
| 18 | TSR Consulting Services | $102,110 | $49.09 |
| 19 | Pace Inc | $99,900 | $48.03 |
| 20 | Global Eagle Entertainment | $99,799 | $47.98 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Computer systems architect salary trends
The average computer systems architect salary has risen by $15,278 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average computer systems architect earned $68,449 annually, but today, they earn $83,727 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for computer systems architects over the last decade.
Compare computer systems architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average computer systems architect salary over time
Compare computer systems architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Computer systems architect salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,700 | $40.25 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $81,000 | $38.93 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $79,100 | $38.05 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $78,200 | $37.61 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $76,900 | $36.96 | +2.4% |
Recently added computer systems architect salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Computer Systems Architect 14513 | Roy, UT | 06/09/2025 | $147,700 |
| Northrop Grumman | Principal Computer Systems Architect | Palmdale, CA | 06/06/2025 | $110,300 |
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Engineer Electronics-Computer Systems Architect | Melbourne, FL | 06/01/2025 | $147,700 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Computer System Validation | Indianapolis, IN | 05/21/2025 | $75,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | Senior Principal Electronics Engineer-Computer System Architect | Palmdale, CA | 05/10/2025 | $137,400 |
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Computer Systems Architect 14513 | Huntsville, AL | 04/22/2025 | $147,700 |
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Computer Systems Architect 14513 | Roy, UT | 04/22/2025 | $147,700 |
| SAIC (Science Applications Int | Systems Architecture and Requirements | Aurora, CO | 04/19/2025 | $160,001 |
| SAIC (Science Applications Int | Systems Architecture and Requirements | El Segundo, CA | 04/17/2025 | $160,001 |
| Northrop Grumman | SR Principal Computer Systems Architect | Colorado Springs, CO | 04/08/2025 | $124,900 |
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