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Design architect salary
Average design architect salary
$89,139
Understanding Design Architect Salaries
A Design Architect plays a pivotal role in creating functional, aesthetic spaces, leading to an average salary of $89,139 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and specific industry.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start around $60,000, while seasoned professionals can earn over $120,000. Experience directly impacts salary, with higher compensation for those in senior roles.
Geographical Differences
Design Architects in states like California and New York tend to earn more, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. This regional variation is crucial for job seekers aiming to maximize their earning potential.
Job Opportunities and Career Growth
As the demand for innovative designs persists, opportunities for Design Architects remain strong. Exploring job listings in diverse markets can lead to positions that offer competitive salaries and growth potential.
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Where can a Design Architect earn more?
Design architect salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level design architect | $80,600 | $38.73 |
| Mid-level design architect | $90,000 | $43.27 |
| Senior-level design architect | $99,400 | $47.80 |
Design architect salary estimates from across the web
Average design architect salary by state
The highest-paying states for design architects are Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. The lowest average design architect salary states are Tennessee, Florida, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design architects
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $97,744 | $46.99 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $90,942 | $43.72 |
| 3 | Michigan | $89,226 | $42.90 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $85,919 | $41.31 |
| 5 | Colorado | $91,874 | $44.17 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $94,152 | $45.27 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $91,253 | $43.87 |
| 8 | Washington | $89,253 | $42.91 |
| 9 | Missouri | $90,130 | $43.33 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $97,814 | $47.03 |
| 11 | Arizona | $86,958 | $41.81 |
| 12 | California | $97,057 | $46.66 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $89,346 | $42.95 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $94,054 | $45.22 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $92,675 | $44.56 |
| 16 | Alaska | $90,219 | $43.37 |
| 17 | Maryland | $88,933 | $42.76 |
| 18 | Ohio | $86,225 | $41.45 |
| 19 | Utah | $89,406 | $42.98 |
| 20 | Kansas | $85,751 | $41.23 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $95,337 | $45.84 |
| 22 | Maine | $84,929 | $40.83 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $84,251 | $40.51 |
| 24 | New York | $85,292 | $41.01 |
| 25 | Georgia | $81,380 | $39.13 |
| 26 | Texas | $78,219 | $37.61 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $80,120 | $38.52 |
| 28 | Alabama | $82,486 | $39.66 |
| 29 | Oregon | $83,487 | $40.14 |
| 30 | Nevada | $80,242 | $38.58 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $78,797 | $37.88 |
| 32 | Montana | $78,181 | $37.59 |
| 33 | Vermont | $81,436 | $39.15 |
| 34 | Virginia | $83,850 | $40.31 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $81,104 | $38.99 |
| 36 | Indiana | $79,371 | $38.16 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $73,581 | $35.38 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $79,168 | $38.06 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $77,072 | $37.05 |
| 40 | Iowa | $77,345 | $37.19 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $78,721 | $37.85 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $76,255 | $36.66 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $70,020 | $33.66 |
| 44 | Delaware | $71,553 | $34.40 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $71,785 | $34.51 |
| 46 | Idaho | $64,662 | $31.09 |
| 47 | Florida | $66,556 | $32.00 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $68,795 | $33.07 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $63,255 | $30.41 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $63,924 | $30.73 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $64,491 | $31.01 |
Highest paying cities for design architects
The highest-paying cities for design architects are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Chicago, IL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $103,953 | $49.98 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $97,830 | $47.03 |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | $97,802 | $47.02 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $95,617 | $45.97 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $94,045 | $45.21 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $91,909 | $44.19 |
| 7 | Kansas City, MO | $90,437 | $43.48 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $89,965 | $43.25 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $89,071 | $42.82 |
| 10 | Peoria, AZ | $87,713 | $42.17 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $86,286 | $41.48 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $85,403 | $41.06 |
| 13 | Hillsboro, OR | $83,253 | $40.03 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $81,389 | $39.13 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $80,408 | $38.66 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $78,434 | $37.71 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $73,301 | $35.24 |
| 18 | New Berlin, WI | $71,859 | $34.55 |
| 19 | Orlando, FL | $66,820 | $32.13 |
Design architect salary details
A design architect's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design architect's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $89,139 | $7,428 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying design architect jobs
The highest paying types of design architects are principal, architectural firm, integration architect, and technology architect.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job Captain | $71,047 | $5,921 | $34.16 | 60,149 |
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
| Architectural Internship | $53,914 | $4,493 | $25.92 | 57,981 |
| Architectural Consultant | $72,886 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 43,113 |
| Architectural Designer | $59,122 | $4,927 | $28.42 | 54,358 |
| Design Internship | $45,791 | $3,816 | $22.01 | 97,018 |
Top companies hiring design architects now:
Which companies pay design architects the most?
Design architect salaries at Meta and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design architect salary at companies like DoorDash and Apple are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $180,395 | $86.73 |
| 2 | $166,194 | $79.90 | |
| 3 | DoorDash | $153,780 | $73.93 |
| 4 | Apple | $150,486 | $72.35 |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $141,539 | $68.05 |
| 6 | Cadence Design Systems | $136,693 | $65.72 |
| 7 | Helios & Matheson | $133,632 | $64.25 |
| 8 | Battelle | $132,907 | $63.90 |
| 9 | Sears Holdings | $132,369 | $63.64 |
| 10 | Autodesk | $131,341 | $63.14 |
| 11 | Amd | $131,278 | $63.11 |
| 12 | Micron Technology | $127,288 | $61.20 |
| 13 | Tesla | $126,618 | $60.87 |
| 14 | Teradata | $124,265 | $59.74 |
| 15 | Alcon | $124,135 | $59.68 |
| 16 | Analog Devices | $124,031 | $59.63 |
| 17 | Intel | $124,026 | $59.63 |
| 18 | Amdocs | $123,459 | $59.36 |
| 19 | InfoMC | $119,112 | $57.27 |
| 20 | FCA US LLC | $119,047 | $57.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design Architect salary by industry
The average design architect salary varies across industries:
- The average design architect salary in the construction industry is $98,717, the highest of any industry.
- The average design architect salary in the finance industry is $93,737.
- Design architects in the professional industry earn an average salary of $70,983, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design architects
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $98,717 | $47.46 |
| 2 | Technology | $93,737 | $45.07 |
| 3 | Finance | $91,375 | $43.93 |
| 4 | Professional | $70,983 | $34.13 |
High paying design architect jobs
Design architect salary trends
The average design architect salary has risen by $9,724 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design architect earned $79,415 annually, but today, they earn $89,139 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for design architects over the last decade.
Compare design architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design architect salary over time
Compare design architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design architect salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,100 | $42.86 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $87,400 | $42.04 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $86,000 | $41.32 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $85,000 | $40.85 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $83,300 | $40.05 | +1.1% |
Recently added design architect salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immersive Homes | Design Architect | Alpharetta, GA | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Samsung Electronics America Inc. | Micro-Architect/Logic Designer (Memory Controller) | San Jose, CA | 06/25/2025 | $174,557 |
| GE Precision Healthcare | Interaction Design Architect | Chicago, IL | 06/19/2025 | $132,000 |
| GE Healthcare | Interaction Design Architect | Chicago, IL | 06/18/2025 | $132,000 |
| GE Healthcare Technologies Inc. | Interaction Design Architect | Chicago, IL | 06/18/2025 | $132,000 |
| Remitly | Senior Conversational Content Designer & Language Architect | Seattle, WA | 06/11/2025 | $136,000 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Process Design Architect | Woburn, MA | 06/11/2025 | $144,003 |
| S9 Architecture | Intermediate Design Architect ( | Fine, NY | 05/23/2025 | $80,000 |
| Remitly | Senior Conversational Content Designer & Language Architect | Seattle, WA | 05/22/2025 | $136,000 |
| Mediatek | Principal Memory System Design Architect | San Jose, CA | 05/20/2025 | $190,000 |
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