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The average salary for a Naval Architect is $81,982 per year. This figure represents the compensation for professionals designing vessels and managing marine projects. Factors impacting earnings include location, industry, and individual experience. For instance, naval architects in states like California and Texas tend to earn higher salaries due to demand and cost of living.
Different states offer varying salaries for naval architects. For example, states such as Washington and New York consistently rank among the highest-paying regions. Understanding these differences can help potential candidates target their job searches more effectively.
Naval architects can find lucrative positions in several industries, including government, manufacturing, and marine engineering. Each sector comes with unique challenges and rewards. By considering these options, aspiring naval architects can align their skills with the right opportunities for career advancement.
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The average naval architect salary in Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Michigan are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average naval architect salary states are Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $98,195 | $47.21 |
| 2 | Michigan | $99,296 | $47.74 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $101,373 | $48.74 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $95,803 | $46.06 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $90,350 | $43.44 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $95,435 | $45.88 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $102,779 | $49.41 |
| 8 | Nevada | $84,708 | $40.73 |
| 9 | Alaska | $92,606 | $44.52 |
| 10 | Ohio | $84,142 | $40.45 |
| 11 | Vermont | $96,399 | $46.35 |
| 12 | Maryland | $85,427 | $41.07 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $83,006 | $39.91 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $84,373 | $40.56 |
| 15 | Arizona | $81,861 | $39.36 |
| 16 | Missouri | $80,958 | $38.92 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $81,870 | $39.36 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $80,797 | $38.84 |
| 19 | Delaware | $82,020 | $39.43 |
| 20 | Utah | $85,845 | $41.27 |
| 21 | Colorado | $81,808 | $39.33 |
| 22 | Washington | $80,637 | $38.77 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $79,147 | $38.05 |
| 24 | California | $92,388 | $44.42 |
| 25 | Idaho | $77,315 | $37.17 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $93,689 | $45.04 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $83,377 | $40.09 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $80,635 | $38.77 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $80,466 | $38.69 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $72,262 | $34.74 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $74,416 | $35.78 |
| 32 | Maine | $78,928 | $37.95 |
| 33 | Indiana | $77,148 | $37.09 |
| 34 | Montana | $75,082 | $36.10 |
| 35 | New York | $78,206 | $37.60 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $75,435 | $36.27 |
| 37 | Oregon | $81,869 | $39.36 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $75,349 | $36.23 |
| 39 | Illinois | $72,232 | $34.73 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,552 | $37.28 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $77,553 | $37.29 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $67,945 | $32.67 |
| 43 | Kansas | $72,221 | $34.72 |
| 44 | Georgia | $68,012 | $32.70 |
| 45 | Virginia | $78,633 | $37.80 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $65,130 | $31.31 |
| 47 | Iowa | $70,101 | $33.70 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $63,334 | $30.45 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $69,693 | $33.51 |
| 50 | Florida | $61,543 | $29.59 |
| 51 | Alabama | $66,210 | $31.83 |
The highest-paying cities for naval architects are Boston, MA, Albuquerque, NM, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $103,265 | $49.65 |
| 2 | Albuquerque, NM | $102,326 | $49.20 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $99,035 | $47.61 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $98,930 | $47.56 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $93,815 | $45.10 |
| 6 | Hoboken, NJ | $90,420 | $43.47 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $85,771 | $41.24 |
| 8 | Bremerton, WA | $82,535 | $39.68 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $82,051 | $39.45 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $81,554 | $39.21 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $80,364 | $38.64 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $78,500 | $37.74 |
| 13 | Lafayette, LA | $77,863 | $37.43 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $75,091 | $36.10 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $72,242 | $34.73 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $67,870 | $32.63 |
| 17 | Fayetteville, NC | $67,784 | $32.59 |
| 18 | Mobile, AL | $66,846 | $32.14 |
| 19 | Boca Raton, FL | $61,578 | $29.60 |
A naval architect's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $175,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $175,000 | $14,583 | $84 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $81,982 | $6,832 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
The highest paying types of naval architects are naval architect specialist, senior architect, and architect.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Internship | $53,914 | $4,493 | $25.92 | 57,981 |
| Architectural Designer | $59,122 | $4,927 | $28.42 | 54,358 |
| Architect | $86,635 | $7,220 | $41.65 | 94,621 |
Top companies hiring naval architects now:
Naval architect salaries at Chevron and Westfield Bank are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average naval architect salary at companies like Diamond Offshore Drilling and Helix Energy Solutions Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | $150,212 | $72.22 |
| 2 | Westfield Bank | $122,735 | $59.01 |
| 3 | Diamond Offshore Drilling | $122,312 | $58.80 |
| 4 | Helix Energy Solutions Group | $117,456 | $56.47 |
| 5 | ICI Services | $116,062 | $55.80 |
| 6 | Atwood Oceanics | $115,423 | $55.49 |
| 7 | Technip USA Corporation | $111,805 | $53.75 |
| 8 | North American Corporation | $111,646 | $53.68 |
| 9 | ATI Physical Therapy | $108,788 | $52.30 |
| 10 | CACI International | $104,842 | $50.40 |
| 11 | OTTO | $102,716 | $49.38 |
| 12 | Shell Energy North America | $101,752 | $48.92 |
| 13 | Technology Associates | $99,059 | $47.62 |
| 14 | Saalex Solutions | $98,666 | $47.44 |
| 15 | J Ray McDermott Inc | $97,769 | $47.00 |
| 16 | USfalcon | $96,950 | $46.61 |
| 17 | Sheladia Associates | $96,169 | $46.24 |
| 18 | ManTech | $95,984 | $46.15 |
| 19 | CDI | $95,757 | $46.04 |
| 20 | Brunswick | $95,108 | $45.73 |
The average naval architect salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $97,261 | $46.76 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $89,982 | $43.26 |
| 3 | Energy | $89,584 | $43.07 |
| 4 | Government | $77,471 | $37.25 |
| 5 | Professional | $75,707 | $36.40 |
The average naval architect salary has risen by $9,096 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average naval architect earned $72,886 annually, but today, they earn $81,982 a year. That works out to a 2% change in pay for naval architects over the last decade.
Compare naval architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare naval architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,000 | $39.41 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $79,400 | $38.16 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $79,500 | $38.23 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $78,100 | $37.57 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | $80,200 | $38.55 | +0.3% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | Naval Architect | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/18/2025 | $124,000 |
| Caci International Inc. | Senior Naval Architect (Mentor/Sme) | Bethesda, MD | 06/17/2025 | $103,800 |
| Insight Global | Top Secret Naval Architect | Washington, DC | 06/17/2025 | $135,655 |
| Serco Group | Principal Submarine Naval Architect | Washington, DC | 06/12/2025 | $119,575 |
| Serco | Principal Submarine Naval Architect | Washington, DC | 06/12/2025 | $119,575 |
| Serco Group | Senior Naval Architect | Pascagoula, MS | 05/31/2025 | $97,787 |
| Bae Systems Plc | JR. Naval Architect/Marine Engineer | Jacksonville, FL | 05/29/2025 | $57,866 |
| Vigor, LLC | Chief Naval Architect | Vancouver, WA | 05/29/2025 | $156,830 |
| Caci International | Naval Architect | Ione, WA | 05/27/2025 | $55,500 |
| Anduril Industries | Naval Architect | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $124,000 |
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