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Network Security Architects play a vital role in protecting sensitive information and ensuring secure communication within organizations. As of October 2025, the average salary for a network security architect stands at approximately $123,842 per year, translating to about $60 per hour. This figure varies significantly based on geographic location and years of experience.
For instance, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to the increased demand for cybersecurity expertise. In addition to location, industries such as finance and healthcare often provide lucrative opportunities for network security architects. According to industry reports, professionals with specialized certifications can expect to command even higher salaries.
Job seekers can enhance their prospects by obtaining relevant certifications, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). These credentials not only bolster your resume but also position you as a valuable asset in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Explore available job listings to find positions that match your skills and salary expectations, and take the next step in your career as a network security architect.
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The highest-paying states for network security architects are California, Washington, and Utah. The lowest average network security architect salary states are North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $148,847 | $71.56 |
| 2 | Arizona | $136,210 | $65.49 |
| 3 | Utah | $142,513 | $68.52 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $138,103 | $66.40 |
| 5 | Nevada | $134,354 | $64.59 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $120,489 | $57.93 |
| 7 | New York | $137,125 | $65.93 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $127,748 | $61.42 |
| 9 | California | $158,584 | $76.24 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $119,513 | $57.46 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $121,675 | $58.50 |
| 12 | Oregon | $136,263 | $65.51 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $117,736 | $56.60 |
| 14 | Idaho | $120,892 | $58.12 |
| 15 | Vermont | $115,595 | $55.57 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $120,315 | $57.84 |
| 17 | Texas | $113,289 | $54.47 |
| 18 | Maryland | $116,496 | $56.01 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $112,068 | $53.88 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $114,944 | $55.26 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $116,340 | $55.93 |
| 22 | Delaware | $113,747 | $54.69 |
| 23 | Alaska | $113,104 | $54.38 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $113,173 | $54.41 |
| 25 | Virginia | $119,742 | $57.57 |
| 26 | Montana | $112,553 | $54.11 |
| 27 | Illinois | $112,721 | $54.19 |
| 28 | Michigan | $112,085 | $53.89 |
| 29 | Georgia | $111,714 | $53.71 |
| 30 | Alabama | $107,609 | $51.74 |
| 31 | Maine | $112,025 | $53.86 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $110,138 | $52.95 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $109,978 | $52.87 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $108,151 | $52.00 |
| 35 | Colorado | $110,648 | $53.20 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $107,571 | $51.72 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $104,572 | $50.27 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $109,635 | $52.71 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $108,964 | $52.39 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $106,097 | $51.01 |
| 41 | Indiana | $106,127 | $51.02 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $106,197 | $51.06 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $106,405 | $51.16 |
| 44 | Iowa | $106,347 | $51.13 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $106,614 | $51.26 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $103,987 | $49.99 |
| 47 | Florida | $98,366 | $47.29 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $98,980 | $47.59 |
| 49 | Kansas | $105,098 | $50.53 |
| 50 | Ohio | $98,421 | $47.32 |
| 51 | Missouri | $95,858 | $46.09 |
The highest-paying cities for network security architects are San Francisco, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Philadelphia, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $166,248 | $79.93 |
| 2 | Salt Lake City, UT | $142,161 | $68.35 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $138,771 | $66.72 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $137,420 | $66.07 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $136,770 | $65.75 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $135,200 | $65.00 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $133,963 | $64.41 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $127,865 | $61.47 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $120,694 | $58.03 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $118,799 | $57.11 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $116,686 | $56.10 |
| 12 | Jersey City, NJ | $116,535 | $56.03 |
| 13 | San Antonio, TX | $113,456 | $54.55 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $113,068 | $54.36 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $112,610 | $54.14 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $112,453 | $54.06 |
| 17 | Columbus, GA | $111,911 | $53.80 |
| 18 | Richmond, KY | $110,501 | $53.13 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $110,392 | $53.07 |
| 20 | Washington, DC | $110,189 | $52.98 |
A network security architect's salary ranges from $90,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $168,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $168,000 | $14,000 | $81 |
| 75th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| Average | $123,842 | $10,320 | $60 |
| 25th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
The highest paying types of network security architects are information security officer, senior security engineer, and senior network engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Assurance Engineer | $89,291 | $7,441 | $42.93 | 104,421 |
| Information Systems Security Officer | $90,730 | $7,561 | $43.62 | 202,299 |
| Securities Consultant | $92,092 | $7,674 | $44.27 | 27,296 |
| Securities Analyst | $84,334 | $7,028 | $40.55 | 33,422 |
| Security Engineer | $104,524 | $8,710 | $50.25 | 86,093 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
Top companies hiring network security architects now:
Network security architect salaries at Palo Alto Networks and Bloomberg are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average network security architect salary at companies like Boston Consulting Group and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto Networks | $163,593 | $78.65 |
| 2 | Bloomberg | $156,975 | $75.47 |
| 3 | Boston Consulting Group | $151,816 | $72.99 |
| 4 | Amazon | $148,218 | $71.26 |
| 5 | Bank of the West | $143,499 | $68.99 |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $143,300 | $68.89 |
| 7 | Applied Materials | $143,167 | $68.83 |
| 8 | Silicon Valley Bank | $138,514 | $66.59 |
| 9 | H-E-B | $138,290 | $66.49 |
| 10 | Rackspace | $138,201 | $66.44 |
| 11 | Insight Enterprises | $137,496 | $66.10 |
| 12 | Motion Recruitment | $132,738 | $63.82 |
| 13 | Kforce | $131,950 | $63.44 |
| 14 | Pegasus | $130,586 | $62.78 |
| 15 | IGT | $130,013 | $62.51 |
| 16 | Organon | $129,682 | $62.35 |
| 17 | ADM | $128,767 | $61.91 |
| 18 | Salesforce | $127,762 | $61.42 |
| 19 | Rock Ridge Financial | $126,160 | $60.65 |
| 20 | Northern Technologies International | $125,943 | $60.55 |
The average network security architect salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $133,146 | $64.01 |
| 2 | Retail | $125,443 | $60.31 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $121,772 | $58.54 |
| 4 | Finance | $113,282 | $54.46 |
| 5 | Government | $90,285 | $43.41 |
| 6 | Automotive | $79,213 | $38.08 |
The average network security architect salary has risen by $22,888 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average network security architect earned $100,954 annually, but today, they earn $123,842 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for network security architects over the last decade.
Compare network security architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare network security architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $124,000 | $59.54 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $120,000 | $57.58 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $117,000 | $56.27 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $114,000 | $54.65 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $110,000 | $52.98 | +2.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Consulting Services | Network & Data Security Product Architect | Palo Alto, CA | 06/11/2025 | $178,360 |
| Roljobs Technology Services | Network Security Architect | Redwood City, CA | 06/10/2025 | $170,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Network Security SME | Framingham, MA | 06/09/2025 | $70,000 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | Network Security Architect | Doral, FL | 06/06/2025 | $77,500 |
| Quintilesims | Principal Network Security Architect | Wayne, PA | 05/27/2025 | $142,800 |
| Dish Network | Network Security Architect | Littleton, CO | 05/07/2025 | $110,100 |
| Iqvia | Principal Network Security Architect | Wayne, PA | 04/29/2025 | $142,800 |
| Cox Holdings, Inc. | Principal Network Security Architect | Atlanta, GA | 04/29/2025 | $159,400 |
| Roljobs Technology Services | Network Security Architect | Redwood City, CA | 04/28/2025 | $170,000 |
| Quintilesims | Principal Network Security Architect | Wayne, PA | 03/30/2025 | $142,800 |
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