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Chief architect salary
Average chief architect salary
$168,836
Understanding Chief Architect Salaries
The average salary for a Chief Architect stands at approximately $168,836 per year, translating to about $81 per hour. This role typically requires advanced expertise in software and systems architecture, with responsibilities that include overseeing design projects and leading teams. As industries evolve, the demand for skilled architects continues to grow.
Salary by State and Industry
Chief Architects in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries compared to those in other regions. For instance, the technology sector offers lucrative positions, while healthcare and finance also present significant opportunities. Understanding where to find higher-paying roles can enhance your career trajectory.
Career Advancement
As a Chief Architect, opportunities for advancement are abundant. Continuing education and certifications can further increase earning potential. Networking with industry professionals and attending relevant conferences can also open doors to new opportunities.
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Where can a Chief Architect earn more?
Chief architect salary estimates from across the web
Average chief architect salary by state
The highest-paying states for chief architects are Washington, California, and Arizona. The lowest average chief architect salary states are Maine, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chief architects
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $180,399 | $86.73 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $163,796 | $78.75 |
| 3 | Arizona | $171,771 | $82.58 |
| 4 | California | $179,049 | $86.08 |
| 5 | Nevada | $161,724 | $77.75 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $165,605 | $79.62 |
| 7 | Oregon | $162,569 | $78.16 |
| 8 | Idaho | $163,199 | $78.46 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $164,831 | $79.25 |
| 10 | Alaska | $168,919 | $81.21 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $155,805 | $74.91 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $161,648 | $77.72 |
| 13 | Utah | $148,154 | $71.23 |
| 14 | Virginia | $153,265 | $73.69 |
| 15 | Texas | $148,449 | $71.37 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $146,881 | $70.62 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $152,352 | $73.25 |
| 18 | Alabama | $152,993 | $73.55 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $149,747 | $71.99 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $153,467 | $73.78 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $149,567 | $71.91 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $144,889 | $69.66 |
| 23 | Vermont | $146,018 | $70.20 |
| 24 | Michigan | $146,392 | $70.38 |
| 25 | Delaware | $148,446 | $71.37 |
| 26 | Colorado | $150,973 | $72.58 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $139,882 | $67.25 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $144,561 | $69.50 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $143,141 | $68.82 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $142,914 | $68.71 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $144,506 | $69.47 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $142,674 | $68.59 |
| 33 | Iowa | $145,151 | $69.78 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $142,919 | $68.71 |
| 35 | Illinois | $139,805 | $67.21 |
| 36 | Montana | $139,589 | $67.11 |
| 37 | Missouri | $139,750 | $67.19 |
| 38 | New York | $138,567 | $66.62 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $140,232 | $67.42 |
| 40 | Kansas | $139,544 | $67.09 |
| 41 | Maryland | $135,877 | $65.33 |
| 42 | Georgia | $136,320 | $65.54 |
| 43 | Indiana | $136,560 | $65.65 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $134,358 | $64.60 |
| 45 | Ohio | $128,721 | $61.89 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $130,803 | $62.89 |
| 47 | Maine | $133,817 | $64.34 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $136,038 | $65.40 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $133,623 | $64.24 |
| 50 | Florida | $119,520 | $57.46 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $118,631 | $57.03 |
Highest paying cities for chief architects
The highest-paying cities for chief architects are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Plano, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $197,600 | $95.00 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $169,881 | $81.67 |
| 3 | Plano, TX | $156,046 | $75.02 |
| 4 | Alexandria, VA | $155,956 | $74.98 |
| 5 | Colorado Springs, CO | $155,632 | $74.82 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $151,880 | $73.02 |
| 7 | Charlotte, NC | $149,959 | $72.10 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $144,243 | $69.35 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $141,250 | $67.91 |
| 10 | Alpharetta, GA | $139,804 | $67.21 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $139,382 | $67.01 |
| 12 | Gaithersburg, MD | $136,945 | $65.84 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $135,158 | $64.98 |
| 14 | Cincinnati, OH | $131,103 | $63.03 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $110,699 | $53.22 |
Chief architect salary details
A chief architect's salary ranges from $111,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $255,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chief architect's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $255,000 | $21,250 | $123 |
| 75th Percentile | $210,000 | $17,500 | $101 |
| Average | $168,836 | $14,070 | $81 |
| 25th Percentile | $135,000 | $11,250 | $65 |
| 10th Percentile | $111,000 | $9,250 | $53 |
Highest paying chief architect jobs
The highest paying types of chief architects are chief technology officer, director of software development, and principal architect.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Software Development | $158,853 | $13,238 | $76.37 | 136,310 |
| Information Technology Architect | $116,007 | $9,667 | $55.77 | 156,730 |
| Architect And Developer | $110,970 | $9,248 | $53.35 | 316,181 |
| Chief Technology Officer | $172,989 | $14,416 | $83.17 | 124,289 |
| Lead Solution Architect | $118,052 | $9,838 | $56.76 | 90,106 |
| Data Warehouse Architect | $110,771 | $9,231 | $53.26 | 183,223 |
Top companies hiring chief architects now:
Which companies pay chief architects the most?
Chief architect salaries at Zscaler and RichRelevance are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chief architect salary at companies like Capgemini and Citi are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zscaler | $213,141 | $102.47 |
| 2 | RichRelevance | $208,609 | $100.29 |
| 3 | Capgemini | $196,133 | $94.29 |
| 4 | Citi | $195,520 | $94.00 |
| 5 | Teradata | $194,622 | $93.57 |
| 6 | Yellowpages | $193,205 | $92.89 |
| 7 | McAfee | $192,305 | $92.45 |
| 8 | Kronos Incorporated | $190,681 | $91.67 |
| 9 | SAP | $184,317 | $88.61 |
| 10 | Unisys | $183,175 | $88.06 |
| 11 | Insight Enterprises | $180,698 | $86.87 |
| 12 | General Dynamics Mission Systems | $180,484 | $86.77 |
| 13 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $176,489 | $84.85 |
| 14 | Nokia | $173,751 | $83.53 |
| 15 | CyberCoders | $171,779 | $82.59 |
| 16 | Integrated Resources | $169,173 | $81.33 |
| 17 | DISH Network | $168,868 | $81.19 |
| 18 | Autodesk | $167,953 | $80.75 |
| 19 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan | $167,942 | $80.74 |
| 20 | Ahead USA | $166,218 | $79.91 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chief Architect salary by industry
The average chief architect salary varies across industries:
- The average chief architect salary in the retail industry is $161,179, the highest of any industry.
- The average chief architect salary in the finance industry is $159,895.
- Chief architects in the finance industry earn an average salary of $138,973, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chief architects
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $161,179 | $77.49 |
| 2 | Technology | $159,895 | $76.87 |
| 3 | Start-up | $158,376 | $76.14 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $158,263 | $76.09 |
| 5 | Finance | $138,973 | $66.81 |
High paying chief architect jobs
Chief architect salary trends
The average chief architect salary has risen by $27,637 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chief architect earned $141,199 annually, but today, they earn $168,836 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for chief architects over the last decade.
Compare chief architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chief architect salary over time
Compare chief architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chief architect salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $169,000 | $81.17 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $163,000 | $78.50 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $160,000 | $76.72 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $156,000 | $75.22 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $153,000 | $73.52 | +1.5% |
Recently added chief architect salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Research Solutions | Chief Architect | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2025 | $185,000 |
| Din Development Corporation | Chief Architect | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2025 | $195,000 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Chief Architect | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/24/2025 | $151,200 |
| Leidos | Chief Architect-Icam and Zero Trust SME | Chantilly, VA | 06/22/2025 | $126,100 |
| Axient | Chief Architect-Bgif | Boulder, CO | 06/14/2025 | $190,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Chief Architect Cloud | Edison, NJ | 06/09/2025 | $155,550 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Chief Architect Cloud | Naperville, IL | 06/09/2025 | $155,550 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Chief Architect-Artificial Intelligence | San Francisco, CA | 06/09/2025 | $235,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Chief Architect Cloud | Dallas, TX | 06/09/2025 | $155,550 |
| Workwave | Chief Architect | Arlington, VA | 06/08/2025 | $195,000 |
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