Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Senior architectural designer salary
Average senior architectural designer salary
$74,891
Understanding Senior Architectural Designer Salaries
A Senior Architectural Designer plays a pivotal role in shaping the built environment. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $74,891 per year. This figure can be influenced by various factors, including years of experience, educational background, and the geographic location of employment.
Salary Variations by State
Salaries for Senior Architectural Designers can differ significantly across the United States. For example, states like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Additionally, experience levels can affect salary potential, with seasoned designers commanding more than their entry-level counterparts.
Job Opportunities
For job seekers, utilizing resources like Zippia can provide insights into the highest paying positions within this field. The platform features job listings that highlight competitive salaries, allowing users to make informed career choices based on their qualifications and aspirations.
Let Zippi find your next senior architectural designer job
Let Zippi find your next senior architectural designer job
Where can a Senior Architectural Designer earn more?
Senior architectural designer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior architectural designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior architectural designers are New Jersey, California, and Rhode Island. The lowest average senior architectural designer salary states are Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior architectural designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $79,410 | $38.18 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $84,969 | $40.85 |
| 3 | Texas | $74,901 | $36.01 |
| 4 | Oregon | $75,311 | $36.21 |
| 5 | California | $79,844 | $38.39 |
| 6 | Vermont | $76,584 | $36.82 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $76,637 | $36.84 |
| 8 | Arizona | $72,986 | $35.09 |
| 9 | New York | $74,285 | $35.71 |
| 10 | Florida | $74,619 | $35.87 |
| 11 | Maryland | $75,959 | $36.52 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $70,094 | $33.70 |
| 13 | Michigan | $69,130 | $33.24 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $74,549 | $35.84 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $71,936 | $34.58 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $71,421 | $34.34 |
| 17 | Indiana | $69,763 | $33.54 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $70,553 | $33.92 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $72,383 | $34.80 |
| 20 | Nevada | $70,795 | $34.04 |
| 21 | Virginia | $69,109 | $33.23 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $68,370 | $32.87 |
| 23 | Illinois | $68,538 | $32.95 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $68,613 | $32.99 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $69,897 | $33.60 |
| 26 | Georgia | $66,961 | $32.19 |
| 27 | Missouri | $67,651 | $32.52 |
| 28 | Ohio | $65,670 | $31.57 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $65,246 | $31.37 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $67,630 | $32.51 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $75,111 | $36.11 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $63,445 | $30.50 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $66,757 | $32.09 |
| 34 | Delaware | $68,115 | $32.75 |
| 35 | Colorado | $65,069 | $31.28 |
| 36 | Washington | $61,466 | $29.55 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $64,983 | $31.24 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $62,706 | $30.15 |
| 39 | Utah | $58,758 | $28.25 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $62,380 | $29.99 |
| 41 | Montana | $62,147 | $29.88 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,973 | $28.83 |
| 43 | Maine | $60,339 | $29.01 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $57,795 | $27.79 |
| 45 | Kansas | $59,215 | $28.47 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $58,438 | $28.10 |
| 47 | Idaho | $58,982 | $28.36 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $59,310 | $28.51 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $59,622 | $28.66 |
| 50 | Alaska | $55,752 | $26.80 |
| 51 | Alabama | $55,781 | $26.82 |
Highest paying cities for senior architectural designers
The highest-paying cities for senior architectural designers are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Austin, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $83,429 | $40.11 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $76,680 | $36.87 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $76,062 | $36.57 |
| 4 | Winter Garden, FL | $74,840 | $35.98 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $74,515 | $35.82 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,047 | $35.12 |
| 7 | Framingham, MA | $70,574 | $33.93 |
| 8 | Bridgeport, CT | $70,111 | $33.71 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $69,544 | $33.43 |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | $69,494 | $33.41 |
| 11 | Alexandria, VA | $69,243 | $33.29 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $68,742 | $33.05 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $68,693 | $33.03 |
| 14 | Alpharetta, GA | $67,168 | $32.29 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $65,703 | $31.59 |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $58,507 | $28.13 |
| 17 | Minneapolis, MN | $57,845 | $27.81 |
Senior architectural designer salary details
A senior architectural designer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior architectural designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| Average | $74,891 | $6,241 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying senior architectural designer jobs
The highest paying types of senior architectural designers are senior designer, designer, and project designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drafting Internship | $42,284 | $3,524 | $20.33 | 51,193 |
| Drafter | $43,542 | $3,629 | $20.93 | 3,968 |
| Autocad Drafter | $41,984 | $3,499 | $20.18 | 2,429 |
| Computer Aided Drafter | $43,520 | $3,627 | $20.92 | 16,907 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
Top companies hiring senior architectural designers now:
Which companies pay senior architectural designers the most?
Senior architectural designer salaries at Western Digital and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior architectural designer salary at companies like Novartis and Ernst & Young are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Digital | $117,999 | $56.73 |
| 2 | Amazon | $110,395 | $53.07 |
| 3 | Novartis | $108,891 | $52.35 |
| 4 | Ernst & Young | $98,763 | $47.48 |
| 5 | Fiserv | $95,018 | $45.68 |
| 6 | Qualcomm | $94,218 | $45.30 |
| 7 | CVS Health | $92,038 | $44.25 |
| 8 | Sprouts Farmers Market | $89,580 | $43.07 |
| 9 | Comcast | $88,934 | $42.76 |
| 10 | Millennium Software and Staffing | $88,559 | $42.58 |
| 11 | Parsons | $87,926 | $42.27 |
| 12 | Capgemini | $85,749 | $41.23 |
| 13 | Siemens | $85,129 | $40.93 |
| 14 | Voya Financial | $84,669 | $40.71 |
| 15 | Nagarro | $84,534 | $40.64 |
| 16 | Toyota Financial Svc | $84,140 | $40.45 |
| 17 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | $80,894 | $38.89 |
| 18 | Sabre | $80,845 | $38.87 |
| 19 | JERDE | $80,803 | $38.85 |
| 20 | H | $80,170 | $38.54 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Architectural Designer salary by industry
The average senior architectural designer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior architectural designer salary in the media industry is $79,910, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior architectural designer salary in the finance industry is $75,716.
- Senior architectural designers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $69,205, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior architectural designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $79,910 | $38.42 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $75,716 | $36.40 |
| 3 | Professional | $71,667 | $34.46 |
| 4 | Technology | $69,205 | $33.27 |
High paying senior architectural designer jobs
Senior architectural designer salary trends
The average senior architectural designer salary has risen by $13,350 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior architectural designer earned $61,541 annually, but today, they earn $74,891 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for senior architectural designers over the last decade.
Compare senior architectural designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior architectural designer salary over time
Compare senior architectural designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior architectural designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,900 | $36.01 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $73,400 | $35.28 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $71,500 | $34.39 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $68,900 | $33.11 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $67,300 | $32.34 | +1.8% |
Recently added senior architectural designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXP | Senior Architectural Designer | Saint Louis, MO | 06/29/2025 | $78,000 |
| Kari Whitman Interiors | Senior Architectural Interior Designer | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2025 | $70,000 |
| KFC | Senior Manager, Architecture & Design | Nome, TX | 06/18/2025 | $139,000 |
| Pizza Hut | Senior Manager, Architecture & Design | Plano, TX | 06/18/2025 | $139,000 |
| Yum! Brands, Inc. | Senior Manager, Architecture & Design | Plano, TX | 06/17/2025 | $139,000 |
| GHD | Senior Architectural Designer | Irvine, CA | 06/11/2025 | $113,000 |
| Spacex | SR. Architectural Designer | Hawthorne, CA | 06/09/2025 | $110,000 |
| Workshop/APD | Senior Architectural Designer | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $90,000 |
| Sevan Multi-Site Solutions | Senior Architectural Designer | Downers Grove, IL | 06/08/2025 | $65,000 |
| Cha | Early Career Architecture Opportunities | Albany, NY | 06/07/2025 | $60,000 |
Senior architectural designer salary FAQs
Search for senior architectural designer jobs