Software architect demographics and statistics in the US
Software architect demographics research summary. Zippia estimates software architect demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our software architect estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about software architects after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 176,185 software architects currently employed in the United States.
- 6.2% of all software architects are women, while 93.8% are men.
- The average software architect age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of software architects is White (52.6%), followed by Asian (30.0%), Hispanic or Latino (8.1%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- Software architects are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for software architects.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $138,001, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women software architects earned 93% of what men earned.
- 8% of all software architects are LGBT.
- Washington is the best state for software architects to live.
- Software architects are 56% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Software architect demographics by:
Software architect gender statistics
6.2% of software architects are women and 93.8% of software architects are men.
- Male, 93.8%
- Female, 6.2%
Software architect gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 93.8% |
| Female | 6.2% |
Software architect gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$111,407
Female income
$103,491
Software architect gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in software architect positions over time. Currently, 6.2% of software architects are female.
Software architect gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 92.78% | 7.22% |
| 2011 | 92.69% | 7.31% |
| 2012 | 93.20% | 6.80% |
| 2013 | 93.16% | 6.84% |
| 2014 | 93.56% | 6.44% |
| 2015 | 93.46% | 6.54% |
| 2016 | 94.02% | 5.98% |
| 2017 | 93.83% | 6.17% |
| 2018 | 93.84% | 6.16% |
| 2019 | 93.75% | 6.25% |
| 2020 | 93.72% | 6.28% |
| 2021 | 93.76% | 6.24% |
Software architect related jobs gender ratio
We compared software architects with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Software Architect | 94% | 6% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Software architect demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among software architects is White, which makes up 52.6% of all software architects. Comparatively, 30.0% of software architects are Asian and 8.1% of software architects are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.6%
- Asian, 30.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Black or African American, 4.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Software architect race
| Software architect race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.6% |
| Asian | 30.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Black or African American | 4.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Software architect race and ethnicity over time
See how software architect racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Software architect race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.75% | 5.41% | 25.81% | 5.59% |
| 2011 | 61.21% | 5.64% | 25.31% | 5.30% |
| 2012 | 60.12% | 5.18% | 26.69% | 5.74% |
| 2013 | 60.51% | 4.70% | 26.51% | 5.56% |
| 2014 | 59.39% | 5.22% | 27.15% | 5.68% |
| 2015 | 58.56% | 5.02% | 27.28% | 6.26% |
| 2016 | 58.07% | 5.01% | 27.99% | 6.26% |
| 2017 | 56.64% | 4.89% | 28.54% | 6.62% |
| 2018 | 57.29% | 4.74% | 27.77% | 7.24% |
| 2019 | 56.46% | 4.84% | 28.96% | 6.86% |
| 2020 | 54.66% | 4.58% | 28.72% | 7.68% |
| 2021 | 52.65% | 4.33% | 30.02% | 8.06% |
Software architect wage gap by race
According to our data, asian software architects have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american software architects have the lowest average salary at $106,709.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $112,315 |
| White | $111,918 |
| Black or African American | $106,709 |
| Asian | $117,997 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $108,431 |
Average software architect age
See how the average age of software architects varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Software architect age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Software architect age breakdown
The average age of software architects is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the software architect population.
Software architect age breakdown
| Software Architect Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Software architect educational attainment
The most common degree for software architects is bachelor's degree, with 66% of software architects earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Software architects by degree level
| Software architect degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 66% |
| Master's | 25% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Software architect jobs you might like
Software architect wage gap by degree level
According to the data, software architects with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $133,970 annually. With a Master's degree, software architects earn a median annual income of $122,859 compared to $111,964 for software architects with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $122,859 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $111,964 |
| Doctorate Degree | $133,970 |
Software architect employment statistics
Most software architects work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where software architects work
Below, you can see the size of companies where software architects work.
Software architect jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 35% |
Software architect jobs by company type
Employees with the software architect job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most software architects prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Software architect jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 41% |
| Private | 56% |
| Government | 0% |
Software architect jobs by industry
The most common industries for software architects are technology, professional and finance.
Software architect industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 44% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Automotive | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Software architect turnover and employment statistics
Software architect unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for software architects between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Software architect unemployment rate by year
| Year | Software architect unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average software architect tenure
The average software architect stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,911 software architects resumes in Zippia's database.
Software architect tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 20% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Software architect LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of software architects that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Data Center Analyst | 7.31% | 167,264 |
| Assistant Systems Analyst | 8.42% | 82,739 |
| Software Architect | 8.46% | - |
| Information Security Administrator | 8.59% | 157,160 |
| Junior Network Technician | 9.03% | 53,945 |
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | 10.54% | 99,027 |
| Operations Support Specialist | 10.88% | 176,034 |
Similar software architect jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Data Center Analyst | 7.31% | 167,264 |
| Assistant Systems Analyst | 8.42% | 82,739 |
| Information Security Administrator | 8.59% | 157,160 |
| Junior Network Technician | 9.03% | 53,945 |
| Project Manager/Scrum Master | 10.54% | 99,027 |
| Operations Support Specialist | 10.88% | 176,034 |
Foreign languages spoken by software architects
The most common foreign language among software architects is Spanish at 20.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.4% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 10.4%.
- Spanish, 20.8%
- French, 10.4%
- Mandarin, 10.4%
- Russian, 10.4%
- Chinese, 8.3%
- Other, 39.7%
Software architect languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 20.8% |
| French | 10.4% |
| Mandarin | 10.4% |
| Russian | 10.4% |
| Chinese | 8.3% |
| Other | 39.7% |
