Best states for a staff architect

Q: What is the best state for staff architects?

The best state to be a staff architect is Minnesota based on staff architect salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for staff architects?

The highest paying state for staff architects is Arkansas based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for staff architects?

The worst state for staff architects is Oklahoma, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Ross Weinreb

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Are you thinking of becoming a staff architect and really want to work at Lessard Design? Turns out, your chances to become a staff architect are better in some states than others.Although there are abundant staff architect jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Minnesota is the best state in the country for staff architect jobs.

Minnesota is the best state for jobs for staff architects, and Oklahoma is the worst. The most common pay in Minnesota is $87,620, while the median pay in Oklahoma is $55,856.If you are currently seeking employment as a staff architect, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for staff architects in 2025

1. Minnesota
Total staff architect jobs: 1,172
Average annual salary: $87,620
Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000
Location Quotient:
1.11
Staff architect jobs in Minnesota
2. Arizona
Total staff architect jobs: 1,075
Average annual salary: $83,913
Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000
Location Quotient:
1.16
Staff architect jobs in Arizona
3. Texas
Total staff architect jobs: 3,889
Average annual salary: $81,249
Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000
Location Quotient:
1.21
Staff architect jobs in Texas
4. Rhode Island
Total staff architect jobs: 194
Average annual salary: $82,356
Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000
Location Quotient:
1
Staff architect jobs in Rhode Island
5. New Hampshire
Total staff architect jobs: 285
Average annual salary: $79,654
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Staff architect jobs in New Hampshire
6. Michigan
Total staff architect jobs: 1,179
Average annual salary: $77,819
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000
Location Quotient:
0.96
Staff architect jobs in Michigan
7. Georgia
Total staff architect jobs: 1,955
Average annual salary: $76,147
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Staff architect jobs in Georgia
8. District of Columbia
Total staff architect jobs: 353
Average annual salary: $81,223
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000
Location Quotient:
1.32
Staff architect jobs in District of Columbia
9. Colorado
Total staff architect jobs: 1,088
Average annual salary: $78,668
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Staff architect jobs in Colorado
10. New Jersey
Total staff architect jobs: 1,826
Average annual salary: $76,177
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.45
Staff architect jobs in New Jersey

Staff architect jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff architect

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a staff architect

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Minnesota	$87,620	$58,000	5,576,606	1,172
2	Arizona	$83,913	$52,000	7,016,270	1,075
3	Texas	$81,249	$52,000	28,304,596	3,889
4	Rhode Island	$82,356	$54,000	1,059,639	194
5	New Hampshire	$79,654	$53,000	1,342,795	285
6	Michigan	$77,819	$51,000	9,962,311	1,179
7	Georgia	$76,147	$50,000	10,429,379	1,955
8	District of Columbia	$81,223	$53,000	693,972	353
9	Colorado	$78,668	$50,000	5,607,154	1,088
10	New Jersey	$76,177	$50,000	9,005,644	1,826
11	California	$98,020	$59,000	39,536,653	1,469
12	New York	$77,286	$51,000	19,849,399	2,574
13	Wyoming	$77,715	$49,000	579,315	86
14	Nevada	$73,237	$44,000	2,998,039	430
15	Missouri	$75,304	$49,000	6,113,532	1,022
16	North Dakota	$72,108	$48,000	755,393	170
17	Wisconsin	$78,163	$51,000	5,795,483	742
18	Maine	$73,956	$50,000	1,335,907	233
19	Oregon	$79,174	$48,000	4,142,776	602
20	Pennsylvania	$69,802	$45,000	12,805,537	2,627
21	Ohio	$71,892	$47,000	11,658,609	1,644
22	Massachusetts	$74,281	$49,000	6,859,819	1,561
23	New Mexico	$73,026	$46,000	2,088,070	288
24	Maryland	$70,226	$46,000	6,052,177	1,364
25	Washington	$70,123	$43,000	7,405,743	1,466
26	Hawaii	$79,264	$61,000	1,427,538	134
27	South Dakota	$70,598	$46,000	869,666	98
28	Connecticut	$67,566	$44,000	3,588,184	683
29	Utah	$71,763	$44,000	3,101,833	351
30	Vermont	$70,869	$48,000	623,657	92
31	West Virginia	$68,386	$44,000	1,815,857	172
32	Montana	$66,853	$42,000	1,050,493	194
33	North Carolina	$64,566	$42,000	10,273,419	1,742
34	Illinois	$63,121	$41,000	12,802,023	2,733
35	South Carolina	$69,203	$45,000	5,024,369	492
36	Tennessee	$66,704	$43,000	6,715,984	728
37	Nebraska	$65,780	$42,000	1,920,076	333
38	Louisiana	$66,997	$43,000	4,684,333	433
39	Mississippi	$68,192	$44,000	2,984,100	182
40	Virginia	$69,667	$45,000	8,470,020	1,025
41	Alaska	$67,621	$48,000	739,795	98
42	Indiana	$63,235	$41,000	6,666,818	913
43	Kansas	$61,997	$40,000	2,913,123	430
44	Delaware	$62,792	$41,000	961,939	184
45	Alabama	$61,972	$40,000	4,874,747	614
46	Kentucky	$60,946	$40,000	4,454,189	476
47	Florida	$59,002	$39,000	20,984,400	2,569
48	Idaho	$55,139	$34,000	1,716,943	282
49	Arkansas	$52,499	$34,000	3,004,279	408
50	Iowa	$54,180	$35,000	3,145,711	433
51	Oklahoma	$55,856	$36,000	3,930,864	327

Highest paying states for staff architects

Rank	State	Avg. Staff Architect Salary
1	Minnesota	$87,620
2	Arizona	$83,913
3	Texas	$81,249
4	Rhode Island	$82,356
5	New Hampshire	$79,654
6	Michigan	$77,819
7	Georgia	$76,147
8	District of Columbia	$81,223
9	Colorado	$78,668
10	New Jersey	$76,177
11	California	$98,020
12	New York	$77,286
13	Wyoming	$77,715
14	Nevada	$73,237
15	Missouri	$75,304
16	North Dakota	$72,108
17	Wisconsin	$78,163
18	Maine	$73,956
19	Oregon	$79,174
20	Pennsylvania	$69,802
21	Ohio	$71,892
22	Massachusetts	$74,281
23	New Mexico	$73,026
24	Maryland	$70,226
25	Washington	$70,123
26	Hawaii	$79,264
27	South Dakota	$70,598
28	Connecticut	$67,566
29	Utah	$71,763
30	Vermont	$70,869
31	West Virginia	$68,386
32	Montana	$66,853
33	North Carolina	$64,566
34	Illinois	$63,121
35	South Carolina	$69,203
36	Tennessee	$66,704
37	Nebraska	$65,780
38	Louisiana	$66,997
39	Mississippi	$68,192
40	Virginia	$69,667
41	Alaska	$67,621
42	Indiana	$63,235
43	Kansas	$61,997
44	Delaware	$62,792
45	Alabama	$61,972
46	Kentucky	$60,946
47	Florida	$59,002
48	Idaho	$55,139
49	Arkansas	$52,499
50	Iowa	$54,180
51	Oklahoma	$55,856

Expert opinions on the best states for staff architects

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff architects to find work opportunities?
Ross Weinreb
Instructor | Career Adviser, The Pennsylvania State University
Not that I am aware of. Our Penn State graduates generally find work in the Northeast (Philadelphia, New York, etc.).

Staff architect best states FAQs

What is the best state for staff architects?

What is the highest paying state for staff architects?

What is the worst state for staff architects?

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Search for staff architect jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs

Total staff architect jobs:	1,172
Average annual salary:	$87,620
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$58,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$131,000
Location Quotient:	1.11

Best states for a staff architect

10 best states for staff architects in 2025

1. Minnesota

2. Arizona

3. Texas

4. Rhode Island

5. New Hampshire

6. Michigan

7. Georgia

8. District of Columbia

9. Colorado

10. New Jersey