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Systems engineer/architect salary
Average systems engineer/architect salary
$109,500
Systems Engineers/Architects play a crucial role in designing and maintaining complex systems. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $109,500 annually. Salaries can vary based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
In addition, cities such as San Francisco and New York City are known for their competitive pay, often exceeding the national average. Professionals in this field are encouraged to explore various job opportunities and consider advancing their skills through certifications or specialized training, which can lead to increased earnings and career advancement.
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Where can a Systems Engineer/Architect earn more?
Average systems engineer/architect salary by state
The highest-paying states for systems engineers/architects are California, Arizona, and Hawaii. The lowest average systems engineer/architect salary states are Iowa, Montana, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for systems engineers/architects
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $142,190 | $68.36 |
| 2 | Arizona | $128,505 | $61.78 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,227 | $55.88 |
| 4 | Nevada | $118,895 | $57.16 |
| 5 | Oregon | $112,732 | $54.20 |
| 6 | Maryland | $113,031 | $54.34 |
| 7 | Idaho | $107,403 | $51.64 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $101,522 | $48.81 |
| 9 | Texas | $102,012 | $49.04 |
| 10 | Georgia | $106,175 | $51.05 |
| 11 | Utah | $100,448 | $48.29 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $127,400 | $61.25 |
| 13 | Michigan | $102,645 | $49.35 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $105,501 | $50.72 |
| 15 | Delaware | $104,663 | $50.32 |
| 16 | Colorado | $100,928 | $48.52 |
| 17 | Vermont | $99,367 | $47.77 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $99,288 | $47.73 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $98,484 | $47.35 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $98,923 | $47.56 |
| 21 | Ohio | $98,244 | $47.23 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $98,204 | $47.21 |
| 23 | Illinois | $96,323 | $46.31 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $97,011 | $46.64 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $92,775 | $44.60 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $95,934 | $46.12 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $95,496 | $45.91 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $95,303 | $45.82 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $93,362 | $44.89 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $96,481 | $46.39 |
| 31 | Missouri | $94,915 | $45.63 |
| 32 | Kansas | $93,530 | $44.97 |
| 33 | Alabama | $92,207 | $44.33 |
| 34 | Virginia | $91,356 | $43.92 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $92,702 | $44.57 |
| 36 | New York | $95,031 | $45.69 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $93,680 | $45.04 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $91,031 | $43.76 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $89,655 | $43.10 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $90,717 | $43.61 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $91,803 | $44.14 |
| 42 | Alaska | $88,924 | $42.75 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $91,295 | $43.89 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $91,822 | $44.15 |
| 45 | Maine | $89,581 | $43.07 |
| 46 | Montana | $87,192 | $41.92 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,025 | $41.84 |
| 48 | Iowa | $87,977 | $42.30 |
| 49 | Indiana | $85,919 | $41.31 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $84,949 | $40.84 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $84,380 | $40.57 |
Highest paying cities for systems engineers/architects
The highest-paying cities for systems engineers/architects are Menlo Park, CA, Seattle, WA, and Alpharetta, GA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $149,067 | $71.67 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $117,178 | $56.34 |
| 3 | Alpharetta, GA | $106,264 | $51.09 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $105,478 | $50.71 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $103,352 | $49.69 |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | $102,734 | $49.39 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $101,384 | $48.74 |
| 8 | Roy, UT | $99,712 | $47.94 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $98,924 | $47.56 |
| 10 | Conway, AR | $97,134 | $46.70 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $96,361 | $46.33 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $95,265 | $45.80 |
| 13 | Hazelwood, MO | $95,095 | $45.72 |
| 14 | Huntsville, AL | $92,122 | $44.29 |
| 15 | Jersey City, NJ | $91,876 | $44.17 |
| 16 | Richmond, VA | $91,291 | $43.89 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $89,499 | $43.03 |
| 18 | Jacksonville, FL | $87,512 | $42.07 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $85,901 | $41.30 |
Systems engineer/architect salary details
A systems engineer/architect's salary ranges from $81,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $147,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a systems engineer/architect's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $147,000 | $12,250 | $71 |
| 75th Percentile | $128,000 | $10,667 | $62 |
| Average | $109,500 | $9,125 | $53 |
| 25th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
Highest paying systems engineer/architect jobs
The highest paying types of systems engineers/architects are principal systems engineer, senior solutions architect, and senior systems software engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Analyst | $75,383 | $6,282 | $36.24 | 141,289 |
| Service Engineer | $87,151 | $7,263 | $41.90 | 143,806 |
| Solutions Engineer | $95,482 | $7,957 | $45.91 | 123,287 |
| Enterprise Architect | $118,506 | $9,875 | $56.97 | 89,628 |
| Solutions Architect | $116,327 | $9,694 | $55.93 | 107,754 |
| Systems Manager | $107,156 | $8,930 | $51.52 | 145,551 |
Top companies hiring systems engineers/architects now:
Which companies pay systems engineers/architects the most?
Systems engineer/architect salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average systems engineer/architect salary at companies like Pluralsight and Walmart are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $167,875 | $80.71 |
| 2 | Apple | $145,498 | $69.95 |
| 3 | Pluralsight | $144,143 | $69.30 |
| 4 | Walmart | $141,989 | $68.26 |
| 5 | Cisco | $140,037 | $67.33 |
| 6 | Zscaler | $139,189 | $66.92 |
| 7 | Costco Wholesale | $138,156 | $66.42 |
| 8 | F5 | $135,555 | $65.17 |
| 9 | PlayStation | $135,175 | $64.99 |
| 10 | Adobe | $132,364 | $63.64 |
| 11 | Juniper Networks | $130,729 | $62.85 |
| 12 | URBN | $128,836 | $61.94 |
| 13 | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group | $128,034 | $61.55 |
| 14 | TheBrain Technologies | $127,780 | $61.43 |
| 15 | Kelly Services | $124,878 | $60.04 |
| 16 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $124,364 | $59.79 |
| 17 | BorgWarner | $123,795 | $59.52 |
| 18 | Vizio | $123,091 | $59.18 |
| 19 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $123,039 | $59.15 |
| 20 | Autodesk | $122,974 | $59.12 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Systems engineer/architect salary trends
The average systems engineer/architect salary has risen by $19,981 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average systems engineer/architect earned $89,519 annually, but today, they earn $109,500 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for systems engineers/architects over the last decade.
Compare systems engineer/architect salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average systems engineer/architect salary over time
Compare systems engineer/architect salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Systems engineer/architect salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $109,000 | $52.64 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $106,000 | $50.91 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $103,000 | $49.76 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $102,000 | $49.18 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $101,000 | $48.33 | +2.4% |
Recently added systems engineer/architect salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perspecta | Splunk Architect/Engineer | Annapolis, MD | 06/29/2025 | $135,000 |
| Salesforce.com, Inc. | AI Architect, Engineering Automation | Ione, CA | 06/27/2025 | $251,900 |
| Cubic Corporation | Systems Engineering Architect | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $160,000 |
| Cubic Secure Communications | Systems Engineering Architect | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $160,000 |
| Insight Global | Vertex AI Engineer/Architect (AOR Intl Remote Mexico | Hartford, CT | 06/24/2025 | $20,870 |
| Insight Global | Netsuite Architect/Engineer | Atlanta, GA | 06/18/2025 | $125,220 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | AI Engineer Architect | Charlotte, NC | 06/10/2025 | $125,220 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | IAM Engineer Systems Engineering Architect | Detroit, MI | 06/10/2025 | $156,525 |
| Amazon | Pace Prototyping Architect, Prototyping and Cloud Engineering, Prototyping and Cloud Engineering (PA | Phoenix, AZ | 06/07/2025 | $138,200 |
| Amazon | Pace Prototyping Architect, Prototyping and Cloud Engineering, Prototyping and Cloud Engineering (PA | San Antonio, TX | 06/07/2025 | $138,200 |
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