231 metro areas
Architect Salary by City (2026)
Architects earn the most in San Jose, CA, an average of $142,170 a year, against $106,260 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Appleton, WI ($129,770 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $106,260BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $142,170San Jose, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $129,770Appleton, WI
- Metro areas
- 231With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for architects
Top 10 metro areas
- San Jose, CA$142,170
- San Francisco, CA$131,310
- Trenton, NJ$127,000
- Kiryas Joel, NY$125,990
- Sacramento, CA$124,740
- San Diego, CA$123,640
- Barnstable Town, MA$123,010
- Baltimore, MD$120,720
- Appleton, WI$119,930
- Boston, MA-NH$118,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $142,170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,310 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $127,000 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $125,990 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $124,740 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $123,640 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $123,010 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $120,720 |
| Appleton, WI | $119,930 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $118,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Appleton, WI$119,930 nominal$129,770
- Gulfport, MS$116,400 nominal$129,320
- San Jose, CA$142,170 nominal$128,750
- Watertown, NY$112,340 nominal$128,110
- Rapid City, SD$113,320 nominal$127,100
- Davenport, IA-IL$112,360 nominal$126,140
- Glens Falls, NY$118,910 nominal$125,350
- Barnstable Town, MA$123,010 nominal$125,070
- Birmingham, AL$114,420 nominal$124,850
- Trenton, NJ$127,000 nominal$123,090
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | $129,770 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $129,320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $128,750 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $128,110 |
| Rapid City, SD | $127,100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $126,140 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $125,350 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $125,070 |
| Birmingham, AL | $124,850 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $123,090 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Architect salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $142,170 | $88,070 | $168,810 | $128,750 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $131,310 | $79,000 | $157,060 | $113,580 |
| 3 | Trenton, NJ | $127,000 | $77,270 | $151,510 | $123,090 |
| 4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $125,990 | $68,000 | $154,540 | $115,140 |
| 5 | Sacramento, CA | $124,740 | $82,560 | $145,540 | $116,940 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | $123,640 | $77,710 | $146,270 | $110,500 |
| 7 | Barnstable Town, MA | $123,010 | $85,530 | $141,480 | $125,070 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $120,720 | $75,440 | $143,020 | $115,540 |
| 9 | Appleton, WI | $119,930 | $92,040 | $133,660 | $129,770 |
| 10 | Boston, MA-NH | $118,960 | $85,450 | $135,470 | $109,880 |
| 11 | Glens Falls, NY | $118,910 | $75,380 | $140,360 | $125,350 |
| 12 | Redding, CA | $118,640 | $75,380 | $139,960 | $117,830 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $117,560 | $77,650 | $137,220 | $117,490 |
| 14 | Modesto, CA | $116,710 | $82,140 | $133,720 | $112,100 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $116,460 | $57,870 | $145,330 | $121,700 |
| 16 | Gulfport, MS | $116,400 | $65,920 | $141,270 | $129,320 |
| 17 | Bakersfield, CA | $116,040 | $76,360 | $135,570 | $115,020 |
| 18 | Los Angeles, CA | $115,940 | $74,480 | $136,340 | $102,090 |
| 19 | Bridgeport, CT | $115,540 | $76,420 | $134,830 | $108,120 |
| 20 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $115,480 | $77,170 | $134,350 | $106,060 |
| 21 | Santa Rosa, CA | $115,070 | $76,500 | $134,080 | $106,760 |
| 22 | Birmingham, AL | $114,420 | $67,580 | $137,490 | $124,850 |
| 23 | New York, NY-NJ | $114,000 | $71,970 | $134,700 | $101,280 |
| 24 | Stockton, CA | $113,900 | $77,020 | $132,080 | $108,380 |
| 25 | Providence, RI-MA | $113,650 | $76,190 | $132,100 | $111,670 |
| 26 | Kennewick, WA | $113,510 | $69,490 | $135,180 | $113,420 |
| 27 | Rapid City, SD | $113,320 | $65,560 | $136,820 | $127,100 |
| 28 | Boulder, CO | $113,300 | $74,300 | $132,520 | $107,700 |
| 29 | Dayton, OH | $112,800 | $65,920 | $135,890 | $121,690 |
| 30 | Daphne, AL | $112,760 | $68,060 | $134,760 | $119,080 |
| 31 | Durham, NC | $112,690 | $71,140 | $133,160 | $115,490 |
| 32 | Denver, CO | $112,530 | $76,560 | $130,250 | $106,380 |
| 33 | Midland, TX | $112,400 | $72,430 | $132,100 | $117,350 |
| 34 | Davenport, IA-IL | $112,360 | $67,310 | $134,530 | $126,140 |
| 35 | Watertown, NY | $112,340 | $74,130 | $131,160 | $128,110 |
| 36 | Santa Maria, CA | $112,050 | $74,980 | $130,310 | $102,990 |
| 37 | Ithaca, NY | $111,970 | $75,610 | $129,880 | $108,380 |
| 38 | Savannah, GA | $111,550 | $73,760 | $130,170 | $117,170 |
| 39 | Anchorage, AK | $111,300 | $72,950 | $130,190 | $105,580 |
| 40 | Las Vegas, NV | $110,780 | $70,410 | $130,640 | $110,540 |
| 41 | Amherst Town, MA | $110,550 | $83,890 | $123,680 | $110,280 |
| 42 | Norwich, CT | $110,450 | $77,980 | $126,440 | $109,960 |
| 43 | Toledo, OH | $110,220 | $62,650 | $133,640 | $120,520 |
| 44 | Binghamton, NY | $109,890 | $68,430 | $130,310 | $118,340 |
| 45 | Oklahoma City, OK | $109,840 | $62,920 | $132,950 | $121,490 |
| 46 | Reno, NV | $108,600 | $74,780 | $125,260 | $107,510 |
| 47 | Salinas, CA | $108,600 | $79,960 | $122,680 | $99,590 |
| 48 | Phoenix, AZ | $108,330 | $77,830 | $123,320 | $104,850 |
| 49 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $108,200 | $69,720 | $127,150 | $116,920 |
| 50 | Riverside, CA | $107,870 | $68,330 | $127,340 | $101,340 |
| 51 | Salt Lake City, UT | $107,850 | $63,000 | $129,920 | $106,920 |
| 52 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $107,790 | $71,570 | $125,610 | $118,930 |
| 53 | Fresno, CA | $107,700 | $73,200 | $124,700 | $105,420 |
| 54 | Huntsville, AL | $107,600 | $69,700 | $126,260 | $115,610 |
| 55 | Worcester, MA | $107,450 | $79,930 | $120,990 | $104,810 |
| 56 | Des Moines, IA | $107,390 | $63,400 | $129,060 | $117,110 |
| 57 | Springfield, MA | $107,390 | $71,200 | $125,240 | $111,790 |
| 58 | Albany, NY | $107,370 | $72,180 | $124,700 | $107,840 |
| 59 | Columbia, SC | $107,200 | $64,310 | $128,340 | $114,450 |
| 60 | New Haven, CT | $106,560 | $76,400 | $121,430 | $101,910 |
| 61 | Fort Collins, CO | $106,430 | $66,930 | $125,880 | $105,240 |
| 62 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $105,980 | $71,760 | $122,820 | $108,870 |
| 63 | Brunswick, GA | $105,890 | $69,970 | $123,570 | $120,730 |
| 64 | Manchester, NH | $105,790 | $80,480 | $118,270 | $100,130 |
| 65 | Columbus, OH | $105,710 | $65,420 | $125,550 | $110,730 |
| 66 | Rochester, NY | $105,410 | $71,530 | $122,120 | $108,630 |
| 67 | Oxnard, CA | $105,190 | $66,930 | $124,010 | $95,170 |
| 68 | Santa Cruz, CA | $105,160 | $70,200 | $122,370 | $95,690 |
| 69 | Buffalo, NY | $105,120 | $68,390 | $123,220 | $109,680 |
| 70 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $105,080 | $69,970 | $122,370 | $100,250 |
| 71 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $105,040 | $69,140 | $122,720 | $107,250 |
| 72 | Portland, OR-WA | $105,000 | $76,230 | $119,160 | $99,600 |
| 73 | Greenville, SC | $104,940 | $64,810 | $124,700 | $112,520 |
| 74 | Jacksonville, FL | $104,670 | $67,080 | $123,200 | $105,210 |
| 75 | Lawrence, KS | $104,520 | $67,660 | $122,680 | $115,820 |
| 76 | Raleigh, NC | $104,420 | $72,220 | $120,270 | $106,380 |
| 77 | Hartford, CT | $104,270 | $73,900 | $119,230 | $101,480 |
| 78 | Tulsa, OK | $104,250 | $62,550 | $124,800 | $116,850 |
| 79 | Bozeman, MT | $104,190 | $64,750 | $123,610 | $101,640 |
| 80 | Madison, WI | $104,100 | $73,800 | $119,020 | $107,000 |
| 81 | Mobile, AL | $104,080 | $75,360 | $118,230 | $118,140 |
| 82 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $104,020 | $63,980 | $123,740 | $101,430 |
| 83 | Waterloo, IA | $104,000 | $65,210 | $123,090 | $119,460 |
| 84 | Asheville, NC | $103,940 | $67,410 | $121,950 | $107,700 |
| 85 | Syracuse, NY | $103,940 | $69,680 | $120,810 | $108,560 |
| 86 | Omaha, NE-IA | $103,730 | $60,650 | $124,950 | $112,860 |
| 87 | Miami, FL | $103,710 | $69,240 | $120,680 | $90,850 |
| 88 | Ames, IA | $103,670 | $66,790 | $121,800 | $116,710 |
| 89 | Athens, GA | $103,600 | $66,480 | $121,890 | $110,990 |
| 90 | Salisbury, MD | $103,380 | $65,750 | $121,910 | $108,120 |
| 91 | Waco, TX | $103,360 | $63,610 | $122,950 | $111,680 |
| 92 | Nashville, TN | $103,190 | $70,200 | $119,450 | $107,110 |
| 93 | Charleston, SC | $103,020 | $65,040 | $121,740 | $102,040 |
| 94 | Visalia, CA | $102,860 | $68,760 | $119,640 | $103,040 |
| 95 | Green Bay, WI | $102,630 | $71,880 | $117,770 | $110,250 |
| 96 | Crestview, FL | $102,500 | $65,480 | $120,720 | $105,640 |
| 97 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $102,400 | $67,250 | $119,700 | $94,290 |
| 98 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $102,360 | $69,580 | $118,500 | $109,980 |
| 99 | Jackson, MS | $102,290 | $62,030 | $122,120 | $114,870 |
| 100 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $102,110 | $65,040 | $120,370 | $107,070 |
| 101 | Montgomery, AL | $102,040 | $57,870 | $123,800 | $113,780 |
| 102 | Milwaukee, WI | $102,020 | $71,260 | $117,170 | $105,240 |
| 103 | Colorado Springs, CO | $101,960 | $67,450 | $118,960 | $101,240 |
| 104 | Greensboro, NC | $101,800 | $69,260 | $117,830 | $109,620 |
| 105 | Seattle, WA | $101,520 | $75,400 | $114,380 | $91,350 |
| 106 | Houston, TX | $101,440 | $67,310 | $118,250 | $102,850 |
| 107 | Waterbury, CT | $101,420 | $70,660 | $116,560 | $101,650 |
| 108 | York, PA | $101,360 | $65,460 | $119,040 | $105,580 |
| 109 | Palm Bay, FL | $101,340 | $61,980 | $120,720 | $101,330 |
| 110 | Kahului, HI | $101,210 | $67,330 | $117,890 | $92,520 |
| 111 | Bremerton, WA | $101,190 | $71,840 | $115,650 | $95,820 |
| 112 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $101,150 | $67,680 | $117,640 | $116,720 |
| 113 | Evansville, IN | $100,980 | $57,120 | $122,600 | $110,330 |
| 114 | Columbus, GA-AL | $100,940 | $68,830 | $116,770 | $113,040 |
| 115 | Dallas, TX | $100,900 | $68,990 | $116,630 | $97,880 |
| 116 | Bismarck, ND | $100,730 | $74,550 | $113,630 | $110,660 |
| 117 | Springfield, IL | $100,630 | $66,440 | $117,500 | $108,500 |
| 118 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $100,570 | $65,730 | $117,730 | $105,770 |
| 119 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $100,360 | $59,720 | $120,390 | $112,810 |
| 120 | Hilton Head Island, SC | $99,920 | $58,120 | $120,520 | $101,940 |
| 121 | New Orleans, LA | $99,860 | $59,780 | $119,600 | $107,840 |
| 122 | Iowa City, IA | $99,840 | $68,220 | $115,420 | $109,100 |
| 123 | Austin, TX | $99,780 | $67,230 | $115,810 | $101,750 |
| 124 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $99,380 | $63,230 | $117,190 | $101,110 |
| 125 | Richmond, VA | $99,220 | $65,560 | $115,770 | $101,390 |
| 126 | Reading, PA | $99,010 | $66,390 | $115,070 | $102,010 |
| 127 | Fargo, ND-MN | $98,860 | $65,920 | $115,110 | $108,790 |
| 128 | North Port, FL | $98,860 | $67,790 | $114,170 | $96,530 |
| 129 | Wilmington, NC | $98,680 | $66,250 | $114,650 | $102,340 |
| 130 | Orlando, FL | $98,610 | $65,460 | $114,940 | $97,230 |
| 131 | Lancaster, PA | $98,340 | $63,770 | $115,380 | $100,080 |
| 132 | Bellingham, WA | $98,090 | $77,880 | $108,060 | $94,930 |
| 133 | Billings, MT | $98,070 | $68,810 | $112,490 | $104,860 |
| 134 | Tampa, FL | $97,970 | $63,360 | $115,020 | $97,110 |
| 135 | Detroit, MI | $97,680 | $63,650 | $114,440 | $97,390 |
| 136 | Cape Coral, FL | $97,610 | $63,500 | $114,400 | $95,370 |
| 137 | Columbia, MO | $97,410 | $62,840 | $114,420 | $108,910 |
| 138 | Boise City, ID | $97,360 | $59,380 | $116,080 | $98,950 |
| 139 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $97,240 | $65,230 | $113,010 | $105,960 |
| 140 | Charlottesville, VA | $97,220 | $63,320 | $113,920 | $98,060 |
| 141 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $97,220 | $64,540 | $113,320 | $105,470 |
| 142 | Winston, NC | $97,030 | $65,100 | $112,780 | $105,420 |
| 143 | Dubuque, IA | $96,800 | $57,620 | $116,130 | $110,850 |
| 144 | Tucson, AZ | $96,780 | $71,260 | $109,350 | $99,880 |
| 145 | Lexington, KY | $96,640 | $64,110 | $112,670 | $104,040 |
| 146 | Gainesville, FL | $96,370 | $63,810 | $112,400 | $99,620 |
| 147 | Panama City, FL | $96,100 | $62,230 | $112,780 | $98,770 |
| 148 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $96,080 | $59,110 | $114,280 | $105,640 |
| 149 | Erie, PA | $95,930 | $61,260 | $113,010 | $105,480 |
| 150 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $95,890 | $62,940 | $112,110 | $104,840 |
| 151 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $95,830 | $66,520 | $110,260 | $86,360 |
| 152 | Grand Junction, CO | $95,410 | $65,020 | $110,390 | $99,930 |
| 153 | Knoxville, TN | $95,410 | $64,500 | $110,640 | $103,070 |
| 154 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $95,390 | $69,910 | $107,930 | $95,170 |
| 155 | Missoula, MT | $95,180 | $61,570 | $111,740 | $98,690 |
| 156 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $95,060 | $60,050 | $112,300 | $95,090 |
| 157 | Ann Arbor, MI | $94,950 | $63,980 | $110,200 | $94,120 |
| 158 | State College, PA | $94,870 | $64,330 | $109,910 | $98,040 |
| 159 | Beaumont, TX | $94,760 | $62,800 | $110,510 | $105,240 |
| 160 | Tyler, TX | $94,520 | $68,870 | $107,160 | $102,570 |
| 161 | Olympia, WA | $94,240 | $61,300 | $110,470 | $90,900 |
| 162 | Naples, FL | $94,220 | $64,520 | $108,850 | $91,300 |
| 163 | Sebastian, FL | $94,180 | $62,400 | $109,820 | $95,800 |
| 164 | Spokane, WA | $94,160 | $68,910 | $106,600 | $93,840 |
| 165 | Provo, UT | $94,100 | $59,220 | $111,280 | $95,790 |
| 166 | Rochester, MN | $93,930 | $59,800 | $110,740 | $103,420 |
| 167 | Fort Wayne, IN | $93,910 | $55,200 | $112,960 | $101,450 |
| 168 | San Antonio, TX | $93,770 | $62,570 | $109,140 | $99,000 |
| 169 | Duluth, MN-WI | $93,390 | $61,190 | $109,260 | $105,210 |
| 170 | Chicago, IL-IN | $93,270 | $61,170 | $109,050 | $90,030 |
| 171 | Ocala, FL | $93,200 | $63,540 | $107,810 | $97,860 |
| 172 | Burlington, VT | $93,080 | $68,430 | $105,230 | $92,200 |
| 173 | Cleveland, OH | $92,980 | $57,660 | $110,360 | $99,000 |
| 174 | Pittsburgh, PA | $92,730 | $62,940 | $107,390 | $97,950 |
| 175 | Baton Rouge, LA | $92,540 | $56,260 | $110,390 | $101,940 |
| 176 | Amarillo, TX | $92,460 | $60,510 | $108,200 | $100,700 |
| 177 | St. George, UT | $92,250 | $57,010 | $109,620 | $94,790 |
| 178 | South Bend, IN-MI | $91,980 | $51,850 | $111,720 | $99,050 |
| 179 | Harrisburg, PA | $91,620 | $60,990 | $106,700 | $92,870 |
| 180 | Pensacola, FL | $91,560 | $61,130 | $106,560 | $93,700 |
| 181 | Deltona, FL | $91,480 | $64,020 | $105,000 | $92,060 |
| 182 | Corpus Christi, TX | $91,330 | $60,690 | $106,410 | $98,550 |
| 183 | Slidell, LA | $91,290 | $57,430 | $107,970 | $98,450 |
| 184 | Lubbock, TX | $91,000 | $60,760 | $105,890 | $99,650 |
| 185 | Grand Rapids, MI | $90,830 | $61,920 | $105,080 | $95,060 |
| 186 | Wichita, KS | $90,830 | $60,740 | $105,660 | $102,120 |
| 187 | Rockford, IL | $90,400 | $58,700 | $106,020 | $98,100 |
| 188 | College Station, TX | $90,290 | $58,860 | $105,770 | $99,270 |
| 189 | Kalamazoo, MI | $90,150 | $61,050 | $104,480 | $95,050 |
| 190 | Roanoke, VA | $89,730 | $67,970 | $100,460 | $95,850 |
| 191 | Scranton, PA | $89,690 | $63,170 | $102,750 | $95,870 |
| 192 | Idaho Falls, ID | $89,630 | $56,280 | $106,060 | $94,930 |
| 193 | Champaign, IL | $89,290 | $61,380 | $103,040 | $96,320 |
| 194 | Youngstown, OH | $89,250 | $59,450 | $103,920 | $102,120 |
| 195 | Jackson, TN | $89,230 | $66,520 | $100,400 | $104,340 |
| 196 | Bend, OR | $89,150 | $69,850 | $98,650 | $86,050 |
| 197 | Shreveport, LA | $88,860 | $56,430 | $104,810 | $104,830 |
| 198 | Ogden, UT | $88,770 | $54,770 | $105,520 | $88,460 |
| 199 | Akron, OH | $88,210 | $57,510 | $103,360 | $94,470 |
| 200 | Helena, MT | $87,940 | $63,650 | $99,900 | $91,920 |
| 201 | Lincoln, NE | $87,860 | $55,140 | $103,980 | $95,940 |
| 202 | Eugene, OR | $87,760 | $69,450 | $96,780 | $86,410 |
| 203 | Santa Fe, NM | $87,710 | $57,430 | $102,610 | $88,800 |
| 204 | Flint, MI | $87,670 | $56,640 | $102,960 | $94,230 |
| 205 | Salem, OR | $87,360 | $72,280 | $94,790 | $84,280 |
| 206 | Portland, ME | $87,240 | $57,470 | $101,900 | $85,650 |
| 207 | Peoria, IL | $86,840 | $61,030 | $99,550 | $95,190 |
| 208 | Bloomington, IN | $86,760 | $50,420 | $104,640 | $91,250 |
| 209 | Fayetteville, AR | $86,670 | $63,770 | $97,950 | $94,870 |
| 210 | El Paso, TX | $86,300 | $53,680 | $102,360 | $95,980 |
| 211 | Manhattan, KS | $86,240 | $62,710 | $97,800 | $95,650 |
| 212 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $85,680 | $56,260 | $100,150 | $99,110 |
| 213 | Blacksburg, VA | $85,430 | $53,160 | $101,300 | $92,150 |
| 214 | Bloomington, IL | $85,070 | $56,410 | $99,200 | $90,950 |
| 215 | Lansing, MI | $84,950 | $57,800 | $98,300 | $89,430 |
| 216 | Canton, OH | $84,680 | $55,470 | $99,070 | $94,710 |
| 217 | Tallahassee, FL | $84,090 | $51,980 | $99,920 | $89,530 |
| 218 | Medford, OR | $83,100 | $59,050 | $94,930 | $81,930 |
| 219 | Little Rock, AR | $82,950 | $58,280 | $95,080 | $92,820 |
| 220 | Springfield, MO | $82,910 | $52,210 | $98,030 | $93,590 |
| 221 | McAllen, TX | $81,660 | $53,870 | $95,350 | $95,070 |
| 222 | Monroe, LA | $80,930 | $48,530 | $96,910 | $96,810 |
| 223 | Bangor, ME | $80,700 | $55,240 | $93,250 | $83,620 |
| 224 | Laredo, TX | $80,020 | $50,170 | $94,720 | $92,020 |
| 225 | Traverse City, MI | $79,980 | $55,890 | $91,850 | $85,660 |
| 226 | Albuquerque, NM | $79,850 | $52,310 | $93,410 | $83,570 |
| 227 | Topeka, KS | $79,460 | $57,030 | $90,500 | $89,460 |
| 228 | Lafayette, LA | $79,140 | $47,320 | $94,810 | $90,750 |
| 229 | Saginaw, MI | $78,020 | $55,470 | $89,130 | $85,840 |
| 230 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $77,580 | $55,810 | $88,300 | $90,330 |
| 231 | San Juan, PR | $67,620 | $42,720 | $79,890 | N/A |
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About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Architect salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays architects the most?
San Jose, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $142,170 a year, followed by San Francisco, CA ($131,310), Trenton, NJ ($127,000), Kiryas Joel, NY ($125,990). The national mean is $106,260 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do architects earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Appleton, WI ($129,770 at national prices, $119,930 nominal), Gulfport, MS ($129,320 at national prices, $116,400 nominal), San Jose, CA ($128,750 at national prices, $142,170 nominal).
How much do architects make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $114,000; Los Angeles, CA: $115,940; Chicago, IL-IN: $93,270; Dallas, TX: $100,900; Houston, TX: $101,440 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do architects earn the least?
Of the 231 metro areas with their own estimate, San Juan, PR has the lowest mean wage, $67,620.