Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Systems Engineering Architect make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Systems Engineering Architect in the United States is $166,015 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $80.

However, a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $183,526
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $155,273 to $175,181
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $145,493
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View as table View as graph 25% $155,273 10% $145,493 90% $183,526 75% $175,181 $166,015 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $175,181 $14,598 $3,369 $84
Average $166,015 $13,835 $3,193 $80
25th Percentile $155,273 $12,939 $2,986 $75
Check out Lead Systems Engineering Architect Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salaries

A Lead Systems Engineering Architect's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $161,710
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $162,535
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $163,691
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $165,011
  • Expert (over 8 years): $166,959
Levels Salary
Entry Level Lead Systems Engineering Architect$161,710
Intermediate Level Lead Systems Engineering Architect$162,535
Senior Level Lead Systems Engineering Architect$163,691
Specialist Level Lead Systems Engineering Architect$165,011
Expert Level Lead Systems Engineering Architect$166,959
$161,710 0 yr
$162,535 < 2 yrs
$163,691 2-4 yrs
$165,011 5-8 yrs
$166,959 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Systems Engineering Architects. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $183,812.
  • California: $183,115.
  • Massachusetts: $180,674.

Top Paying Cities for Lead Systems Engineering Architects

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $209,395
  • San Francisco: $207,336
  • Oakland: $202,738

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.34% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.75% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
  • Python (Mentioned in 1.44% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.34%
Software Development 2.75%
Python 1.44%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's salary.
  • Partnering: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Systems Architecture: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Partnering
 $175,976
6%
Systems Architecture
 $174,316
5%
Commitment
 $172,656
4%
Microservices
 $170,995
3%
Enterprise Architecture
 $170,995
3%
AWS
 $170,995
3%
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How Education impacts a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Systems Engineering Architects enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Lead Systems Engineering Architect with a Bachelor's Degree is between $166,206 and $173,760).

Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Systems Engineering Architect
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.6%
High School 11.9%
Associates 6.7%
Bachelors 49.5%
Masters 27.3%
Doctorate 2.1%
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Lead Systems Engineering Architect Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Systems Engineering Architect's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$155,273
Average $166,015/year
$175,181
$12,939
Average $13,835/month
$14,598
$2,986
Average $3,193/week
$3,369
$75
Average $80/hour
$84
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $175,181 $14,598 $3,369 $84
Average $166,015 $13,835 $3,193 $80
25th Percentile $155,273 $12,939 $2,986 $75

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Systems Engineering Architect

Salary Trends for Lead Systems Engineering Architect

Salaries for a Lead Systems Engineering Architect can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $166,313 in 2023 to around $165,540 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Systems Engineering Architect salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Systems Engineering Architect Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$166,313
2024
$166,747
2025
$165,540
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $166,313
2024 $166,747
2025 $165,540
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Lead Systems Engineering Architect

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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