What are the main factors that influence a Computer Systems Architect's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Computer Systems Architect's salary?

A Computer Systems Architect's salary grows with experience: starting around $161,562 for beginners, reaching about $163,541 at mid-level, and approach $166,806 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Computer Systems Architect?

Computer Systems Architect salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Computer Systems Architect roles are District of Columbia $181,985, California $181,295, Massachusetts $178,878. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Computer Systems Architect roles make?

Salaries for Computer Systems Architect level roles vary by specialization: Computer Architect: $143,279; computer information systems: $131,789; Computer Systems Manager: $131,443; Computer Systems Analyst: $112,107; Associate Dean - Computer and Information Systems: $96,344.

How do different companies affect a Computer Systems Architect's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Computer Systems Architect roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Computer Systems Architect Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Computer Systems Architect in the United States is $164,365 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $79.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $180,864
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $152,492 to $173,001
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $141,682

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Computer Systems Architect Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$173,001	$14,417	$3,327	$83
Average	$164,365	$13,697	$3,161	$79
25th Percentile	$152,492	$12,708	$2,933	$73

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Check out Computer Systems Architect Job Openings in the United States

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Information Technology Engineering Corporation - SILVER SPRING, MD

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Key Factors That Influence Computer Systems Architect Salaries

A Computer Systems 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 Computer Systems Architect Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Computer Systems 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): $161,562
Early Career (1-2 years): $162,387
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $163,541
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $164,860
Expert (over 8 years): $166,806

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Computer Systems Architect	$161,562
Intermediate Level Computer Systems Architect	$162,387
Senior Level Computer Systems Architect	$163,541
Specialist Level Computer Systems Architect	$164,860
Expert Level Computer Systems Architect	$166,806

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Computer Systems 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 Computer Systems Architects. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $181,985.
California: $181,295.
Massachusetts: $178,878.

District of Columbia $181,985 California $181,295 Massachusetts $178,878 Washington $178,221 New Jersey $178,155 Alaska $177,925 Connecticut $175,657 New York $174,736

Hawaii $171,794 Rhode Island $170,414 Maryland $169,477 Minnesota $168,195 Colorado $167,702 Illinois $167,537 Oregon $166,913 Delaware $166,452

New Hampshire $166,163 Virginia $165,516 Pennsylvania $163,625 Nevada $162,672 North Dakota $162,360 Michigan $161,867 Wisconsin $161,686 Vermont $161,324

Texas $160,322 Maine $160,256 Arizona $160,157 Ohio $160,042 Georgia $158,530 Indiana $157,774 Wyoming $157,626 Utah $157,396

Iowa $157,297 Kansas $156,508 Louisiana $156,278 North Carolina $156,196 Missouri $156,163 Florida $155,522 Montana $155,177 Nebraska $154,848

Kentucky $154,667 South Carolina $154,010 Tennessee $153,599 Idaho $153,435 New Mexico $152,235 Oklahoma $151,972 Alabama $151,002 South Dakota $149,375

Arkansas $148,487 West Virginia $148,011 Mississippi $146,581

Top Paying Cities for Computer Systems 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: $207,314
San Francisco: $205,275
Oakland: $200,723

San Jose, CA $207,314

San Francisco, CA $205,275

Oakland, CA $200,723

New York, NY $190,483

Queens Village, NY $189,250

Paramus, NJ $187,935

Passaic, NJ $187,771

Bergenfield, NJ $187,606

Stamford, CT $187,360

Huntington, NY $187,195

Newark, NJ $186,127

Bridgeport, CT $185,798

New Brunswick, NJ $185,256

Vallejo, CA $184,911

Middlesex, NJ $184,812

Somerset, NJ $184,664

Petaluma, CA $184,286

Santa Cruz, CA $183,645

Boston, MA $183,316

Monterey, CA $182,494

Fairbanks, AK $182,379

Los Angeles, CA $182,067

Washington, DC $181,985

Seattle, WA $181,689

Santa Rosa, CA $181,656

Juneau, AK $181,180

Orange, CA $180,637

Anchorage, AK $180,341

Anaheim, CA $180,226

Santa Ana, CA $179,980

Nassau, NY $179,881

Long Beach, CA $179,815

Danbury, CT $179,766

Santa Maria, CA $179,207

Everett, WA $179,174

Bremerton, WA $178,369

Trenton, NJ $178,057

Sacramento, CA $177,991

San Diego, CA $177,909

Brockton, MA $177,843

Tacoma, WA $177,777

Santa Barbara, CA $177,547

Lowell, MA $176,890

New Suffolk, NY $176,824

Nashua, NH $176,627

Lompoc, CA $176,364

Ventura, CA $176,199

Stockton, CA $176,150

New Haven, CT $175,821

Atlantic City, NJ $175,394

Hartford, CT $175,032

Modesto, CA $174,950

Poughkeepsie, NY $174,589

New Britain, CT $174,506

Olympia, WA $174,276

Kennewick, WA $174,276

New London, CT $174,243

Norwich, CT $174,194

Lawrence, MA $174,112

Bakersfield, CA $173,652

Riverside, CA $173,422

New Bedford, MA $173,422

Richland, WA $173,257

Portsmouth, NH $173,126

Vineland, NJ $173,093

San Bernardino, CA $172,961

Boulder, CO $172,501

Worcester, MA $172,370

Portland, OR $172,222

Saint Paul, MN $172,024

Minneapolis, MN $172,024

Philadelphia, PA $171,794

Honolulu, HI $170,923

Springfield, MA $170,348

Providence, RI $170,331

Chicago, IL $169,855

Bellingham, WA $169,658

Baltimore, MD $169,477

Chico, CA $169,066

Wilmington, DE $168,786

Pittsfield, MA $168,622

Manchester, NH $168,310

Spokane, WA $167,587

Denver, CO $167,570

Albany, NY $166,798

Troy, NY $166,732

Schenectady, NY $166,387

Burlington, VT $166,025

Portland, ME $165,450

Salem, OR $165,318

Yakima, WA $165,285

Ann Arbor, MI $165,236

Rochester, MN $164,776

Fresno, CA $164,694

Reno, NV $164,694

Milwaukee, WI $164,546

Detroit, MI $164,381

Allentown, PA $164,332

Carson City, NV $164,316

Houston, TX $164,069

Colorado Springs, CO $164,053

Syracuse, NY $163,971

Eugene, OR $163,658

Bismarck, ND $163,461

Gary, IN $163,461

Galveston, TX $163,461

Springfield, OR $163,330

Medford, OR $162,935

Fort Collins, CO $162,869

Austin, TX $162,738

Mesa, AZ $162,393

Phoenix, AZ $162,360

Dallas, TX $162,310

Reading, PA $162,212

Saint Cloud, MN $162,146

Concord, NH $161,998

Madison, WI $161,932

Utica, NY $161,489

Raleigh, NC $161,357

Las Vegas, NV $161,341

Rochester, NY $161,226

Des Moines, IA $161,209

Atlanta, GA $160,946

Battle Creek, MI $160,897

Salt Lake City, UT $160,848

Lancaster, PA $160,601

Champaign, IL $160,568

Harrisburg, PA $160,371

Durham, NC $160,223

Kansas City, MO $160,207

Kansas City, KS $160,174

Fort Worth, TX $160,157

Boca Raton, FL $160,092

Cleveland, OH $160,075

Columbus, OH $160,042

Pittsburgh, PA $160,026

Richmond, VA $159,960

Indianapolis, IN $159,927

Cincinnati, OH $159,713

Petersburg, VA $159,467

Billings, MT $159,105

Lansing, MI $159,105

Huntsville, AL $159,105

Lebanon, PA $159,089

Dayton, OH $159,072

Pueblo, CO $159,072

Appleton, WI $159,023

Buffalo, NY $158,957

Racine, WI $158,875

Charlotte, NC $158,859

Saint Louis, MO $158,809

Springfield, IL $158,744

Elkhart, IN $158,711

York, PA $158,711

Gastonia, NC $158,694

Benton Harbor, MI $158,694

Beaumont, TX $158,596

Lorain, OH $158,563

Toledo, OH $158,497

Binghamton, NY $158,415

Rock Hill, SC $158,399

Rockford, IL $158,316

Fargo, ND $158,234

Elyria, OH $158,234

Flagstaff, AZ $158,119

Fort Lauderdale, FL $158,021

Miami, FL $157,922

Duluth, MN $157,659

Bangor, ME $157,445

Cedar Rapids, IA $157,264

Louisville, KY $157,182

Grand Rapids, MI $157,149

Hialeah, FL $157,133

Casper, WY $156,903

Scranton, PA $156,706

New Orleans, LA $156,656

Virginia Beach, VA $156,640

Akron, OH $156,558

Peoria, IL $156,344

Sarasota, FL $156,311

Green Bay, WI $156,196

Baton Rouge, LA $156,114

Charleston, SC $156,081

Nashville, TN $156,032

Jamestown, NY $155,999

Davenport, IA $155,999

Tucson, AZ $155,917

Cheyenne, WY $155,867

Saint Petersburg, FL $155,818

Tampa, FL $155,785

Omaha, NE $155,752

Port Arthur, TX $155,687

Evansville, IN $155,687

Bradenton, FL $155,621

Santa Fe, NM $155,325

Orlando, FL $155,161

Clearwater, FL $154,980

Canton, OH $154,635

La Crosse, WI $154,635

Grand Forks, ND $154,585

Albuquerque, NM $154,536

Tulsa, OK $154,536

Newport News, VA $154,520

High Point, NC $154,470

Ogden, UT $154,404

Corpus Christi, TX $154,273

Laramie, WY $154,174

Norfolk, VA $154,174

Rock Island, IL $154,076

Saginaw, MI $154,043

Jacksonville, FL $154,026

Salisbury, NC $153,994

Memphis, TN $153,961

Moline, IL $153,879

Fort Myers, FL $153,829

Waterloo, IA $153,616

Spartanburg, SC $153,451

Lincoln, NE $153,369

Fort Wayne, IN $153,336

Birmingham, AL $153,155

Cedar Falls, IA $153,122

Provo, UT $153,106

Springfield, OH $153,090

San Antonio, TX $153,057

Greensboro, NC $152,991

South Bend, IN $152,975

Winston Salem, NC $152,958

Boise, ID $152,909

Savannah, GA $152,794

Muskegon, MI $152,498

Lima, OH $152,301

Lake Charles, LA $152,235

Anderson, IN $152,202

Lexington, KY $152,153

Augusta, GA $152,103

Greenville, SC $152,103

Wichita, KS $151,955

Tuscaloosa, AL $151,955

Columbia, SC $151,808

Bloomington, IN $151,397

Roanoke, VA $151,298

Asheville, NC $151,084

Knoxville, TN $150,805

Shreveport, LA $150,788

Wilmington, NC $150,575

Frankfort, KY $150,262

Oklahoma City, OK $150,147

Chillicothe, OH $150,082

Longview, TX $150,065

Topeka, KS $150,016

Mobile, AL $149,769

Terre Haute, IN $149,704

Erie, PA $149,687

Altoona, PA $149,605

Melbourne, FL $149,556

Amarillo, TX $149,490

Killeen, TX $149,441

Fayetteville, AR $149,309

Sioux Falls, SD $149,194

Chattanooga, TN $149,095

Idaho Falls, ID $149,079

Gainesville, FL $148,734

Portsmouth, OH $148,652

Little Rock, AR $148,619

Lynchburg, VA $148,619

Lafayette, LA $148,553

Youngstown, OH $148,553

Temple, TX $148,487

Daytona Beach, FL $148,454

Clarksville, TN $148,438

Pensacola, FL $148,422

Hopkinsville, KY $147,929

Charleston, WV $147,912

Florence, SC $147,830

Sioux City, IA $147,731

Macon, GA $147,255

Tallahassee, FL $147,238

Fayetteville, NC $147,205

Waco, TX $147,172

Wichita Falls, TX $147,172

Pine Bluff, AR $147,107

Vincennes, IN $146,794

Lubbock, TX $146,729

Great Falls, MT $146,630

Alamogordo, NM $146,614

Abilene, TX $146,482

Rapid City, SD $146,268

Monroe, LA $146,268

Albany, GA $146,170

Huntington, WV $146,153

Jackson, MS $146,137

Greenville, MS $146,120

Parkersburg, WV $145,956

Montgomery, AL $145,923

Johnstown, PA $145,890

Springfield, MO $145,759

Biloxi, MS $145,677

Sumter, SC $145,332

Columbus, GA $145,315

Twin Falls, ID $145,216

Pascagoula, MS $145,003

Kingsport, TN $144,575

Gulfport, MS $144,526

Alexandria, LA $143,984

Fort Smith, AR $143,573

El Paso, TX $143,129

Helena, MT $142,915

Las Cruces, NM $142,389

Harlingen, TX $141,929

Pocatello, ID $141,781

Florence, AL $141,732

Brownsville, TX $141,699

Dothan, AL $141,436

Mcallen, TX $141,354

Columbus, MS $140,138

Altus, OK $139,382

Lawton, OK $139,069

Pierre, SD $138,478

What Skills Can Increase a Computer Systems 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 Computer Systems 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	$174,227	6%
Systems Architecture	$172,583	5%
Commitment	$170,940	4%
Microservices	$169,296	3%
Enterprise Architecture	$169,296	3%
AWS	$169,296	3%

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How Education impacts a Computer Systems Architect's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Computer Systems 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 Computer Systems Architect with a Bachelor's Degree is between $166,206 and $173,760).

Computer Systems Architect Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Computer Systems Architect

No Diploma 2.6%

High School 11.9%

Associates 6.7%

Bachelors 49.5%

Masters 27.3%

Doctorate 2.1%

view as table

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%

view as graph

Computer Systems Architect Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Computer Systems 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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$152,492

Average $164,365/year

$173,001

$12,708

Average $13,697/month

$14,417

$2,933

Average $3,161/week

$3,327

$73

Average $79/hour

$83

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$173,001	$14,417	$3,327	$83
Average	$164,365	$13,697	$3,161	$79
25th Percentile	$152,492	$12,708	$2,933	$73

Salaries of jobs related to Computer Systems Architect

Salary Trends for Computer Systems Architect

Salaries for a Computer Systems Architect can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $166,161 in 2023 to around $165,389 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Computer Systems Architect salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Computer Systems Architect Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$166,161

2024

$166,595

2025

$165,389

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$166,161
2024	$166,595
2025	$165,389
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Computer Systems Architect

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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