Architect salary
From 2,960 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-1011: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Also filed as: Project Architect, Architect Non Licensed
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 63% of Architect filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Perkins & Will. 93 filings (3% of the total), median $72,987.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 8 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $72,500 in Chicago, IL to $87,360 in San Francisco, CA.
- Median up 27% since FY2020. From $65,000 in FY2020 to $82,500 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Architect H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 2,960 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Architect jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-1011, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval). The median base salary is $79,330, 35% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $70,000 and $90,000. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 63% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (752), and Perkins & Will is the employer that files the most (93).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Architect
Employers with the most Architect filings. Bar: share of all Architect filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 63% of filings
Mid-level · 28% of filings
Senior · 7% of filings
Expert · 2% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $72,500 | 1,711 |
| Level II · Qualified | $90,000 | 762 |
| Level III · Experienced | $112,195 | 192 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $134,555 | 60 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Architect pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 31 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $83,000 | 752 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $80,000 | 340 |
| San Francisco, CA | $87,360 | 231 |
| Chicago, IL | $72,500 | 189 |
| Dallas, TX | $73,154 | 132 |
| Boston, MA | $79,000 | 131 |
| Seattle, WA | $79,643 | 101 |
| Washington, DC | $82,000 | 101 |
| Atlanta, GA | $76,000 | 88 |
| Miami, FL | $75,002 | 58 |
| Houston, TX | $70,866 | 53 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $76,547 | 50 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $70,750 | 44 |
| San Jose, CA | $90,563 | 34 |
| Denver, CO | $81,500 | 26 |
| Detroit, MI | $79,700 | 26 |
| Baltimore, MD | $75,350 | 24 |
| St. Louis, MO | $74,614 | 22 |
| Kansas, MO | $68,000 | 21 |
| Austin, TX | $70,000 | 20 |
| Portland, OR | $72,000 | 19 |
| Charlotte, NC | $71,991 | 18 |
| San Diego, CA | $88,900 | 18 |
| Raleigh, NC | $65,749 | 17 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $73,485 | 15 |
| Salt Lake, UT | $68,952 | 15 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $68,400 | 13 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $68,150 | 12 |
| Rochester, NY | $70,491 | 12 |
| Birmingham, AL | $65,000 | 11 |
| Orlando, FL | $78,002 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Architect does
Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
Typical tasks
- Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
- Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.
- Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
- Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
- Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
- Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (17-1011.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Architects, Except Landscape and Naval), the median annual wage was $99,280 in May 2025, with 106,770 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $79,330, 20% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,699 | $62,300 |
| 25th percentile | $70,000 | $77,960 |
| Median | $79,330 | $99,280 |
| 75th percentile | $90,000 | $126,550 |
| 90th percentile | $107,976 | $161,420 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,699 |
| 25th | $70,000 |
| 50th (median) | $79,330 |
| 75th | $90,000 |
| 90th | $107,976 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $65,000 | $58,887 | $75,000 | 1,182 |
| FY2021 | $68,000 | $60,380 | $77,035 | 1,072 |
| FY2022 | $70,000 | $60,715 | $80,000 | 1,428 |
| FY2023 | $73,869 | $65,000 | $85,000 | 1,394 |
| FY2024 | $75,000 | $67,200 | $86,466 | 1,480 |
| FY2025 | $76,000 | $68,000 | $88,000 | 1,735 |
| FY2026 | $82,500 | $73,008 | $94,715 | 1,225 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Architect make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Architect jobs is $79,330 (2,960 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $70,000 and $90,000.
What does an entry-level Architect earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $72,500. Level I accounts for 63% of Architect filings.
Which city pays H-1B Architects the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Francisco, CA has the highest median base salary for Architect jobs: $87,360 (231 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Architects?
Perkins & Will (93), Corgan Associates (57) and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (57) filed the most Architect LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Architects earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($79,330) is 20% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($99,280, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.