Entry-level Architect salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 207 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Culver City, Irvine, Santa Monica, Pasadena, El Segundo.
Also listed as: Project Architect, Architect Non Licensed
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,480 |
| 25th | $68,650 |
| 50th (median) | $73,500 |
| 75th | $80,000 |
| 90th | $86,916 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $57,574 | $56,222 | $60,939 | 106 |
| FY2021 | $60,000 | $57,574 | $64,999 | 52 |
| FY2022 | $60,160 | $56,930 | $67,250 | 88 |
| FY2023 | $67,995 | $62,400 | $72,800 | 97 |
| FY2024 | $66,560 | $62,400 | $71,500 | 107 |
| FY2025 | $70,000 | $65,000 | $76,450 | 122 |
| FY2026 | $76,960 | $71,960 | $83,620 | 85 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median entry-level Architect salary of $73,500 is worth about $64,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $104,170 in May 2025 (4,870 employed). The H-1B median here is $73,500, 29% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Corgan Associates | $74,734 | 10 |
| Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum | too few | 7 |
| Rios | too few | 7 |
| Arcadis | too few | 6 |
| CO Architects | too few | 5 |
| Aaron Brumer and Associates, Architects | too few | 4 |
| Koning Eizenberg Architecture | too few | 4 |
| MVE & Partners | too few | 4 |
| Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | too few | 4 |
| Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $73,500 | 207 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,000 | 83 |
| Senior · Level III | $119,860 | 13 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $64,459 | $73,500 | 207 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $91,832 | $95,000 | 83 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,880 | $119,860 | 13 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.