Architect salary in Washington, DC
Based on 101 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Arlington, Washington Dc, Rockville, Reston, Bethesda.
Also listed as: Project Architect, Architect Non Licensed
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $72,363 |
| 25th | $75,000 |
| 50th (median) | $82,000 |
| 75th | $95,000 |
| 90th | $113,500 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $63,000 | $58,448 | $73,160 | 53 |
| FY2021 | $66,000 | $57,995 | $76,970 | 55 |
| FY2022 | $73,004 | $63,000 | $79,685 | 66 |
| FY2023 | $75,000 | $65,998 | $83,000 | 49 |
| FY2024 | $75,278 | $66,000 | $91,317 | 48 |
| FY2025 | $80,000 | $72,400 | $92,269 | 65 |
| FY2026 | $85,835 | $76,345 | $101,250 | 36 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Architect salary of $82,000 is worth about $75,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $102,080 in May 2025 (3,020 employed). The H-1B median here is $82,000, 20% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lehman Smith McLeish, PLLC | too few | 9 |
| HDR Architecture | too few | 5 |
| WSP | too few | 4 |
| Hks | too few | 4 |
| Perkins & Will | too few | 4 |
| Cooper Carry | too few | 3 |
| Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | too few | 3 |
| Wilmot Sanz | too few | 3 |
| Arcadis | too few | 2 |
| Bell Architects | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $77,979 | 55 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $99,045 | 24 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 2 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
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 | $72,363 | $77,979 | 55 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $92,269 | $99,045 | 24 |
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.