Systems Engineer / Architect salary
From 76,607 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 15-1299: Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 44% of Systems Engineer / Architect filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Cognizant. 12,148 filings (16% of the total), median $110,594.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $103,210 in Charlotte, NC to $169,306 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 29% since FY2020. From $92,435 in FY2020 to $118,851 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Systems Engineer / Architect H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 76,607 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Systems Engineer / Architect jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 15-1299, Computer Systems Engineers/Architects). The median base salary is $114,795, 6% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $91,270 and $144,310. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 44% of filings. Dallas, TX has the most filings (9,903), and Cognizant is the employer that files the most (12,148).
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Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Systems Engineer / Architect jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Systems Engineer / Architect
Cognizant12,148 filings · 16%$110,594
Infosys7,657 filings · 10%$92,581
Tata Consultancy Services4,967 filings · 6%$86,445
HCLTech2,420 filings · 3%$118,462
Amazon1,871 filings · 2%$169,000
Microsoft1,689 filings · 2%$168,000
Wipro1,376 filings · 2%$96,695
LTIMindtree1,258 filings · 2%$108,098
Accenture690 filings · 1%$158,300
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company582 filings · 1%$139,443
Employers with the most Systems Engineer / Architect filings. Bar: share of all Systems Engineer / Architect filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 4% of filings
Mid-level · 44% of filings
Senior · 29% of filings
Expert · 23% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $77,896 | 3,366 |
| Level II · Qualified | $92,340 | 32,895 |
| Level III · Experienced | $120,000 | 21,568 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $154,521 | 17,130 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Systems Engineer / Architect pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 149 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Systems Engineer / Architect does
All computer occupations not listed separately.
O*NET occupation: Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299.00). 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 (Computer Occupations, All Other), the median annual wage was $116,580 in May 2025, with 435,370 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $114,795, 2% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $81,765 | $55,940 |
| 25th percentile | $91,270 | $79,370 |
| Median | $114,795 | $116,580 |
| 75th percentile | $144,310 | $157,500 |
| 90th percentile | $177,900 | $188,470 |
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 | $81,765 |
| 25th | $91,270 |
| 50th (median) | $114,795 |
| 75th | $144,310 |
| 90th | $177,900 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $92,435 | $75,776 | $112,506 | 49,889 |
| FY2021 | $97,000 | $75,754 | $121,187 | 46,570 |
| FY2022 | $100,000 | $76,856 | $129,910 | 54,086 |
| FY2023 | $101,587 | $76,960 | $131,685 | 43,175 |
| FY2024 | $104,520 | $81,266 | $136,843 | 56,322 |
| FY2025 | $110,157 | $90,000 | $140,000 | 47,575 |
| FY2026 | $118,851 | $94,266 | $150,000 | 29,032 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Systems Engineer / Architect make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Systems Engineer / Architect jobs is $114,795 (76,607 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $91,270 and $144,310.
What does an entry-level Systems Engineer / Architect earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $77,896. Level I accounts for 4% of Systems Engineer / Architect filings.
Which city pays H-1B Systems Engineer / Architects the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Systems Engineer / Architect jobs: $169,306 (4,581 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Systems Engineer / Architects?
Cognizant (12,148), Infosys (7,657) and Tata Consultancy Services (4,967) filed the most Systems Engineer / Architect LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Systems Engineer / Architects earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($114,795) is 2% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($116,580, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.