The average salary for an architect in California is around $108,540 per year.
Avg Salary
Architects earn an average yearly salary of $108,540.
Wages typically start from $75,640 and go up to $171,160.
50% above national average Updated in 2025
Architect earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level architect earnings begin at:
$82.29 per hour
$171,160 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level architect earnings begin at:
$73.28 per hour
$152,430 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level architect earnings begin at:
$52.19 per hour
$108,540 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level architect earnings begin at:
$41.34 per hour
$85,990 per year
10th percentile
Starting level architect earnings begin at:
$36.37 per hour
$75,640 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Architect salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $99,940 |
| New Jersey | $99,800 |
| New York | $99,280 |
| Oregon | $98,800 |
| Wisconsin | $98,510 |
| Missouri | $98,490 |
| Kentucky | $97,680 |
| Virginia | $97,680 |
| Montana | $97,290 |
| North Dakota | $97,110 |
| Delaware | $97,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,030 |
| Iowa | $96,810 |
| West Virginia | $96,470 |
| Florida | $96,240 |
| Indiana | $96,060 |
| Alabama | $95,990 |
| North Carolina | $95,700 |
| Utah | $95,590 |
| Ohio | $94,960 |
| Texas | $94,490 |
| Tennessee | $94,030 |
| Idaho | $93,710 |
| Nebraska | $91,530 |
| Michigan | $88,430 |
| Kansas | $85,490 |
| Vermont | $82,400 |
| Illinois | $81,780 |
| Mississippi | $80,870 |
| Louisiana | $79,580 |
| Maine | $78,600 |
| Arkansas | $78,190 |
| New Mexico | $77,720 |
| Guam | $75,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,830 |
| Wyoming | $120,580 |
| Massachusetts | $117,330 |
| Maryland | $114,550 |
| Alaska | $108,730 |
| California | $108,540 |
| Rhode Island | $105,160 |
| Connecticut | $103,540 |
| South Dakota | $102,500 |
| Colorado | $102,400 |
| Hawaii | $102,340 |
| District of Columbia | $102,040 |
| Arizona | $102,000 |
| Nevada | $101,570 |
| South Carolina | $101,550 |
| New Hampshire | $101,100 |
| Georgia | $100,420 |
| Oklahoma | $100,350 |
| Washington | $100,190 |
How much does an Architect earn?
How do architect salaries compare to similar careers?
Architects earn 6% less than similar careers in California. On average, they make less than filmmakers but more than surveyors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Filmmaker salary | $130K |
| Film director salary | $130K |
| Construction manager salary | $133K |
| Make-Up artist salary | $141K |
| Multimedia animator salary | $131K |
| Architect salary | $109K |
| Naval architect salary | $111K |
| Urban planner salary | $110K |
| Craft artist salary | $101K |
| Surveyor salary | $105K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)