If you’ve never wondered how your company’s IT works, you can thank a technical architect. It’s their job to make sure IT systems work seamlessly.
Technical architects or IT systems architects connect the technical and non-technical worlds of the business. The architects are responsible for designing, creating, implementing and maintaining IT systems or software. They often advocate for business stakeholders with software engineers and other technical teams to ensure systems run well.
The average total compensation of a technical architect or IT systems architect in the United States is $137,578 to $371,772, according to data from the professional social network Blind.
These are the 56 best-paying cities for technical architects or IT systems architects in the United States ranked by average total compensation, according to the more than 5 million verified professionals on Blind. Total compensation includes annual cash salary and any stock-based compensation or cash bonus offered by a company.
1. San Mateo, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $371,772
- Median total compensation: $175,000
- Average salary: $157,363
- Median base salary: $167,000
2. Cupertino, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $334,396
- Median total compensation: $314,000
- Average salary: $171,300
- Median base salary: $184,000
3. Menlo Park, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $327,636
- Median total compensation: $350,000
- Average salary: $249,545
- Median base salary: $210,000
4. Mountain View, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $293,756
- Median total compensation: $354,000
- Average salary: $184,565
- Median base salary: $192,000
5. Redmond, Wash.
- Average total compensation: $285,606
- Median total compensation: $210,000
- Average salary: $164,418
- Median base salary: $156,000
6. Bellevue, Wash.
- Average total compensation: $285,537
- Median total compensation: $209,007
- Average salary: $182,359
- Median base salary: $165,000
7. San Francisco
- Average total compensation: $269,276
- Median total compensation: $239,500
- Average salary: $177,298
- Median base salary: $177,000
8. San Jose, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $264,810
- Median total compensation: $233,800
- Average salary: $185,278
- Median base salary: $180,000
9. Palo Alto, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $251,508
- Median total compensation: $243,000
- Average salary: $175,644
- Median base salary: $180,000
10. Sunnyvale, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $239,026
- Median total compensation: $218,000
- Average salary: $157,234
- Median base salary: $169,500
11. Seattle
- Average total compensation: $238,593
- Median total compensation: $205,520
- Average salary: $152,732
- Median base salary: $155,000
12. Boston
- Average total compensation: $237,292
- Median total compensation: $206,000
- Average salary: $155,038
- Median base salary: $160,000
13. Santa Clara, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $234,017
- Median total compensation: $235,000
- Average salary: $165,492
- Median base salary: $160,000
14. Tampa, Fla.
- Average total compensation: $231,342
- Median total compensation: $158,000
- Average salary: $144,519
- Median base salary: $136,500
15. Nashville, Tenn.
- Average total compensation: $226,600
- Median total compensation: $195,000
- Average salary: $150,733
- Median base salary: $160,000
16. Pleasanton, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $225,558
- Median total compensation: $208,520
- Average salary: $193,850
- Median base salary: $206,000
17. Raleigh, N.C.
- Average total compensation: $224,108
- Median total compensation: $205,000
- Average salary: $152,896
- Median base salary: $150,000
18. New York
- Average total compensation: $219,475
- Median total compensation: $200,000
- Average salary: $153,792
- Median base salary: $159,000
19. Salt Lake City
- Average total compensation: $219,181
- Median total compensation: $194,500
- Average salary: $151,727
- Median base salary: $151,000
20. Denver
- Average total compensation: $217,907
- Median total compensation: $205,000
- Average salary: $155,059
- Median base salary: $159,500
21. Charlotte, N.C.
- Average total compensation: $216,684
- Median total compensation: $200,000
- Average salary: $169,000
- Median base salary: $165,000
22. Washington, D.C.
- Average total compensation: $215,303
- Median total compensation: $205,000
- Average salary: $157,696
- Median base salary: $160,000
23. Herndon, Va.
- Average total compensation: $213,734
- Median total compensation: $190,000
- Average salary: $142,260
- Median base salary: $155,000
24. Orlando, Fla.
- Average total compensation: $212,631
- Median total compensation: $170,014
- Average salary: $142,600
- Median base salary: $145,500
25. San Diego, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $208,726
- Median total compensation: $205,000
- Average salary: $160,684
- Median base salary: $160,000
26. Indianapolis
- Average total compensation: $207,127
- Median total compensation: $172,800
- Average salary: $151,710
- Median base salary: $145,000
27. Miami
- Average total compensation: $204,793
- Median total compensation: $159,000
- Average salary: $149,517
- Median base salary: $150,000
28. Foster City, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $204,272
- Median total compensation: $165,000
- Average salary: $161,272
- Median base salary: $150,000
29. Columbus, Ohio
- Average total compensation: $203,354
- Median total compensation: $194,000
- Average salary: $149,824
- Median base salary: $150,000
30. San Antonio, Texas
- Average total compensation: $201,830
- Median total compensation: $190,000
- Average salary: $159,357
- Median base salary: $160,000
31. Los Angeles
- Average total compensation: $201,502
- Median total compensation: $185,930
- Average salary: $149,362
- Median base salary: $150,000
32. Irvine, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $201,211
- Median total compensation: $206,900
- Average salary: $156,679
- Median base salary: $160,000
33. Austin, Texas
- Average total compensation: $201,139
- Median total compensation: $182,140
- Average salary: $146,530
- Median base salary: $147,000
34. Portland, Ore.
- Average total compensation: $200,710
- Median total compensation: $177,000
- Average salary: $150,562
- Median base salary: $150,000
35. Houston
- Average total compensation: $199,197
- Median total compensation: $182,600
- Average salary: $156,702
- Median base salary: $151,000
36. Durham, N.C.
- Average total compensation: $198,916
- Median total compensation: $166,000
- Average salary: $148,500
- Median base salary: $140,000
37. Atlanta
- Average total compensation: $198,007
- Median total compensation: $177,500
- Average salary: $147,424
- Median base salary: $150,000
38. Chicago
- Average total compensation: $197,563
- Median total compensation: $180,000
- Average salary: $148,495
- Median base salary: $150,000
39. Dallas
- Average total compensation: $193,740
- Median total compensation: $173,000
- Average salary: $151,331
- Median base salary: $150,000
40. Detroit
- Average total compensation: $192,613
- Median total compensation: $172,150
- Average salary: $149,750
- Median base salary: $152,000
41. Plano, Texas
- Average total compensation: $192,208
- Median total compensation: $194,500
- Average salary: $163,375
- Median base salary: $163,000
42. Baltimore
- Average total compensation: $191,321
- Median total compensation: $167,750
- Average salary: $159,875
- Median base salary: $154,000
43. Fremont, Calif.
- Average total compensation: $189,409
- Median total compensation: $200,000
- Average salary: $151,090
- Median base salary: $157,000
44. Philadelphia
- Average total compensation: $189,369
- Median total compensation: $174,000
- Average salary: $159,000
- Median base salary: $153,000
45. Hillsboro, Ore.
- Average total compensation: $188,423
- Median total compensation: $195,000
- Average salary: $147,886
- Median base salary: $165,000
46. Minneapolis
- Average total compensation: $187,755
- Median total compensation: $169,000
- Average salary: $150,893
- Median base salary: $150,000
47. St. Louis
- Average total compensation: $186,126
- Median total compensation: $170,000
- Average salary: $141,586
- Median base salary: $148,000
48. Arlington, Va.
- Average total compensation: $173,291
- Median total compensation: $155,000
- Average salary: $134,583
- Median base salary: $155,000
49. Hartford, Conn.
- Average total compensation: $170,692
- Median total compensation: $151,000
- Average salary: $128,923
- Median base salary: $140,000
50. Jersey City, N.J.
- Average total compensation: $165,800
- Median total compensation: $160,000
- Average salary: $149,200
- Median base salary: $160,000
51. Kansas City, Mo.
- Average total compensation: $161,285
- Median total compensation: $129,000
- Average salary: $126,607
- Median base salary: $125,000
52. Phoenix
- Average total compensation: $160,225
- Median total compensation: $160,000
- Average salary: $134,047
- Median base salary: $140,000
53. Pittsburgh
- Average total compensation: $154,333
- Median total compensation: $160,000
- Average salary: $141,000
- Median base salary: $150,000
54. Burlington, Vt.
- Average total compensation: $152,727
- Median total compensation: $136,000
- Average salary: $134,909
- Median base salary: $128,000
55. Cleveland
- Average total compensation: $139,500
- Median total compensation: $120,000
- Average salary: $122,500
- Median base salary: $115,000
56. Cincinnati
- Average total compensation: $137,578
- Median total compensation: $136,000
- Average salary: $112,153
- Median base salary: $94,500
Methodology
Blind analyzed the cash salaries and total compensation of technical architects or IT systems architects in the United States on its platform. Cities were ranked by the average total compensation, including base salary and stock-based compensation or cash bonuses. All data is self-reported by verified professionals on the professional social network Blind.
Also published on Teamblind's blog.