At a glance
Median pay for Computer Network Architects runs from $98,680 in Fresno to $186,110 in San Jose across 74 curated metros; the middle value is $130,945.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment, the top three are Greenville ($172,818), San Jose ($168,543), Hartford ($155,451).
These are workforce estimates from published medians, not job offers or expected hiring pay.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Computer Network Architects salary comparison
Network architect roles typically call for substantial experience, and pay depends on network scale and technology. The metro median combines cloud, enterprise and carrier work. 74 of 75 curated metros have a reported occupation median. The table is sorted by the site-calculated adjusted metric, not by predicted hiring demand.
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| Metropolitan area | Median annual wage | Adjusted median* | Median gross rent / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $161,170 | $172,818 | $1,150 |
| San Jose, CA | $186,110 | $168,543 | $2,840 |
| Hartford, CT | $159,720 | $155,451 | $1,416 |
| Seattle, WA | $172,650 | $155,354 | $2,000 |
| Orlando, FL | $156,560 | $154,371 | $1,760 |
| Baltimore, MD | $160,340 | $153,454 | $1,611 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $159,820 | $149,555 | $1,875 |
| Durham, NC | $144,990 | $148,598 | $1,466 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $148,710 | $148,391 | $1,626 |
| Boston, MA–NH | $160,650 | $148,385 | $2,023 |
| Washington, DC–VA–MD–WV | $159,820 | $146,780 | $2,027 |
| New York, NY–NJ | $163,010 | $144,817 | $1,830 |
| San Francisco, CA | $166,760 | $144,240 | $2,474 |
| Birmingham, AL | $131,140 | $143,097 | $1,172 |
| San Diego, CA | $157,700 | $140,946 | $2,246 |
| Little Rock, AR | $124,820 | $139,676 | $1,055 |
| Dayton, OH | $129,430 | $139,631 | $1,039 |
| Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN | $133,000 | $139,457 | $1,105 |
| Madison, WI | $135,490 | $139,268 | $1,354 |
| Chicago, IL–IN | $143,800 | $138,810 | $1,430 |
Show all 74 metros with a reported median
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| Metropolitan area | Median annual wage | Adjusted median* | Median gross rent / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $161,170 | $172,818 | $1,150 |
| San Jose, CA | $186,110 | $168,543 | $2,840 |
| Hartford, CT | $159,720 | $155,451 | $1,416 |
| Seattle, WA | $172,650 | $155,354 | $2,000 |
| Orlando, FL | $156,560 | $154,371 | $1,760 |
| Baltimore, MD | $160,340 | $153,454 | $1,611 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $159,820 | $149,555 | $1,875 |
| Durham, NC | $144,990 | $148,598 | $1,466 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $148,710 | $148,391 | $1,626 |
| Boston, MA–NH | $160,650 | $148,385 | $2,023 |
| Washington, DC–VA–MD–WV | $159,820 | $146,780 | $2,027 |
| New York, NY–NJ | $163,010 | $144,817 | $1,830 |
| San Francisco, CA | $166,760 | $144,240 | $2,474 |
| Birmingham, AL | $131,140 | $143,097 | $1,172 |
| San Diego, CA | $157,700 | $140,946 | $2,246 |
| Little Rock, AR | $124,820 | $139,676 | $1,055 |
| Dayton, OH | $129,430 | $139,631 | $1,039 |
| Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN | $133,000 | $139,457 | $1,105 |
| Madison, WI | $135,490 | $139,268 | $1,354 |
| Chicago, IL–IN | $143,800 | $138,810 | $1,430 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $134,070 | $138,306 | $1,139 |
| Charlotte, NC–SC | $134,410 | $138,072 | $1,473 |
| Columbus, OH | $131,260 | $137,490 | $1,274 |
| Cleveland, OH | $128,800 | $137,134 | $1,050 |
| Memphis, TN–MS–AR | $126,400 | $137,125 | $1,220 |
| Buffalo, NY | $131,320 | $137,014 | $1,057 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $136,100 | $136,806 | $1,513 |
| Charleston, SC | $137,930 | $136,616 | $1,605 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $130,680 | $136,557 | $1,191 |
| New Orleans, LA | $126,260 | $136,354 | $1,217 |
| Austin, TX | $133,710 | $136,347 | $1,726 |
| San Antonio, TX | $128,260 | $135,415 | $1,363 |
| Philadelphia, PA–NJ–DE–MD | $138,850 | $135,392 | $1,480 |
| Nashville, TN | $129,370 | $134,288 | $1,528 |
| Columbia, SC | $125,510 | $134,003 | $1,193 |
| Atlanta, GA | $133,890 | $133,812 | $1,672 |
| Dallas, TX | $137,900 | $133,767 | $1,614 |
| Omaha, NE–IA | $121,970 | $132,704 | $1,192 |
| Sacramento, CA | $141,350 | $132,511 | $1,819 |
| Richmond, VA | $129,210 | $132,038 | $1,447 |
| Denver, CO | $139,230 | $131,620 | $1,874 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $123,410 | $130,357 | $1,053 |
| Portland, OR–WA | $137,200 | $130,145 | $1,724 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $147,510 | $129,889 | $2,063 |
| Tampa, FL | $130,750 | $129,597 | $1,628 |
| Providence, RI–MA | $131,320 | $129,032 | $1,307 |
| Detroit, MI | $128,830 | $128,447 | $1,207 |
| North Port, FL | $131,160 | $128,065 | $1,747 |
| Minneapolis, MN–WI | $134,230 | $128,055 | $1,440 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $131,990 | $127,754 | $1,702 |
| Knoxville, TN | $117,480 | $126,911 | $1,145 |
| Worcester, MA | $130,060 | $126,859 | $1,426 |
| Houston, TX | $124,900 | $126,636 | $1,430 |
| Tucson, AZ | $120,710 | $124,577 | $1,212 |
| Greensboro, NC | $114,540 | $123,340 | $1,093 |
| Raleigh, NC | $120,640 | $122,905 | $1,573 |
| Allentown, PA–NJ | $122,690 | $122,729 | $1,365 |
| Tulsa, OK | $109,450 | $122,683 | $1,078 |
| Albany, NY | $121,000 | $121,527 | $1,280 |
| Riverside, CA | $128,110 | $120,357 | $1,846 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $114,310 | $119,639 | $1,202 |
| Des Moines, IA | $108,280 | $118,079 | $1,150 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $106,310 | $117,589 | $1,124 |
| Miami, FL | $133,650 | $117,078 | $1,869 |
| Kansas City, MO–KS | $107,450 | $116,108 | $1,249 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $104,540 | $115,158 | $1,135 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $109,080 | $114,165 | $1,156 |
| Virginia Beach, VA–NC | $111,030 | $113,364 | $1,478 |
| Rochester, NY | $107,200 | $110,476 | $1,143 |
| St. Louis, MO–IL | $103,370 | $108,710 | $1,113 |
| Louisville, KY–IN | $101,040 | $108,559 | $1,116 |
| Boise City, ID | $100,950 | $102,601 | $1,487 |
| Fresno, CA | $98,680 | $96,595 | $1,392 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $104,350 | $94,042 | $2,083 |
The table shows the 20 highest adjusted medians; the full list of 74 metros is expandable above. The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
How pay for Computer Network Architects varies across metros
Across the 74 curated metros with a reported median, the nominal annual median for Computer Network Architects runs from $98,680 in Fresno to $186,110 in San Jose, a 1.89× difference. After dividing each median by its metro’s BEA price parity, the range is $94,042 in Urban Honolulu to $172,818 in Greenville, a 1.84× difference. The middle value across these metros is $130,945 nominal and $133,236 adjusted.
The price adjustment changes the order. Out of 74 metros, Little Rock moves from 52nd on nominal pay to 16th on adjusted pay while Miami moves from 30th to 64th. These ranks compare published medians only, not openings or offers.
Beyond the median: published wage percentiles
The following six metros lead this curated set on the price-adjusted median measure. The five annual wage statistics are the original BLS estimates; they have not been price-adjusted. They illustrate the estimated wage distribution for the same occupation and geographic unit.
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| Metropolitan area | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | $89,990 | $123,690 | $161,170 | $185,160 | $185,160 |
| San Jose, CA | $129,340 | $162,610 | $186,110 | $222,730 | $274,500 |
| Hartford, CT | $102,790 | $133,090 | $159,720 | $177,110 | $196,540 |
| Seattle, WA | $93,880 | $133,500 | $172,650 | $208,820 | $243,590 |
| Orlando, FL | $92,790 | $115,480 | $156,560 | $183,300 | $195,200 |
| Baltimore, MD | $99,110 | $128,010 | $160,340 | $178,050 | $218,400 |
Percentiles describe a distribution, not an individual’s pay; suppressed values are marked Unavailable.
National career outlook and entry requirements
The BLS projects national employment for Computer network architects from 2025 to 2035. These occupational projections are national; they do not forecast openings in any particular metro area.
Among the 80 occupations curated on this site, projected 2025–2035 growth of +7.7% ranks 23rd (the middle value is +5.0%), and about 9,600 projected annual openings rank 71st. This compares only the occupations on this site and does not predict hiring in any one metro.
The BLS lists 5 years or more of related work experience as typical for entry. It lists no typical on-the-job training. National employment base: 181,800 workers in 2025; projected 195,800 in 2035.
Openings are projected national totals, including replacements, not job ads or local vacancies. Education and training categories are typical patterns; licensing varies by role. BLS 2025–2035 Occupational Projections, Table 1.2. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
What to check for this occupation before moving
How roles can differ: Network architects design data and voice networks for organizations, often after years in engineering or administration; the BLS lists five or more years of related experience as typical. Scope ranges from corporate networks to cloud design.
Questions to ask about a real offer: Ask about the scale and type of networks, the vendors involved, on-call expectations and how designs are approved. Check which certifications the employer expects.
This is editorial guidance, not a claim that every employer or state follows these practices; verify terms with the employer and relevant authorities.
What this occupation median does—and does not—tell you
BLS OEWS wages are employer-reported estimates for wage-and-salary jobs, so self-employment income is not included. Annual figures assume a 2,080-hour year. Wages include commissions and tips but exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A median is neither a new-hire salary nor a vacancy count.
Regional price parities compare overall price levels with the U.S. average; housing data come from a different survey and are not subtracted again from the wage. Missing wages and suppressed percentiles stay unavailable. See the methodology for details.
Salary for Computer Network Architects in Denver, CO
Denver is shown as a worked example (one of the larger metros on this site); it is not a recommendation, and the table above lists every metro with a reported median. Of 74 metros, it ranks 18th on nominal median and 41st on price-adjusted median.
For the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro, the May 2025 BLS annual occupational median is $139,230. The published 25th-to-75th-percentile wage interval is $124,200 to $168,520. The price-adjusted median of $131,620 applies the BEA 2024 all-items index of 105.8 (U.S. = 100). It does not reflect an employer offer, taxes or your individual household costs.
The ACS metro-wide gross-rent median is $1,874 per month; with an ACS margin of error of ±$9. Gross rent includes estimated utilities and covers renters generally, not workers in this occupation. For a data-driven contrast, Richmond has a published BLS median of $129,210 and adjusted median of $132,038. This comparison metro has the closest observed adjusted median in our curated set. This does not establish similar rents or local job conditions. Compare Denver with Richmond in the interactive tool, or review the Denver metro profile for income, housing uncertainty and commute context.
Before relying on a quoted salary, confirm that the job matches this BLS occupation and that pay period, hours and benefits are comparable.