Network Architect, Data Center Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Network Architect, Data Center as its own occupation, so this page uses Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $134,050 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $104,620 to $168,200.
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Broader occupation
Computer Network Architects is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,900 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $104,620 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $134,050 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $168,200 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $202,680 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $139,580 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38.42 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $50.3 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $64.45 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $80.86 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $97.44 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $67.11 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1241 Computer Network Architects, United States. View this release at BLS.
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $134,050 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 2.63 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 45,750 | 25.5% | $133,610 | $103,990 to $170,400 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 7,960 | 4.4% | $142,030 | $121,030 to $172,750 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 5,340 | 3.0% | $133,210 | $105,500 to $170,920 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 5,100 | 2.8% | $133,120 | $105,320 to $170,920 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 4,090 | 2.3% | $163,500 | $130,020 to $183,620 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 1,300 | 0.7% | $123,000 | $102,070 to $143,360 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 840 | 0.5% | $158,120 | $99,890 to $202,200 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 630 | 0.4% | $91,610 | $64,360 to $105,250 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 450 | 0.3% | $79,490 | $62,130 to $125,790 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 440 | 0.2% | $78,920 | $62,130 to $125,530 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 120 | 0.1% | $125,610 | $106,040 to $160,800 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 110 | 0.1% | $130,110 | $100,960 to $153,880 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 70 | 0.0% | $143,360 | $107,350 to $160,590 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 60 | 0.0% | $141,090 | $104,930 to $171,800 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $159,820 | $127,050 to $178,420 | 9,370 | 2.58 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $137,900 | $106,020 to $167,670 | 5,900 | 1.26 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $131,990 | $103,440 to $165,100 | 3,330 | 1.21 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $133,890 | $94,270 to $168,250 | 5,880 | 1.76 |
| Columbus, OH | $131,260 | $101,770 to $163,210 | 1,270 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $143,800 | $120,070 to $169,500 | 5,400 | 1.04 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $186,110 | $162,610 to $222,730 | 2,730 | 2.08 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $137,200 | $106,150 to $165,910 | 1,050 | 0.75 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 245 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $186,110 | 2,730 | 2.08 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $172,650 | 3,710 | 1.54 |
| 3 | Rochester, MN | $168,910 | 90 | 0.66 |
| 4 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $168,720 | 40 | 0.34 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,760 | 3,350 | 1.22 |
| 6 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $165,570 | 220 | 0.71 |
| 7 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $163,010 | 10,230 | 0.93 |
| 8 | Bloomington, IL | $161,780 | 240 | 2.32 |
| 9 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $161,170 | 390 | 0.77 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $160,650 | 5,240 | 1.68 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | Missoula, MT | $95,020 | 30 | 0.43 |
| 237 | Manhattan, KS | $93,710 | 40 | 0.66 |
| 238 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $90,690 | 80 | 0.44 |
| 239 | Lawrence, KS | $85,330 | 90 | 1.5 |
| 240 | Corpus Christi, TX | $84,270 | 50 | 0.24 |
| 241 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $82,300 | 60 | 0.59 |
| 242 | Springfield, MO | $82,020 | 130 | 0.52 |
| 243 | Jefferson City, MO | $80,480 | 60 | 0.64 |
| 244 | Elizabethtown, KY | $78,920 | 50 | 0.88 |
| 245 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $72,070 | 140 | 0.17 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $161,170 | $46,580 | 3.46 times | 390 | 0.77 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $156,560 | $46,630 | 3.36 times | 1,730 | 1.06 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $165,570 | $50,990 | 3.25 times | 220 | 0.71 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $148,710 | $46,670 | 3.19 times | 750 | 0.57 |
| Bloomington, IL | $161,780 | $53,140 | 3.04 times | 240 | 2.32 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $139,150 | $46,140 | 3.02 times | 140 | 0.47 |
| Peoria, IL | $144,680 | $49,590 | 2.92 times | 260 | 1.38 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $131,150 | $45,040 | 2.91 times | 40 | 0.45 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $131,420 | $45,240 | 2.90 times | 210 | 1.55 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $126,380 | $43,540 | 2.90 times | 100 | 0.73 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $114,270 | $39,560 | 2.89 times | 50 | 0.46 |
| Decatur, AL | $132,570 | $46,280 | 2.86 times | 60 | 0.84 |
| Charleston, WV | $131,210 | $45,830 | 2.86 times | 70 | 0.62 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $125,340 | $44,470 | 2.82 times | 40 | 0.27 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $132,500 | $47,070 | 2.81 times | 60 | 0.71 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $137,930 | $49,150 | 2.81 times | 480 | 1.04 |
| Salinas, CA | $132,480 | $47,380 | 2.80 times | 40 | 0.2 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $136,100 | $48,830 | 2.79 times | 820 | 0.92 |
| Rochester, MN | $168,910 | $60,620 | 2.79 times | 90 | 0.66 |
| Springfield, MA | $144,600 | $51,930 | 2.78 times | 120 | 0.53 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $130,150 | $46,780 | 2.78 times | 130 | 0.36 |
| Lancaster, PA | $133,350 | $48,210 | 2.77 times | 110 | 0.39 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $131,160 | $47,440 | 2.76 times | 130 | 0.33 |
| Bloomington, IN | $131,620 | $47,660 | 2.76 times | 50 | 0.6 |
| Montgomery, AL | $124,120 | $44,950 | 2.76 times | 230 | 1.19 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 15-1241 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $130,390 |
| May 2025 | $134,050 |
| Difference | +$3,660 (+2.8%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For an operations offer, check what the quoted pay already includes. BLS includes on-call pay but excludes shift differentials. Do not add on-call pay twice when comparing the offer.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay matters here | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Questions
What is the median pay for Network Architect, Data Center?
The BLS median annual wage for Computer Network Architects nationally is $134,050 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Network Architect, Data Center earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $104,620 to $168,200, and 10% earned less than $79,900.
Is this the exact job title?
Computer Network Architects is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 179,740 jobs nationally in Computer Network Architects across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Network Architect, Data Center: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Network Architect, Data Center?
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Related
What the published rows say about Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States is represented here by Computer Network Architects, SOC 15-1241, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the broader crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Network Architect, Data Center, supplies the figures on this page. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, the published annual median is $134,050 and the middle-half endpoints are $104,620 and $168,200.
The Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States middle-half band spans $63,580 on the annual basis. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $29,430, compared with $34,150 from the median to the upper quarter. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, for an offer against this Network Architect, Data Center crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States can also be compared with Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, where the annual median for Computer Network Architects is $139,230 in May 2025. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, the Network Architect, Data Center crosswalk comparison differs by $5,180 from the the United States median.
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States can also be compared with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Computer Network Architects is $163,010 in May 2025. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, the Network Architect, Data Center crosswalk comparison differs by $28,960 from the the United States median.
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 15-1241 are Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing at $181,400 and Couriers and Messengers at $173,320. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Computer Network Architects occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.
The Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States matched median changed from $130,390 in May 2024 to $134,050 in May 2025, a difference of $3,660 up. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 15-1241, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, this Network Architect, Data Center comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Computer Network Architects, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States, no Network Architect, Data Center-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.
Questions about Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States?
Network Architect, Data Center is mapped to SOC 15-1241, Computer Network Architects; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $134,050. The mapping is broader, not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Network Architect, Data Center?
Network Architect, Data Center pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 15-1241 observation.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.