The 56 Highest Paying Cities in the US for Technical Architects.

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.