Data Architect Salary: Your 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Data architects work across nearly every industry, and their annual earnings vary based on years of experience, location, and educational background.

• The median annual total salary for a data architect in the US is $178,000 [1].

• Data architects' salaries may vary by role and title, with computer network architects and information systems managers earning different annual wages.

• You can increase your data architect salary by earning advanced education or accumulating years of experience.

Explore the factors that affect a data architect’s salary range to maximize your earning potential. If you're ready to start preparing for a data architect role, consider enrolling in IBM's Data Architecture Professional Certificate, designed to equip you with the skills you need to succeed in as little as four months. You'll have the opportunity to work with industry-standard tools and build in-demand skills like SQL, network security, and cloud computing, all while earning career credentials for your resume or LinkedIn profile.

What does a data architect do?

A data architect determines the strategy for how a business collects, stores, and uses data as it moves through the data architect’s designed framework. Data architects can work in nearly any industry. They aim to take a holistic view of the company’s data system or architecture.

Your responsibilities could include:

• Maintain the current data infrastructure or develop new solutions for data

• Secure and back up data regularly

• Respond to data security incidents and restore data as needed

• Troubleshoot issues and fix problems to ensure databases operate efficiently

What is a data architect salary?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), data architects in the United States earn a median annual salary of $135,980. The lowest 10 percent earn less than $81,630 per year, while the highest 10 percent earn over $209,990 [2].

According to Glassdoor, the annual total pay for data architects ranges from $139,000 to $230,000 [1]. The salary figures given by five different organizations that track data architect salaries are as follows:

*Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay as of February 2026. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Is it hard to become a data architect?

Though not necessarily difficult, you typically need to pursue a bachelor’s degree to become a data architect, which may be a time commitment and investment. You’ll also need to develop an extensive skill set of software engineering principles, programming languages, data science, data governance, big data, and cloud computing. In order to qualify for a role or earn a higher salary, you may also need to gather experience through internships or entry-level roles like a data engineer, and progress to a data architect career after years of experience in data management and storage.

Factors that affect a data architect’s salary

Several factors can affect your salary in the data architect field. You could earn a higher salary based on your education or experience in the field. Your location can also factor into your income, depending on the demand for data architects or the cost of living in your area. Data architects can earn more money in particular fields or industries.

Education

According to Zippia, 64 percent of data architects hold a bachelor’s degree, while 27 percent hold a master’s, and 4 percent hold an associate degree [6]. Typically, data architects focus their studies on computer science, business, or electrical or computer engineering. But if a degree isn’t an option, some employers may also value certification in the specific software or database languages they may use to create, maintain, or troubleshoot their databases.

According to Zippia, the average data architect salaries based on education level include the following [6]:

• Some college or an associate degree: $102,453

• Bachelor’s degree: $118,898

• Master’s degree: $130,263

• Doctorate: $130,464

Experience

Your experience as a data architect can affect your potential salary, and more experience could boost your annual income. Check out the estimated median total salary you can expect based on your experience, according to Glassdoor [1]:

• 0–1 year: $132,000

• 1–3 years: $134,000

• 4–6 years: $147,000

• 7–9 years: $162,000

• 10–14 years: $182,000

• 15+ years: $209,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of February 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Location

Your salary could depend on where you live and the demand for data architects in your area, with the top states and districts paying a higher mean income. The five top-paying states for database architects based on information collected by the BLS are [7]:

1. California: $162,820

2. Massachusetts: $161,000

3. District of Columbia: $158,550

4. Colorado: $152,940

5. Hawaii: $150,190

Likewise, some cities may have higher salaries than others, which means you could earn a higher income based on whether you live in a particular city or are willing to relocate to an area with a higher median annual wage for data architects.

For example, areas in the Silicon Valley region of California have the highest median annual wage for data architects. The San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont areas can earn you a mean yearly income of $177,900, while the San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara metropolitan area has an average annual income of $180,700 for data architects. Farther north are the Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue areas of Washington state, where you can earn $155,100 [7].

Industry

The industry in which you work will also impact your earnings. For example, you can earn a median annual income of $157,020 in computing infrastructure design and web hosting services compared to $142,930 in computer system design services, according to the BLS [2].

Glassdoor lists the following five highest-paying industries for data architects in terms of their total median salaries, which include additional compensation from profit sharing, bonuses, and other sources [1]:

• Manufacturing: $196,235

• Media and communication: $187,940

• Insurance: $186,629

• Financial services: $183,539

• Management and consulting: $181,012

Related job titles

You can gain additional experience with other jobs focused on data architecture or find a job that could better fit you if you don’t want a position as a data architect. Explore a few in more detail below. 

Computer network architect

Median annual US salary: $130,390 [8]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2024 to 2034): 12 percent [8]

Education requirements: Most computer network architects hold a bachelor’s degree in a computer science field, such as network and computer systems administration.

If you prefer to work with computers, you can work as a computer network architect. You can create plans for computer networks and build them, upgrade hardware and software for companies, or develop plans to implement new technology for your company or organization. 

Computer and information systems managers

Median annual US salary: $171,200 [9]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2024 to 2034): 15 percent [9]

Education requirements: Computer and information systems managers typically earn a bachelor’s degree in computer or information science. 

Computer and information systems managers are responsible for planning and coordinating computer-related activities for a company or organization. You would be responsible for designing and installing computer hardware and software, as well as maintaining it. You may also be responsible for researching new technology and potentially upgrading systems to meet the demands of your company.

Read more: What Are Computer Information Systems? Definition, Degree, and Careers

Job outlook

The BLS expects data architect positions to grow by 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about the same as the national average of 4 percent for all occupations. BLS estimates an increase of 7,800 data architect positions in that period [10].

Data architect jobs will likely continue to increase due to the data needs of companies across almost all sectors of the economy. Data architects will be important for designing and maintaining databases and ensuring they remain secure. You may also have to update outdated systems or find a way to integrate older systems into a new data architecture, like migrating to the cloud.

Navigate your next career move with confidence

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• Learn from experts: Meet the Data Analyst Using His Creativity to Tell Visual Stories

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