SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, including analysis of capacity needs for network infrastructures. May also design network and computer security measures. May research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software. Excludes “Information Security Analysts” (15-1212), “Computer Network Support Specialists” (15-1231), and “Network and Computer Systems Administrators” (15-1244).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 15-1241.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $79,900 | $6,658 | $1,537 | $38.42 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $104,620 | $8,718 | $2,012 | $50.30 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $134,050 | $11,171 | $2,578 | $64.45 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $168,200 | $14,017 | $3,235 | $80.86 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $202,680 | $16,890 | $3,898 | $97.44 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Computer Network Architects is $134,050, which is 163% higher. Among the 21 occupations of the field Computer and Mathematical, it ranks number 4 by median pay. With 179,740 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Computer Network Architects pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($168,070), New Jersey ($162,350) and Maryland ($159,460). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($78,200), Mississippi ($90,990) and Wyoming ($100,520). The most jobs were in Colorado (16,380), California (14,870) and Texas (13,650). The occupation is most concentrated in Colorado, where its share of all jobs is 4.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 4,730 | $168,070 | $164,930 | $80.81 |
| New Jersey | 5,660 | $162,350 | $159,330 | $78.05 |
| Maryland | 5,860 | $159,460 | $156,070 | $76.66 |
| California | 14,870 | $158,870 | $161,350 | $76.38 |
| Massachusetts | 6,270 | $155,060 | $151,770 | $74.55 |
| South Dakota | 420 | $153,390 | $151,620 | $73.75 |
| Delaware | 760 | $148,390 | $143,630 | $71.34 |
| Connecticut | 1,570 | $143,890 | $148,180 | $69.18 |
| Virginia | 9,380 | $141,340 | $147,660 | $67.95 |
| New York | 9,800 | $140,390 | $147,700 | $67.49 |
| Colorado | 16,380 | $139,230 | $146,160 | $66.94 |
| Nevada | 1,010 | $138,060 | $132,760 | $66.38 |
| District of Columbia | 1,490 | $137,670 | $145,960 | $66.19 |
| Oregon | 1,540 | $135,660 | $135,470 | $65.22 |
| South Carolina | 1,950 | $134,990 | $136,370 | $64.90 |
| Georgia | 7,690 | $133,890 | $129,370 | $64.37 |
| Texas | 13,650 | $133,310 | $134,820 | $64.09 |
| Minnesota | 2,040 | $133,270 | $133,830 | $64.07 |
| Florida | 9,370 | $132,800 | $137,290 | $63.85 |
| Illinois | 7,810 | $132,790 | $138,530 | $63.84 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,080 | $131,840 | $136,290 | $63.39 |
| Wisconsin | 2,170 | $131,720 | $133,230 | $63.33 |
| Rhode Island | 460 | $131,320 | $131,220 | $63.14 |
| Ohio | 5,150 | $131,070 | $133,060 | $63.01 |
| Arizona | 3,990 | $130,890 | $131,420 | $62.93 |
| Alabama | 4,200 | $130,810 | $128,680 | $62.89 |
| North Carolina | 8,350 | $127,320 | $130,700 | $61.21 |
| New Hampshire | 560 | $125,420 | $133,880 | $60.30 |
| Indiana | 2,030 | $124,190 | $123,940 | $59.71 |
| Tennessee | 4,330 | $123,860 | $127,270 | $59.55 |
| West Virginia | 360 | $122,520 | $114,450 | $58.91 |
| Utah | 1,330 | $121,000 | $127,970 | $58.17 |
| Alaska | 120 | $119,720 | $127,400 | $57.56 |
| Nebraska | 1,350 | $116,420 | $118,960 | $55.97 |
| Michigan | 3,210 | $112,040 | $118,490 | $53.87 |
| Vermont | 130 | $110,930 | $117,370 | $53.33 |
| Arkansas | 910 | $110,400 | $119,000 | $53.08 |
| Oklahoma | 1,320 | $109,450 | $115,160 | $52.62 |
| New Mexico | 420 | $109,080 | $108,650 | $52.44 |
| North Dakota | 230 | $108,990 | $112,630 | $52.40 |
| Maine | 570 | $108,570 | $115,030 | $52.20 |
| Hawaii | 320 | $108,000 | $118,260 | $51.92 |
| Idaho | 720 | $107,620 | $118,790 | $51.74 |
| Louisiana | 470 | $106,620 | $114,070 | $51.26 |
| Montana | 250 | $104,300 | $111,320 | $50.14 |
| Kentucky | 1,710 | $103,740 | $110,120 | $49.87 |
| Missouri | 3,360 | $103,130 | $111,160 | $49.58 |
| Iowa | 1,170 | $103,050 | $109,740 | $49.54 |
| Kansas | 1,770 | $100,610 | $105,830 | $48.37 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $100,520 | $100,240 | $48.33 |
| Mississippi | not published | $90,990 | $104,060 | $43.75 |
| Puerto Rico | 240 | $78,200 | $83,200 | $37.60 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Computer and Information Research Scientists$140,300 a year
- Database Architects$139,500 a year
- Software Developers$135,980 a year
- Actuaries$130,000 a year
- Information Security Analysts$129,180 a year
- Mathematicians$126,710 a year
Common questions
How much do Computer Network Architects earn in the United States?
The median pay was $134,050 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $79,900 and the highest-paid 10% more than $202,680.
How many people work as Computer Network Architects?
About 179,740 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.