What is the average Computer architecture salary?

$212K a year on average and $200K at the median, across 143 open Computer architecture postings at companies that state pay (November 2026). The median is the better guide: a few very high offers pull the average up.

What is the typical range?

The middle half of the postings offer $172K to $245K a year. A quarter offer less and a quarter offer more.

Which companies advertise the highest Computer architecture pay?

OpenAI ($366K), River AI Inc. ($310K), Pure Storage ($246K), by the median of their open postings that state pay (three postings or more).

Is a computer architecture a high-paying job?

The median Computer architecture posting advertises $200K a year, more than the median of all 55,899 job postings with pay on Jobs Every Hour ($174K). That is 15% above the middle of the market.

How much can you earn as a computer architecture?

A tenth of the postings offer $300K a year or more; the highest open Computer architecture role advertises up to $850K. Pay rises with level: see the table by level.

What is the Computer architecture salary per hour and per month?

The median of $200K a year is about $96 an hour (2,080 working hours) and $16,708 a month before tax. The middle half of postings: $83 to $118 an hour.

Which skills pay more for Computer architecture roles?

Postings that ask for Test automation (+$45K, 16 postings), Storage systems (+$24K, 19 postings), Embedded Linux (+$18K, 24 postings) advertise more than the $200K median of all Computer architecture postings with pay.

What does an entry-level computer architecture make?

6 junior and intern Computer architecture postings state pay, with a median of $139K a year ($67 an hour).

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay ranges employers print in their own job postings, read from their careers pages every hour. The midpoint of each range is counted. These are advertised ranges for open roles, mostly in the United States and in US dollars, not what people are actually paid.

Computer architecture Salary: $212K Average, $200K Median

Computer architecture salary by level

Lead roles advertise a median of $234K, 21% more than senior roles ($192K). The level comes from the job title; titles without a level word are counted separately.

Level	Median salary	Middle half	Roles
Senior	$192K	$180K–$222K	44
Lead and above	$234K	$212K–$271K	36
No level in the title	$185K	$142K–$247K	57

Computer architecture salary by location

Name	Median salary	Roles counted
🇺🇸San Francisco Bay Area	$238K	71
🇺🇸California	$212K	117
🇺🇸United States	$200K	142
🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA	$180K	35
🇺🇸Seattle, WA	$172K	16

Skills that pay more for Computer architecture roles

Skill	Median with it	Above the median	Postings
Test automation	$246K	+$45K	16
Storage systems	$225K	+$24K	19
Embedded Linux	$218K	+$18K	24
High-performance computing	$214K	+$14K	14
RTL design	$211K	+$11K	26

Top-paying companies

Name	Median salary	Roles counted
OpenAI	$366K	3
River AI Inc.	$310K	6
Pure Storage	$246K	9
Nuro	$242K	11
Samsung Research America	$230K	4
Anduril Industries	$222K	8
Crusoe	$220K	5
Reliable Robotics	$215K	5
Astera Labs	$204K	6
SambaNova	$189K	10
K2 Space	$180K	17
SpaceX	$142K	30

Highest-paying open Computer architecture roles

All Computer architecture jobs

TPU Performance EngineerAnthropic · 🇺🇸San Francisco, CA | New York City, NY | Seattle, WA$280K - $850KMachine LearningLLMSlack18mo
Member of Technical Staff, KernelsMagic.dev · 🇺🇸San Francisco$275K - $550KPythonHTMLJAX34mo
ML Silicon Performance LeadOpenAI · 🇺🇸San Francisco$287K - $485KLead and aboveCompilersComputer architecture12d
Design Verification EngineerOpenAI · 🇺🇸San Francisco$226K - $445KHybridVerilogHardware testingComputer architecture12mo
Compiler Engineer, HardwareRiver AI Inc. · 🇺🇸Palo Alto, CA$200K - $420KC++PyTorchCUDA6mo
Design Verification Engineer, HardwareRiver AI Inc. · 🇺🇸Palo Alto, CA; Austin, TX$200K - $420KPythonCI/CDBash6mo
Principal Software Engineer, Onboard InfrastructureNuro · 🇺🇸Mountain View, California (HQ)$258K - $387KLead and aboveC++Machine LearningLinux5mo
Principal Software Engineer, PerformanceNuro · 🇺🇸Mountain View, California (HQ)$258K - $387KLead and aboveC++Machine LearningLinux3d
Hardware Engineering ManagerPure Storage · 🇺🇸Santa Clara, California$217K - $359KLoad testingHardware testingStorage systems6w
ASIC Network ArchitectSambaNova · 🇺🇸Austin, Texas, United States; Remote - US; San Jose, Cali…$250K - $350KRemoteRustPythonC++4mo
Senior HPC Platform Hardware EngineerLambda · 🇺🇸San Jose Office (Zanker)$255K - $340KHybridSeniorMachine LearningHigh-performance computingStorage systems2mo
Director of ASIC Design VerificationSambaNova · 🇺🇸San Jose, California, United States$270K - $340KLead and abovePythonMachine LearningVerilog2mo
Senior System Software ManagerPure Storage · 🇺🇸Santa Clara, California$217K - $326KSeniorC++LinuxAgile3mo
Staff Compute Systems EngineerZoox · 🇺🇸Foster City, CA$226K - $311KLead and aboveFirmwareHardware interfacesAnalog design2mo
Staff SoC Design EngineerWaymo · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA, USA$251K - $310KLead and abovePythonC++Scala3mo
Senior Staff, Robot Systems Software Architect - Robot IntelligenceSamsung Research America · 🇺🇸665 Clyde Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USA$204K - $306KLead and abovePythonC++Docker4w
Design Verification EngineerDensityAI · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$200K - $300KASICComputer architectureUVM6mo
RTL EngineerDensityAI · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$215K - $300KPythonVerilogHardware interfaces4mo
Senior Director System Validation EngineerAstera Labs · 🇺🇸San Jose, CA$240K - $300KLead and aboveLinuxLoad testingFirmware8mo
Sr. Flight Software EngineerReliable Robotics · 🇺🇸Mountain View, CA$215K - $300KSeniorC++CControl systems2w

Questions about Computer architecture pay

What is the average Computer architecture salary?: $212K a year on average and $200K at the median, across 143 open Computer architecture postings at companies that state pay (November 2026). The median is the better guide: a few very high offers pull the average up.
What is the typical range?: The middle half of the postings offer $172K to $245K a year. A quarter offer less and a quarter offer more.
Which companies advertise the highest Computer architecture pay?: OpenAI ($366K), River AI Inc. ($310K), Pure Storage ($246K), by the median of their open postings that state pay (three postings or more).
Is a computer architecture a high-paying job?: The median Computer architecture posting advertises $200K a year, more than the median of all 55,899 job postings with pay on Jobs Every Hour ($174K). That is 15% above the middle of the market.
How much can you earn as a computer architecture?: A tenth of the postings offer $300K a year or more; the highest open Computer architecture role advertises up to $850K. Pay rises with level: see the table by level.
What is the Computer architecture salary per hour and per month?: The median of $200K a year is about $96 an hour (2,080 working hours) and $16,708 a month before tax. The middle half of postings: $83 to $118 an hour.
Which skills pay more for Computer architecture roles?: Postings that ask for Test automation (+$45K, 16 postings), Storage systems (+$24K, 19 postings), Embedded Linux (+$18K, 24 postings) advertise more than the $200K median of all Computer architecture postings with pay.
What does an entry-level computer architecture make?: 6 junior and intern Computer architecture postings state pay, with a median of $139K a year ($67 an hour).
Where do these figures come from?: From the pay ranges employers print in their own job postings, read from their careers pages every hour. The midpoint of each range is counted. These are advertised ranges for open roles, mostly in the United States and in US dollars, not what people are actually paid.

Computer architecture salary: $200K median