National Salary Info » Architects (Except Naval)

Highest Paying Industries for Architects (Except Naval)

The top 79 highest paying industries for architects (except naval) (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $138,410, testing laboratories is the highest paying industry for architects (except naval). It is followed by information industry (average annual salary $130,590). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of architects (except naval) in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 79 Highest Paying Industries for Architects (Except Naval)

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Testing Laboratories	$138,410	$100,030	100
2	Information	$130,590	$62,230	60
3	Scientific Research and Development Services	$116,090	$67,610	100
4	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$114,270	$66,990	90
5	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$112,750	$69,120	110
6	Utilities	$111,560	$80,600	70
7	Finance and Insurance	$102,080	$70,220	40
8	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$95,620	$59,100	30
9	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$94,260	$44,100	60
10	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$92,700	$50,500	n/a
11	Federal government, including USPS	$90,740	$70,940	1,900
12	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$90,740	$69,590	1,830
13	Postal Service (federal government)	$89,920	$86,520	80
14	Transportation and Warehousing	$89,920	$73,310	120
15	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$87,590	$49,520	80
16	Hospitals - Privately owned	$87,590	$49,520	80
17	Hospitals - State government owned	$87,470	$57,450	70
18	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$87,260	$51,420	120
19	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$87,140	$55,580	160
20	Health Care and Social Assistance	$87,100	$54,380	200
21	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$86,880	$40,750	40
22	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$86,140	$52,510	100
23	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$85,250	$57,330	5,420
24	Federal, State, and Local Government	$85,250	$57,330	5,420
25	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$84,830	$65,570	150
26	Educational Services - Local government owned	$84,630	$65,070	180
27	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$84,480	$56,950	6,500
28	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$84,410	$57,670	n/a
29	Specialized Design Services	$84,240	$46,970	900
30	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$84,140	$54,780	1,930
31	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$84,050	$54,180	1,740
32	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$83,700	$65,540	170
33	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$83,370	$49,650	840
34	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$81,660	$42,050	720
35	Employment Services	$81,550	$47,850	720
36	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$81,510	$54,780	190
37	Educational Services - Privately owned	$79,720	$52,310	200
38	Temporary Help Services	$79,600	$46,130	500
39	Lessors of Real Estate	$79,360	$48,400	120
40	Educational Services	$78,710	$53,700	1,120
41	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$77,900	$54,530	1,850
42	State government, including schools and hospitals	$77,620	$53,910	2,670
43	Engineering Services	$77,600	$46,960	9,600
44	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$77,350	$52,810	920
45	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$76,500	$52,480	730
46	Educational Services - State government owned	$76,320	$52,450	750
47	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$72,740	$44,100	90,230
48	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$72,530	$44,070	88,370
49	Wholesale Trade	$70,850	$46,670	n/a
50	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$69,630	$38,640	410
51	Nonresidential Building Construction	$69,370	$41,020	1,120
52	Construction	$68,710	$41,590	2,870
53	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$68,500	$44,530	40
54	Real Estate	$68,110	$38,100	390
55	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$67,900	$47,570	n/a
56	Construction of Buildings	$67,750	$41,020	2,450
57	Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing	$67,380	$47,020	50
58	Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing	$67,070	$49,690	70
59	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$67,070	$49,690	70
60	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$66,610	$46,940	n/a
61	Residential Building Construction	$66,350	$41,030	1,330
62	Specialty Trade Contractors	$63,510	$43,030	220
63	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$63,100	$41,620	60
64	Building Equipment Contractors	$61,500	$50,260	90
65	Activities Related to Real Estate	$61,180	$33,970	230
66	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$61,050	$50,140	80
67	Manufacturing	$60,890	$40,690	260
68	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$57,260	$35,760	4,460
69	Administrative and Support Services	$57,210	$35,730	4,440
70	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$55,740	$37,440	70
71	Landscaping Services	$54,330	$34,690	3,660
72	Services to Buildings and Dwellings	$54,330	$34,690	3,660
73	Wood Product Manufacturing	$52,620	$34,630	100
74	Retail Trade	$52,170	$32,050	410
75	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	$52,030	$32,080	410
76	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	$50,190	$39,670	60
77	Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores	$49,460	$31,970	370
78	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$48,770	$38,820	160
79	Social Advocacy Organizations	$45,820	$36,970	n/a