How much do computer network architects make?

What the national Computer Network Architects median says

The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the U.S. median for Computer Network Architects at $134,050 per year. Median means the middle. Half of the wage values used for this estimate fall below that point. Half fall above it. The median is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. It is one clear mark for the middle of a broad national pay range.

BLS also lists 179,740 wage and salary jobs for Computer Network Architects. That count covers jobs in the survey's scope. It does not count open job ads. It also leaves out people who work for themselves. The wage and job counts share the same May 2025 reference point, so they can be read together without mixing time periods.

The Computer Network Architects mean of $139,580 per year is 4.1% above the $134,050 median on the same published median. Mean means BLS adds the wage values and divides the total by the number of jobs behind the estimate. A gap between mean and median shows that the shape is not even. It does not explain the cause of the gap.

The fields that make SOC 15-1241 its own page

BLS names this record Computer Network Architects and gives it SOC 15-1241. The two-part code is the stable key for this page. A role with a close name keeps a different code, wage row, job count, and area pattern. WageScope never joins two SOC records because their words sound alike.

For SOC 15-1241, the U.S. row reports 179,740 wage and salary jobs. Its annual median is $134,050 per year. Its matching mean is $139,580 per year. These facts come from one national row and one May 2025 release.

SOC 15-1241 appears in 52 state or territory rows. It also has 251 metro rows and 68 nonmetro rows. A missing local row stays missing. We do not fill it with U.S. data or data for a similar job code.

• SOC 15-1241 10th percentile: $79,900 per year.
• SOC 15-1241 25th percentile: $104,620 per year.
• SOC 15-1241 median: $134,050 per year.
• SOC 15-1241 75th percentile: $168,200 per year.
• SOC 15-1241 90th percentile: $202,680 per year.
• SOC 15-1241 employment RSE: 1.7%. Mean-wage RSE: 0.6%.
• SOC 15-1241 has no national suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.

Read the Computer Network Architects wage ladder from low to high

The 10th percentile is $79,900 per year. The 25th percentile is $104,620 per year. The median is $134,050 per year. The 75th percentile is $168,200 per year. The 90th percentile is $202,680 per year. Each point marks a place in the same national wage spread.

A percentile is a rank point. It is not a career step. For example, the 10th percentile means 10% of wage values are at or below that mark. It does not mean a new worker starts there. The 90th percentile means 90% are at or below that mark. It does not mean a worker can reach it after a set number of years.

The middle half runs from $104,620 to $168,200 per year. That span is $63,580. The full 10th-to-90th span is $122,780. These spans show why one median cannot stand in for every Computer Network Architects job.

What the gaps around the Computer Network Architects median show

The median is 67.8% above the 10th percentile. The 90th percentile is 51.2% above the median. The two sides do not have to match. A wider upper side can pull the mean up. A wider lower side can pull it down. The data shows the shape, but not the reason for that shape.

The 25th-to-median step is $29,430 per year. The median-to-75th step is $34,150 per year. These two steps give a closer look at the middle half. They are often more useful than a single top-to-bottom gap because they keep the center in view.

Use this ladder as a fact check when you read a job post. A posted range can sit below, near, or above these BLS marks. That does not make the post wrong. A job may differ by place, hours, level, field, employer, or work rules. Keep the posted range tied to that listing. Keep the BLS range tied to the whole occupation.

Metro areas with the highest published Computer Network Architects medians

WageScope found 245 metro rows with the same published annual median for Computer Network Architects. It sorts only those rows. It does not fill a blank row. It does not turn a blank into zero. The first six rows below have the highest published medians in this release. The list is a wage rank, not a rank of places to live or work.

The first row is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, at $186,110 per year. The middle metro row by published pay is Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, at $122,200 per year. That middle metro mark gives one more check on how far the top rows sit from a common place in the set.

These are nominal wages. Nominal means the dollar amount shown in the source. This list does not adjust for local price levels. It also does not tell us how many openings an area has now. Use a local page to see price-level context when an exact BEA row exists. Use the separate job block to inspect current employer-title matches.

• 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a Computer Network Architects median of $186,110 per year, or $52,060 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 2,730 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 2.08.
• 2. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Computer Network Architects median of $172,650 per year, or $38,600 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 3,710 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 1.54.
• 3. Rochester, MN has a Computer Network Architects median of $168,910 per year, or $34,860 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 90 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.66.
• 4. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA has a Computer Network Architects median of $168,720 per year, or $34,670 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 40 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.34.
• 5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA has a Computer Network Architects median of $166,760 per year, or $32,710 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 3,350 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 1.22.
• 6. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY has a Computer Network Architects median of $165,570 per year, or $31,520 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. BLS lists 220 jobs there, against 179,740 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.71.

Metro areas with the largest Computer Network Architects job estimates

A large wage can appear in a small job market. A large job market can have a lower wage. That is why WageScope keeps pay and job count in separate views. The six rows below have the largest published employment estimates for Computer Network Architects among metro rows in this release. Employment means the number of wage and salary jobs in scope. It does not mean open roles.

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO has the largest listed metro estimate in this set, at 10,260 jobs. Its median is $139,230 per year. Compare that with San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, which leads the published median list. The leaders may match, or they may not. Each list answers a different question.

Job count can help you see the scale of a local labor market. It cannot show churn, new hiring, job quality, remote work, or the chance that one person will get hired. Current listings add a second view, but they are a dated sample of posts. WageScope never turns the listing count into a demand score.

• 1. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO has 10,260 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 5.7% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $139,230 per year, or $5,180 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 5.51.
• 2. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 10,230 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 5.7% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $163,010 per year, or $28,960 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 0.93.
• 3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has 9,370 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 5.2% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $159,820 per year, or $25,770 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 2.58.
• 4. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 5,900 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 3.3% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $137,900 per year, or $3,850 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 1.26.
• 5. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA has 5,880 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 3.3% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $133,890 per year, or $160 below the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 1.76.
• 6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 5,400 estimated Computer Network Architects jobs. That is 3.0% of the U.S. estimate of 179,740 jobs. Its median is $143,800 per year, or $9,750 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. Its location quotient is 1.04.

Where Computer Network Architects has a larger share of local jobs

Location quotient is a share check. A value of 1 means the role has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. A value above 1 means the local share is larger. A value below 1 means the local share is smaller. It is not a count. It is not a wage. It does not say that a place is growing.

Boulder, CO has the highest published location quotient in this bounded metro set, at 9. The same row lists 2,000 jobs and a median of $156,360 per year. Reading all three values keeps a high share from being mistaken for a large market or high pay.

A small area can have a high location quotient because the role makes up a large part of a small local job base. A large area can have many workers and a lower quotient. Use the quotient to ask where the role is common in the mix. Use employment to ask how many jobs BLS estimated. Use the wage fields to ask what the published pay range looks like.

• 1. Boulder, CO has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 9. BLS lists 2,000 jobs and a median of $156,360 per year, or $22,310 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.
• 2. Colorado Springs, CO has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 6.73. BLS lists 2,460 jobs and a median of $130,980 per year, or $3,070 below the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.
• 3. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 5.51. BLS lists 10,260 jobs and a median of $139,230 per year, or $5,180 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.
• 4. Huntsville, AL has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 5.4. BLS lists 1,660 jobs and a median of $132,410 per year, or $1,640 below the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.
• 5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 2.58. BLS lists 9,370 jobs and a median of $159,820 per year, or $25,770 above the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.
• 6. Raleigh-Cary, NC has a Computer Network Architects location quotient of 2.55. BLS lists 2,190 jobs and a median of $120,640 per year, or $13,410 below the U.S. Computer Network Architects median. The U.S. job estimate is 179,740.

How Computer Network Architects sits in Computer and Mathematical

Computer Network Architects is SOC 15-1241. BLS places it in the Computer and Mathematical major group. Among 21 detailed roles in that group with a published annual median, Computer Network Architects ranks 4 of 21 by median. This is a pay rank inside one source family. It is not a rank of skill, value, status, or career fit.

The closest same-family medians help set a fair peer frame. They do not claim that the work is the same. Official SOC titles can cover different tasks and settings. WageScope uses the family only because BLS publishes that link. It does not infer a career move, a skill match, or a hiring path from the wage gap.

Use these peer rows to spot whether the $134,050 median sits near many family roles or far from them. Then open a role's own page before using its number. Each role has a different code, job count, wage spread, and place pattern. One family label does not erase those facts.

• 1. Software Developers, SOC 15-1252, has a U.S. median of $135,980 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $1,930 per year.
• 2. Actuaries, SOC 15-2011, has a U.S. median of $130,000 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $4,050 per year.
• 3. Information Security Analysts, SOC 15-1212, has a U.S. median of $129,180 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $4,870 per year.
• 4. Database Architects, SOC 15-1243, has a U.S. median of $139,500 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $5,450 per year.
• 5. Computer and Information Research Scientists, SOC 15-1221, has a U.S. median of $140,300 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $6,250 per year.
• 6. Mathematicians, SOC 15-2021, has a U.S. median of $126,710 per year. Its gap from Computer Network Architects is $7,340 per year.

How much care to use with the Computer Network Architects estimate

The relative standard error for the job count is 1.7%. For the mean wage it is 0.6%. This measure, called RSE, shows survey precision. A smaller RSE often means less uncertainty from the sample. It does not tell you whether one person's pay is right or wrong.

The employment RSE applies to the 179,740 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE applies to the published mean of $139,580 per year. These fields do not give a matching RSE for the median or each percentile. WageScope shows the fields BLS published and does not move one RSE to another measure.

Survey values can change when BLS changes its methods, sample, models, or source year. That is why we show May 2025 on this page. Before we use a new release, we check its files, rows, and pages. A changed number is only a correction if the source calls it one.

A simple way to compare Computer Network Architects across places

First, compare the same wage metric. Use annual with annual or hourly with hourly. Next, check the source date. Keep May 2025 BLS rows together. Then read employment and location quotient beside pay. This stops a high median from standing in for market size or local share. Last, add BEA price-level context only when the exact place has an approved row.

A state, metro, and nonmetro area are not the same kind of map. Do not rank them in one list without saying so. WageScope groups like with like. It also keeps a national row as a broad bench mark. A local page can show the local row, its state row when that link is exact, and the U.S. row without blending them.

If a value is blank, keep it blank. If BLS marks a top code, read it as a lower bound. Do not fill a blank from a nearby place. Do not turn a wage gap into a claim about taxes, hours, benefits, work rules, or a household budget. Those facts are not in the OEWS row.

Move from Computer Network Architects wage data to one real listing

The job block on this page uses a strict employer-title match for Computer Network Architects. It may show fewer rows than the full MeritLog job search. That is on purpose. A false negative is safer here than a job card for a different role. Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. The cards do not change the BLS wage data.

Open one listing and read its own pay, work place, level, and needs. Compare its posted range with the BLS spread only as context. A posted range is set by an employer for one role. The BLS range is a survey view across many jobs. Neither source proves that a person is fit for the work.

When you tailor a résumé, use work facts you can back up. Do not turn $134,050 into a skill or result. Do not copy a BLS job count into your work history. MeritLog can help shape confirmed experience for a chosen listing. The wage page stays public and read only. It does not save a job or create a résumé on page load.

What this Computer Network Architects page does not claim

This page does not say what one Computer Network Architects worker earns. It does not promise that a job pays the median. It does not state a starting wage. It does not explain why the mean and median differ. It does not add benefits, tips, stock, bonus pay, taxes, or work hours unless BLS includes them in the published wage measure.

The page does not count people who work for themselves. It does not turn 179,740 into current openings. It does not read private MeritLog jobs or Career Memory. MeritLog does not use the page to build a private career profile. While public analytics are on, GA4, Ahrefs, and Meta may get this page's URL. Use Your Privacy Choices or Global Privacy Control to turn that off. The page does not send its text to a model.

The best use is narrow and clear. Read the May 2025 BLS wage range. Check how the role changes by place. Add the separate 2024 BEA price level when an exact row exists. Inspect a dated employer-title match. Then make a résumé choice from facts you have confirmed. Keep each source tied to the question it can answer.