Architects, Except Landscape and Naval: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (SOC 17-1011), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $55,120 in San Juan, PR to $114,982 in San Jose, CA among the 60 areas with the most jobs in the occupation (Department of Labor wage file for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, read on 7 November 2026). Level II gives 2 lottery entries, Level IV gives 4.
US mean wage (OEWS May 2025): $106,260
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Not legal or immigration advice. This page reports the Department of Labor wage file and the DHS rule as we read them. The level on a registration also depends on the job duties, the SOC code and the place of work chosen for the job, and the employer attests to it. Check with USCIS and the Department of Labor, and ask an immigration lawyer about your own case.
Wage levels in the 60 areas with the most jobs
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 10,240 | $71,968 | $92,872 | $113,797 | $134,701 | 1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,870 | $74,485 | $95,098 | $115,731 | $136,344 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,460 | $61,173 | $77,126 | $93,101 | $109,054 | 1 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,930 | $85,446 | $102,128 | $118,789 | $135,470 | 1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,780 | $78,998 | $105,019 | $131,040 | $157,061 | 1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,020 | $77,168 | $96,221 | $115,294 | $134,347 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,970 | $75,400 | $88,400 | $101,379 | $114,379 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,580 | $68,994 | $84,864 | $100,755 | $116,626 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,360 | $67,309 | $84,282 | $101,275 | $118,248 | 1 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,330 | $63,981 | $83,907 | $103,813 | $123,739 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,090 | $76,565 | $94,453 | $112,362 | $130,250 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,950 | $69,971 | $87,443 | $104,894 | $122,366 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,940 | $77,646 | $97,510 | $117,354 | $137,218 | 1 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,810 | $69,243 | $86,382 | $103,542 | $120,682 | 1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 1,700 | $76,232 | $90,542 | $104,853 | $119,163 | 1 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,350 | $63,648 | $80,579 | $97,510 | $114,442 | 1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,340 | $71,760 | $88,774 | $105,810 | $122,824 | 1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,280 | $77,709 | $100,568 | $123,406 | $146,266 | 1 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 1,270 | $70,200 | $86,611 | $103,043 | $119,454 | 1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 1,250 | $69,722 | $88,858 | $108,014 | $127,150 | 1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,240 | $77,834 | $92,997 | $108,160 | $123,323 | 1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,140 | $75,442 | $97,968 | $120,494 | $143,021 | 1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,120 | $67,226 | $83,429 | $99,611 | $115,814 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 1,040 | $63,003 | $85,301 | $107,619 | $129,917 | 1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,000 | $65,458 | $81,952 | $98,446 | $114,941 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 960 | $65,416 | $85,467 | $105,498 | $125,549 | 1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 880 | $65,728 | $83,054 | $100,402 | $117,728 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 880 | $63,357 | $80,579 | $97,802 | $115,024 | 1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 860 | $57,658 | $75,234 | $92,789 | $110,365 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 830 | $62,941 | $77,750 | $92,581 | $107,390 | 1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 790 | $72,218 | $88,234 | $104,250 | $120,266 | 1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 780 | $57,866 | $87,027 | $116,168 | $145,330 | 1 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 710 | $42,723 | $55,120 | $67,496 | $79,893 | 1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 690 | $76,190 | $94,827 | $113,464 | $132,101 | 1 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 670 | $65,042 | $83,491 | $101,920 | $120,370 | 1 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 670 | $62,566 | $78,083 | $93,621 | $109,138 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 660 | $88,067 | $114,982 | $141,898 | $168,813 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 640 | $82,555 | $103,542 | $124,550 | $145,538 | 1 |
| Boise City, ID | 560 | $59,384 | $78,291 | $97,178 | $116,085 | 1 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 520 | $66,518 | $81,099 | $95,680 | $110,261 | 1 |
| Birmingham, AL | 500 | $67,579 | $90,875 | $114,192 | $137,488 | 1 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 500 | $71,261 | $86,570 | $101,858 | $117,166 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 480 | $62,920 | $86,258 | $109,616 | $132,954 | 1 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 470 | $76,419 | $95,888 | $115,357 | $134,826 | 1 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 420 | $59,779 | $79,726 | $99,653 | $119,600 | 1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 420 | $69,139 | $87,006 | $104,853 | $122,720 | 1 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 410 | $52,312 | $66,019 | $79,706 | $93,413 | 1 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 410 | $61,922 | $76,315 | $90,688 | $105,082 | 1 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 410 | $60,653 | $82,077 | $103,522 | $124,946 | 1 |
| Richmond, VA | 410 | $65,562 | $82,306 | $99,029 | $115,773 | 1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 410 | $68,328 | $88,005 | $107,661 | $127,338 | 1 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 400 | $70,408 | $90,480 | $110,573 | $130,645 | 1 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 380 | $67,080 | $85,779 | $104,499 | $123,198 | 1 |
| Knoxville, TN | 380 | $64,501 | $79,872 | $95,264 | $110,635 | 1 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 370 | $73,902 | $89,003 | $104,125 | $119,226 | 1 |
| Boulder, CO | 360 | $74,298 | $93,704 | $113,110 | $132,517 | 1 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 360 | $57,470 | $72,280 | $87,090 | $101,899 | 1 |
| Tulsa, OK | 350 | $62,546 | $83,304 | $104,042 | $124,800 | 1 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 350 | $69,014 | $85,842 | $102,648 | $119,475 | 1 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 340 | $72,176 | $89,690 | $107,182 | $124,696 | 1 |
Yearly salary from which each level starts. Jobs: people employed in the occupation in the area (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Geo level 1 = wage computed from the area itself; 2 = area plus contiguous areas; 3 = statewide; 4 = national (OFLC). Tap a column heading to sort.
The US mean wage for architects, except landscape and naval is $106,260 (median $99,280). In 1 of these 60 areas Level II starts above the US mean.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Area pages
Lottery entries
Level I = 1 entry, Level II = 2, Level III = 3, Level IV = 4 (90 FR 60864). DHS estimated a 15.29% chance at Level I and 61.16% at Level IV for its assumed pool: how the odds work.
Questions people ask
What are the H-1B wage level salary ranges for architects, except landscape and naval?
They depend on the area. Among the 60 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $42,723 and $88,067 a year, and Level IV between $79,893 and $168,813.
What is the H-1B Level II salary for architects, except landscape and naval?
From $55,120 in San Juan, PR to $114,982 in San Jose, CA among the main areas; in 1 of the 60 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($106,260).
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