PublicPay

Architecture federal salary series 0808

Full-time federal employees in the Architecture series earned a median of $141,764 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 29% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $119,114 and $163,104.

Median pay
$141,764
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$119,114–$163,104
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,617
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+3.7%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Architecture
All federal (full-time)

What shapes architecture pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-12 (615 employees, median $113,242). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (121 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($163,104) and lowest in California ($145,903), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 67% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Architecture pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Architecture pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-12 615 $113,242 $105,829–$121,626
GS-13 540 $140,742 $131,294–$149,647
GS-14 207 $172,700 $159,466–$187,093

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Architecture pay by agency

Architecture pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Interior 121 $118,936 $105,829–$138,348
Department of Homeland Security 63 $131,293 $119,135–$142,945
Department of Health and Human Services 60 $156,292 $137,009–$174,060
General Services Administration 47 $140,306 $119,817–$154,994
Department of Agriculture 45 $116,362 $106,559–$126,153
Department of State 40 $184,694 $172,700–$187,093
Department of Veterans Affairs 37 $165,917 $138,356–$182,295

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Architecture pay by state

The 4 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Architecture pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 137 $163,104 $146,143–$187,093
Maryland 66 $158,322 $133,964–$176,657
California 44 $145,903 $132,800–$163,200
Virginia 30 $151,856 $125,962–$171,500

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare architecture pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +3.7% from $136,658 in September 2025 to $141,764 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,977 to 1,617 (−18.2%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

Related occupations in Engineering and Architecture Group