SOC 17-1011 · Boulder, CO metro

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval Salary in Boulder, CO

The average salary for architects (except landscape and naval) in Boulder, Colorado is $113,300 a year ($54.47 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $104,550: half of the 360 people in this job in the Boulder, CO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% more than the U.S. average for this job ($106,260).

$113,300average per year

$54.47 / hourMedian $104,550Take-home ≈ $84,260

  • $76K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $105KMedian
  • $132K75th
  • $173K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

360people in this job
+7%vs U.S. average
#1 of 5Colorado metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Architects, Except Landscape and Naval pay range in Boulder

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,520 or more. The middle half of architects (except landscape and naval) in Boulder earn between $79,390 and $131,540.

  • $76K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $105KMedian
  • $132K75th
  • $173K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$113,300$9,442$54.47
Median$104,550$8,712$50.26
Entry level (25th percentile)$79,390$6,616$38.17
Experienced (75th percentile)$131,540$10,962$63.24

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval pay in Boulder vs. Colorado and the U.S.

Architects (except landscape and naval) in Boulder earn about the same as the Colorado average ($110,290) and 7% more than the U.S. average ($106,260). At the median the gap is +5% against the U.S. median of $99,280.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Boulder$113,300$104,550$76,320$172,520360
Colorado$110,290$102,400$67,990$170,0403,290
United States$106,260$99,280$62,300$161,420106,770

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary after taxes in Boulder

On the average salary of $113,300, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $84,260 a year, or $7,022 a month and $3,241 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Colorado paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Boulder a good place for architects (except landscape and naval)? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $113,300 buys what about $107,698 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $113,300 is worth in another city

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary in other Colorado cities

Boulder ranks 1st of 5 Colorado metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salaries in Colorado

Highest-paying cities for architects (except landscape and naval)

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($142,170).

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in Boulder, CO.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary in Boulder: questions

How much do architects (except landscape and naval) make an hour in Boulder?

$54.47 an hour on average, and $50.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level architects (except landscape and naval) salary in Boulder?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $76,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $79,390, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the architects (except landscape and naval) take-home pay in Boulder?

About $84,260 a year ($7,022 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $113,300. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Do architects (except landscape and naval) earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% more than the U.S. average for this job ($106,260).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-1011; area Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.75, this job is 2.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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