Computer Systems Engineers/Architects: Career Overview
Design and develop solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions.
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The Daily Work of Computer Systems Engineers/Architects Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of computer systems engineers/architects cover:
- Communicate with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements.
- Investigate system component suitability for specified purposes, and make recommendations regarding component use.
- Provide customers or installation teams guidelines for implementing secure systems.
- Direct the analysis, development, and operation of complete computer systems.
- Direct the installation of operating systems, network or application software, or computer or network hardware.
- Monitor system operation to detect potential problems.
- Identify system data, hardware, or software components required to meet user needs.
- Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective computer systems engineers/architects combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.### Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Application Systems Architect
- Cloud Architect
- Cloud Engineer
- Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
- Cloud Platform Engineer
- Cloud Software Engineer
- Cloud Solution Architect
- Computer Systems Architect
Job Outlook
There are roughly 586,926 computer systems engineers/architects working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -1.9% over the projection horizon.
Computer Systems Engineers/Architects Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $140,795 |
| Hourly median | $67.69 |
| 10th percentile | $95,193 |
| 25th percentile | $117,994 |
| 75th percentile | $163,597 |
| 90th percentile | $186,398 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Computer Systems Engineers/Architects Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | $179,830 |
| Maryland | $141,540 |
| District of Columbia | $137,610 |
| Virginia | $132,810 |
| Delaware | $132,670 |
| Washington | $131,800 |
| California | $128,750 |
| Colorado | $119,560 |
| West Virginia | $113,030 |
| Hawaii | $112,050 |
| Arizona | $112,010 |
| Vermont | $109,220 |
| Texas | $108,170 |
| North Carolina | $106,240 |
| Massachusetts | $105,890 |
| New York | $105,210 |
| Ohio | $104,330 |
| Alabama | $104,330 |
| South Carolina | $104,330 |
| New Jersey | $103,910 |
| Iowa | $103,690 |
| Oregon | $102,940 |
| Florida | $102,750 |
| New Mexico | $102,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $102,330 |
| Michigan | $102,300 |
| Maine | $101,760 |
| Georgia | $100,950 |
| Nevada | $100,570 |
| Illinois | $100,310 |
| Kansas | $100,090 |
| Alaska | $100,040 |
| Minnesota | $99,740 |
| South Dakota | $98,550 |
| Connecticut | $97,870 |
| Rhode Island | $96,990 |
| Indiana | $96,530 |
| Idaho | $95,640 |
| Utah | $95,640 |
| Oklahoma | $95,640 |
| Kentucky | $90,380 |
| Wyoming | $90,010 |
| Nebraska | $87,920 |
| New Hampshire | $87,420 |
| Mississippi | $86,380 |
| Wisconsin | $85,290 |
| Missouri | $84,250 |
| Montana | $78,690 |
| Arkansas | $77,830 |
| Louisiana | $75,560 |
| North Dakota | $69,640 |
| Tennessee | $65,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,250 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for computer systems engineers/architects vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $126,964 | 25.0% | 1.54 |
| Middle Atlantic | $121,117 | 18.1% | 2.97 |
| Rocky Mountains | $108,235 | 3.6% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $107,900 | 16.0% | 1.38 |
| New England | $102,646 | 2.6% | 0.65 |
| Southeast | $101,290 | 22.4% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $97,392 | 6.3% | 0.61 |
| Plains States | $89,865 | 5.8% | 1.14 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $168,070 | 15,550 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $157,380 | 18,680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $144,040 | 35,080 |
| Charlottesville, VA | VA | $142,150 | 140 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $139,940 | 420 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $138,090 | 1,020 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $134,230 | 10,400 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $133,680 | 9,110 |
Which Industries Hire Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
The largest employers of computer systems engineers/architects are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 130,160 | $106,200 |
| Information | 43,000 | $126,550 |
| Finance and Insurance | 28,690 | $126,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 25,660 | $127,600 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 24,880 | $96,000 |
| Manufacturing | 21,020 | $102,950 |
| Educational Services | 18,100 | $79,900 |
| Wholesale Trade | 13,130 | $100,550 |
Software Computer Systems Engineers/Architects Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Procedure management software: Apache Airflow (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of computer systems engineers/architects tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
Entry-level computer systems engineers/architects positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Information Security Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer User Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Architects (Primary-Short)
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future computer systems engineers/architects commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
5 programs across 5 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1299.08 (Computer Occupations, All Other).
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