Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval Salary in Los Angeles, CA

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $104,170 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $75,301 take-home, or $6,275 a month.

Median salary
$104,170
$50.08 per hour
Typical range
$75,640 – $164,530
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
4,870
1.13× national concentration
▲1.9%
Pay trend: The median for architects, except landscape and naval in Los Angeles, CA rose from $102,190 (May 2024) to $104,170 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median architects, except landscape and naval salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in Los Angeles, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$75,301
per year · effective tax rate 27.7%
$6,275Monthly
$3,138Twice a month
$2,896Every 2 weeks
$36.20Hourly
  • Federal income tax$14,087
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,459
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,510
  • California income tax$5,458
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,354
  • Take-home pay$75,301

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$75,640$36.37$58,220$4,852
25th percentile$80,390$38.65$61,093$5,091
Median (50th)$104,170$50.08$75,301$6,275
75th percentile$132,190$63.55$91,835$7,653
90th percentile (top earners)$164,530$79.10$110,512$9,209

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $104,170 buys in Los Angeles, CA

Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median architects, except landscape and naval's $75,301 take-home pay has the buying power of $66,306 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,245
36% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,755
44% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,030
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval jobs are about as common in Los Angeles, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.13).

Best-paying cities for architects, except landscape and naval, adjusted for cost of living

Los Angeles, CA ranks #7 of 9 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Boston, MA $119,120$86,895$80,261
2Houston, TX $97,590$77,485$78,562
3San Francisco, CA $126,550$88,578$76,616
4Dallas, TX $93,840$74,846$72,603
5Seattle, WA $100,610$79,609$71,634
6Washington, DC $102,080$74,935$68,821
7Los Angeles, CA $104,170$75,301$66,306
8New York, NY $99,710$74,133$65,859

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 9 metros →

About the job: architects, except landscape and naval

Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Job outlook, 2025–35
+4.3% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salaries elsewhere in California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a architects, except landscape and naval make in Los Angeles, CA?

The median architects, except landscape and naval salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $104,170 a year, or about $50.08 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $80,390 and $132,190.

What is a architects, except landscape and naval’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?

On the median $104,170 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $75,301 a year ($6,275 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,812 in California taxes in 2026.

Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a architects, except landscape and naval?

Pay here is 5% above the national median of $99,280. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $66,306 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #7 of 9 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a architects, except landscape and naval afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 36% of a median architects, except landscape and naval’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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