CDCareer Decision

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval Salary in Santa Cruz, CA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in Santa Cruz, CA have a median annual salary of $105,750, with 40 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $62,650 at the 10th percentile to $140,220 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$105,750

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$50.84

Employment

40

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$62,650
10th
$79,710
25th
$105,750
Median
$129,620
75th
$140,220
90th

Local compared with national

Santa Cruz, CA

$105,750

Median annual · 2025

United States

$99,280

Median annual · 2025

The Santa Cruz, CA median is 6.5% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $6,470).

Top skills

  1. 1.Critical ThinkingImportance 4.3
  2. 2.Operations AnalysisImportance 4.1
  3. 3.Reading ComprehensionImportance 4.0
  4. 4.SpeakingImportance 4.0
  5. 5.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 4.0
  6. 6.Active ListeningImportance 3.9
  7. 7.WritingImportance 3.9
  8. 8.MonitoringImportance 3.9
  9. 9.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.9
  10. 10.Active LearningImportance 3.8
  11. 11.CoordinationImportance 3.8
  12. 12.Systems AnalysisImportance 3.6

Career information

Education and experience

Experience
Over 6 years, up to and including 8 years
Job zone
5

Technology used

  • 1ST Pricing Window & Door Toolkit
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
  • Amazon Redshift
  • Amazon Web Services AWS software
  • Apache Cassandra
  • Apache Hadoop
  • Apache Hive
  • Apache Maven
  • Apache Pig
  • Applied Search Technology CADFind

Common tasks

  • Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
  • Plan or design structures such as residences, office buildings, theatres, factories, or other structural properties in accordance with environmental, safety, or other regulations.
  • Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
  • Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
  • Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
  • Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
  • Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.
  • Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
  • Plan layouts of structural architectural projects.
  • Direct activities of technicians engaged in preparing drawings or specification documents.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Architects, Except Landscape and Naval salary in other locations

Other occupations in Santa Cruz, CA