Architect.
Birmingham.
$84,000
median salary, 13% below the national average
$66,000 to $106,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
An Architect in Birmingham earns a median of $84,000 in 2026. That is 13% below the national average. The range runs from $66,000 to $106,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Licensure status, project type specialization, and geographic market create the widest salary gaps. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Architect in Birmingham, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $96,730 for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (SOC 17-1011) in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, based on 500 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$63,720
25th percentile
$78,210
Median
$96,730
75th percentile
$135,320
90th percentile
$210,290
Workers surveyed
500
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (SOC 17-1011) rather than Architect specifically. The Birmingham range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $75,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$55,000
to $67,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$71,000
to $88,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$92,000
to $109,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$105,000
to $130,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$84,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $109,000
How Birmingham compares.
Birmingham, AL
$84,000
Cost of living: 16% below average
National Average
$97,000
Birmingham is $13,000 below
Architect salary by city.
Salary by role in Birmingham.
What you should know.
The Architect landscape in Birmingham is not what most salary sites will tell you. Birmingham is Alabama's largest metro, anchored by a major medical center, banking, and a growing innovation district. UAB is one of the state's largest employers and a driver of biomedical research jobs. The extremely low cost of living makes Birmingham a strong value for professionals in healthcare and finance. Licensure status, project type specialization, and geographic market create the widest salary gaps. Licensed architects working on large commercial, healthcare, or institutional projects in major metro areas earn 20 to 35% more than unlicensed designers working on residential projects.
Architectural Designers before licensure earn $68,000 to $80,000. Licensed Architects with five to eight years of experience reach $85,000 to $105,000. Project Architects and Senior Architects command $100,000 to $130,000, while Principals and Partners can earn $140,000 to $250,000. In Birmingham, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 16% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Principals and partners at architecture firms often receive profit-sharing distributions of $20,000 to $100,000 or more. Project completion bonuses of 5 to 10% are common. Professional development and licensure exam reimbursement are standard benefits. And on the tax side: alabama's top state income tax rate is 5%. Birmingham has no city income tax. The low rate combined with very affordable housing creates excellent take home pay ratios. When someone quotes you $84,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage UAB and the medical corridor when negotiating. Healthcare and biotech roles command nationally competitive salaries even in this low cost market. The range for Architects in Birmingham runs from $66,000 to $106,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Architect salary in other cities.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Architect Salary in Birmingham, AL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/architect/birmingham
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