Data Architect (AI/ML).
Raleigh.
$132,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$101,000 to $170,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Data Architect (AI/ML) pay in Raleigh ranges from $101,000 to $170,000 in 2026. The median is $132,000, 3% below the national average. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. 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 Data Architect (AI/ML) in Raleigh, 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 $132,740 for Database Architects (SOC 15-1243) in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan area, based on 710 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,200
25th percentile
$98,190
Median
$132,740
75th percentile
$161,470
90th percentile
$198,320
Workers surveyed
710
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Database Architects (SOC 15-1243) rather than Data Architect (AI/ML) specifically. The Raleigh 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 15-1243Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $119,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$86,000
to $106,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$112,000
to $139,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$145,000
to $172,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$165,000
to $205,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $36,000 to the total package.
Base
$132,000
Equity
$20,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $168,000
How Raleigh compares.
Raleigh, NC
$132,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$136,000
Raleigh is $4,000 below
Data Architect (AI/ML) salary by city.
Salary by role in Raleigh.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Data Architect (AI/ML) offer in Raleigh, understand the terrain. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Data architects specializing in AI and ML systems command premium pay for designing scalable data platforms that support model training and serving. Experience architecting lakehouse solutions and real-time feature stores is highly valued. Enterprise experience at companies with complex data governance requirements adds 15 to 25% to compensation.
Junior data architects earn $135,000 to $160,000. Architects with 5 to 8 years of experience designing ML data systems reach $178,000 to $232,000. Principal architects earn $240,000 to $320,000, while chief data architects and VP-level roles can command $350,000 to $450,000. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Senior data architects receive equity packages of 20 to 35% of base salary at tech companies. Consulting data architects can earn $200 to $350 per hour as independent contractors. Annual bonuses range from 15 to 25%, with some firms offering architecture patent bonuses. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $132,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Data Architect (AI/ML)s in Raleigh runs from $101,000 to $170,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- An AI Engineer in Raleigh earns $133,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Raleigh is CTO at $291,000
- See all ai engineering roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Data Architect (AI/ML) Salary in Raleigh, NC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/data-architect-ai-ml/raleigh
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