National Salary Info » Architects, Surveyors, and Cartographers

Highest Paying Industries for Architects, Surveyors, and Cartographers

The top 100 highest paying industries for architects, surveyors, and cartographers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $101,550, professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers is the highest paying industry for architects, surveyors, and cartographers. It is followed by other amusement and recreation industries industry (average annual salary $93,880). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of architects, surveyors, and cartographers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Architects, Surveyors, and Cartographers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$101,550	$62,850	40
2	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$93,880	$44,500	60
3	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$93,330	$54,700	30
4	Testing Laboratories	$93,150	$39,620	220
5	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$92,490	$50,240	n/a
6	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$90,740	$80,970	n/a
7	Support Activities for Transportation	$90,560	$75,690	n/a
8	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$90,110	$65,710	2,840
9	Federal government, including USPS	$90,040	$65,720	2,920
10	Postal Service (federal government)	$89,920	$85,550	80
11	Transportation and Warehousing	$89,120	$46,360	340
12	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$88,950	$42,550	50
13	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$87,590	$49,520	80
14	Hospitals - Privately owned	$87,590	$49,520	80
15	Hospitals - State government owned	$87,470	$57,450	70
16	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$87,140	$55,580	160
17	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$86,140	$52,510	100
18	Health Care and Social Assistance	$85,890	$55,270	210
19	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$85,410	$46,880	140
20	Specialized Design Services	$84,130	$46,620	910
21	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$82,640	$50,810	260
22	Educational Services - Local government owned	$81,450	$57,790	220
23	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$81,430	$57,310	200
24	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$81,260	$41,430	n/a
25	Social Assistance	$80,640	$42,020	n/a
26	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$80,480	$58,120	220
27	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$80,220	$52,980	220
28	Educational Services - Privately owned	$79,300	$51,140	230
29	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$77,710	$45,960	1,250
30	Lessors of Real Estate	$77,360	$48,870	130
31	Scientific Research and Development Services	$76,140	$42,810	340
32	Educational Services	$75,540	$46,880	1,340
33	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$74,340	$44,950	1,090
34	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$73,750	$45,200	4,010
35	State government, including schools and hospitals	$73,740	$45,140	4,960
36	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$73,440	$42,750	15,620
37	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$73,120	$42,430	14,350
38	Federal, State, and Local Government	$73,120	$42,430	14,350
39	Employment Services	$73,080	$36,570	1,200
40	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$72,980	$43,470	870
41	Educational Services - State government owned	$72,940	$43,560	880
42	Natural Gas Distribution	$72,670	$41,560	190
43	Death Care Services	$72,660	$52,120	40
44	Personal and Laundry Services	$72,660	$52,120	40
45	Finance and Insurance	$72,060	$51,130	70
46	Wholesale Trade	$71,550	$46,660	n/a
47	Temporary Help Services	$69,790	$37,010	830
48	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$69,620	$37,810	110
49	Support Activities for Mining	$69,080	$38,240	480
50	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$68,740	$38,700	360
51	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$68,530	$40,940	100
52	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$68,210	$40,310	30
53	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$67,970	$39,770	127,240
54	Utilities	$67,950	$43,310	730
55	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$67,940	$39,750	122,770
56	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$67,900	$47,570	n/a
57	Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing	$67,380	$47,020	50
58	Residential Building Construction	$66,800	$41,200	1,490
59	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$66,750	$43,850	530
60	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$66,610	$46,940	n/a
61	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$65,370	$39,230	2,470
62	Pipeline Transportation	$65,030	$36,290	140
63	Engineering Services	$64,980	$38,170	26,640
64	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$64,890	$38,550	7,740
65	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$64,850	$38,040	470
66	Construction of Buildings	$64,820	$38,840	3,450
67	Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing	$64,570	$49,790	70
68	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$64,220	$38,210	7,510
69	Real Estate	$63,940	$38,730	440
70	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$63,450	$33,180	2,350
71	Construction	$63,370	$36,170	6,460
72	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$63,240	$37,030	330
73	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$63,100	$41,620	60
74	Nonresidential Building Construction	$63,080	$36,940	1,950
75	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$62,990	$51,080	30
76	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$62,400	$45,300	60
77	Telecommunications	$62,220	$42,410	70
78	Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	$62,080	$39,010	n/a
79	Utility System Construction	$62,010	$34,100	570
80	Mining	$61,090	$38,110	1,280
81	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$60,930	$31,400	1,210
82	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$60,660	$34,770	340
83	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$60,650	$50,830	110
84	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$60,210	$46,080	110
85	Building Equipment Contractors	$60,210	$45,350	130
86	Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers	$60,000	$50,240	50
87	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$59,980	$43,490	80
88	Information	$59,380	$35,100	200
89	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$59,380	$41,080	40
90	Activities Related to Real Estate	$59,320	$34,050	250
91	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$58,730	$33,530	200
92	Oil and Gas Extraction	$57,970	$39,290	250
93	Specialty Trade Contractors	$57,640	$34,530	670
94	Manufacturing	$57,590	$39,890	440
95	Metal Ore Mining	$57,510	$44,300	160
96	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$57,320	$50,490	n/a
97	Other Financial Investment Activities	$57,180	$50,470	n/a
98	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$57,040	$35,060	5,130
99	Software Publishers	$57,010	$37,790	n/a
100	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$56,980	$37,550	550