Hiring a computer network architect in Oakland, CA

Employers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area pay computer network architects a median of $166,760, with the middle half of the market between $128,690 and $211,740. Oakland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations report a median of $151,325, which is 9% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a computer network architect earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$128,690
Median	$166,760
75th percentile	$211,740

Half of computer network architects in this area earn between $128,690 and $211,740. A band set below $128,690 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Oakland residents earn

$151,325

Median earnings of Oakland residents working in computer and mathematical occupations, 12,063 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 9% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Develop disaster recovery plans.
Develop or recommend network security measures, such as firewalls, network security audits, or automated security probes.
Develop and implement solutions for network problems.
Maintain networks by performing activities such as file addition, deletion, or backup.
Coordinate network operations, maintenance, repairs, or upgrades.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 15-1241.

Tools and technologies in demand

Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, Border Gateway Protocol BGP, Firewall software, Linux, Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Azure software, Microsoft Excel.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Oakland?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 47.9% of Oakland adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Oakland commute runs 30.5 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 23.4% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Alameda County, computer systems design and related services employs 15,984 and turns over 7.7% a quarter, with 1,387 hires against 1,509 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $13,793 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5415.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about computer network architects. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $33,352 to $50,028 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.