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Data Architect salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a data architect is $124,800 per annum, before tax, up $26,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What a data architect earns depends heavily on who employs them: banks, insurers and large consultancies generally pay above government agencies and universities for similar work.
- Contract and consulting arrangements are common at this level of seniority, and those are usually priced as a day rate rather than a salary.
- Certifications in the platforms the employer runs, such as Snowflake, Databricks or Azure, also affect the offer.
The median salary rose by $26,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than data architect
The largest typical pay rise is $75,400 a year, moving into Chief Technology Officer.
- Chief Technology Officer+$75,400/yr
- Business Analyst+$15,400/yr
- Solutions Architect+$13,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher data architect salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time data architect salary is $124,800; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Data Architects are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Cloud infrastructure tend to command a premium over general data architect experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Chief Technology Officer pays a typical $75,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Data Architect salary questions
How much do data architects earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a data architect is $124,800 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is data architect pay rising or falling?
The median data architect salary is up $26,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than data architect?
Chief Technology Officer pays a typical $75,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to data architect.
Related salaries
- Solutions Architect salary
- Chief Technology Officer salary
- Business Analyst salary
- Data Engineer salary
- Business Intelligence Developer salary
- Systems Analyst salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.