What Does an Enterprise Architect Do? 2024 Career Guide

Organizations need enterprise architects to help guide them through their digital transformation plans and establish and maintain their IT hardware and software needs. As an enterprise architect, you regularly assess organizational requirements and find ways to improve processes, requiring you to remain updated on the latest technological trends. 

If this sounds like the kind of role that would suit you well, continue reading and explore the path to becoming an enterprise architect, including requirements, training needs, available certifications, potential salary, and more. 

What is an enterprise architect?

As an enterprise architect, you’ll maintain an organization’s information technology (IT) networks and services and ensure they align with its overall strategy. You’ll oversee, improve, and upgrade enterprise services, software, and hardware in this increasingly important role. 

On top of those critical functions, you’ll remain knowledgeable about the latest trends and technologies and ensure the organization invests in the right tech. Plus, you’ll monitor for software, services, and hardware that may help improve the organization’s processes and present these options to stakeholders.

What does an enterprise architect do?

As an enterprise architect, you’ll work heavily with enterprise data, but your job will also include working in the cloud and with SQL. On top of these technical responsibilities, you’ll also encounter business-focused tasks, such as strategizing, meeting business visions and goals, cost analysis and reduction, and more. 

Enterprise architect tasks and responsibilities

Working as an enterprise architect will require completing many tasks and handling many responsibilities. These may vary by organization, but some everyday tasks include:

• Coordinating a team and delegating responsibilities

• Improving a company's IT infrastructure

• Assess and improve company-wide aspects like organizational structure and processes 

• Testing software

• Developing and coordinating enterprise architecture

• Understanding a business's initiatives and IT strategies with it    

Where does an enterprise architect work? 

An enterprise architect works in the IT department in various industries. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the leading sectors employing computer network architects, including enterprise architects, and the percentage working in each include the following [1]: 

• Computer systems design and related services: 26 percent

• Telecommunications: 10 percent

• Management of companies and enterprises: 8 percent

• Insurance carriers and related activities: 5 percent

• Educational services: state, local, and private: 5 percent

What skills do you need to work as an enterprise architect?  

To work as an enterprise architect, you must develop broad skills. Some essential technical skills to develop to help you become a successful enterprise architect include:

• Cloud computing

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Modeling

• Graphical representation

• Enterprise applications

You’ll also need fine-tuned workplace skills, such as analytical thinking, organizational skills, negotiation, and communication.

Enterprise architect salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, the estimated total pay for enterprise architects in the US is $210,610 per year [2]. This figure includes an average base salary of $151,109 and $59,501 in additional pay. Additional pay may represent profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses.

The job outlook for this role has fairly average demand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 4 percent job growth for computer network architects, a related role between 2022 and 2032, a rate on par with the average for careers nationwide [3].

Factors that impact salary

As an enterprise architect, several factors could impact your salary, including your location, education, and years of experience. For example, the average entry-level enterprise architect salary is $129,020, whereas a more senior enterprise architect with over 15 years of experience earns an average of $182,084 [2]. 

As for education, your degree can make a difference in your earning potential. Here is a breakdown of enterprise architect salaries depending on education level:

• Associate degree: $106,001

• Bachelor's degree: $124,314

• Master's degree: $137,305

How to become an enterprise architect

Becoming an enterprise architect involves getting the right education, learning while on the job, and potentially gaining certifications. With the guidance below, your path to becoming an enterprise architect is relatively straightforward.

1. Earn your degree.

Organizations typically look for enterprise architects with at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field, including computer science, business, or data science. According to Zippia, 67.2 percent of people with this job title hold a bachelor’s degree, 23.3 have a master's, and 5 percent have an associate degree[5].

2. Gain experience.

Once you’ve gotten the necessary education, it’s time to earn experience in related fields before you’re ready to slip into an enterprise architect role. Organizations typically seek a candidate with five to seven years of related experience. Enterprise architects often get their start in the software side as developers, software engineers, or programmers, but some also start as systems analysts or lower-level architects. 

3. Consider certifications or coursework.

Proving your competency as an enterprise architect with certifications can play a significant role in landing a job in this space and increasing your pay over time. Consider the following certifications that may help you excel in an enterprise architect role: 

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP)

• Certified System Architect (CSA)

• EACOE Enterprise Architect certifications

• ITIL Foundation certification

• ITIL v3 Master certification

• Red Hat Certified Architect

• Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA)

• The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)

Read more: Your Guide to AWS Certification

Getting started with Coursera

After meeting the education requirements and gaining several years of experience, you can become an enterprise architect. Consider building your knowledge base and skill set with educational options on Coursera. For example, Amazon Web Services’s Architecting Solutions on AWS and IBM’s Information Technology (IT) and Cloud Fundamentals Specialization can help you learn more about the role and decide if it’s right for you.