What Is the Average Enterprise Architect Salary in the US?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Becoming an enterprise architect can be lucrative. Discover more about this role and the factors that affect enterprise architect salary, such as experience, the industry you work in, and your geographical location.

[Featured Image] In a bright office setting, a woman working for an enterprise architect salary looks at a tablet while she leans against the desk behind her.

A career as an enterprise architect comes with high salaries, good career prospects, and high job satisfaction. According to Glassdoor’s Best Jobs in America for 2022 report, enterprise architects came out on top when considering these three factors [1]. Today, the job remains in demand, with many companies seeking the specialized skill set these professionals offer and their ability to connect business strategies, risk management, and IT innovation. 

Discover the average enterprise architect’s salary and how to earn the highest wage possible, factoring in your experience level, education, industry, and location. 

IBM

professional certificate

IBM IT Project Manager

Launch your career as an IT project manager. Get job-ready and prep for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification exam.

4.8

(1,099 ratings)

38,391 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 4 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Software Architecture, Communication, Agile Software Development, Software Engineering, Stakeholder Engagement, Agile Project Management, Professional Networking, Project Management, Project Management Life Cycle, Software Development Life Cycle, Project Management Institute (PMI) Methodology, Leadership, Information Technology, Agile Methodology, Sprint Planning, Risk Management, Project Closure, Project Documentation, Computer Systems, Stakeholder Management, Cloud Computing, Operating Systems, Cybersecurity, Computer Networking, Data Storage, Computer Hardware, Databases, Technical Support, Program Development, Network Troubleshooting, IT Infrastructure, Applicant Tracking Systems, Interviewing Skills, Negotiation, Business Research, Presentations, Relationship Building, Business Writing, Keyword Research, Verbal Communication Skills, Communication Strategies, Recruitment, LinkedIn, Portfolio Management, Writing, Business Analysis, Cost Management, Project Planning, Communication Planning, Emotional Intelligence, Resource Management, Leadership and Management, Decision Making, Virtual Teams, Sprint Retrospectives, Meeting Facilitation, User Story, Employee Coaching, People Development, Risk Analysis, Analysis, Project Risk Management, Risk Mitigation, Conflict Management, Active Listening, Stakeholder Communications, Systems Development Life Cycle, Back-End Web Development, Software Development Methodologies, Unified Modeling Language, Computer Programming, Object Oriented Design, Front-End Web Development, Software Development, Software Development Tools, Software Design Patterns, Systems Development, Software Design, Integrated Development Environments, Cloud Development, Python Programming, Project Management Software, Waterfall Methodology, Work Breakdown Structure, Backlogs, Change Management, Scrum (Software Development), Project Controls, Project Management Office (PMO), Quality Management, Scope Management, Earned Value Management, Project Scoping, Kanban Principles, Performance Measurement, Continuous Improvement Process, GitHub, Workflow Management, Estimation

What does an enterprise architect do? 

An enterprise architect establishes and maintains a company’s information technology strategy and infrastructure to ensure it effectively meets business goals. Activities include adapting structures, improving processes to maximize efficiency and to ensure they fit the purpose, and maintaining and improving the system's architecture. Enterprise architects are technical experts with a firm grasp of business fundamentals. 

Enterprise architect salary

When considering potential earnings, looking at the average salaries across multiple popular sources can provide a good view of the possibilities. According to data from several reliable job listing websites, the average enterprise architect's base salary is as follows: 

GlassdoorZippiaIndeedPayscale
$153,519 [2]$118,506 [3]$147,563 [4]$150,627 [5]

Factors affecting salary

Looking at the average salary is a good start; however, several factors can impact your salary as an enterprise architect. Experience, skills, and education play a part in reaching higher salary levels, but your industry and geographic location are also factors. Let’s take a look in more detail.

Industry

Enterprise architects work across a wide range of industries and are needed wherever an organization or business needs a technology system to support business strategy. Different organizations pay different rates, with some being more lucrative than others. 

To get a feel for the variations you may see according to the sector you work in, check out the following list of the average salary for this job in several industries, according to Zippia [3]:

  • Hospitality: $123,283

  • Health care: $121,490

  • Finance: $117,678

  • Technology: $114,821 

  • Insurance: $113,627

  • Professional: $93,622

Location

Different areas, states, and cities have different pay rates if you’re looking for a role as an enterprise architect. Before applying for roles, it’s worth checking how your geographical location stacks up.

Highest paying states 

According to Zippia, the states with the highest average annual salary for enterprise architects are [3]:

  1. California: $127,897

  2. South Carolina: $118,665

  3. New York: $118,022

  4. New Jersey: $118,008

  5. North Carolina: $113,782

Highest paying cities

According to Zippia, the cities with the highest average annual salary for enterprise architects include [3]:

  • San Jose, CA: $131,263

  • Washington, DC: $119,669

  • New York, NY: $118,649

  • Trenton, NJ: $118,320

  • Raleigh, NC: $114,361

Lowest paying states

When thinking about the highest-paid locations to work from, it’s also helpful to know the lowest-paid areas. According to Zippia, these states have the lowest average annual salary for enterprise architect roles [3]:

  1. Idaho: $88,588

  2. South Dakota: $87,717

  3. North Dakota: $86,920

  4. Montana: $86,732

  5. Alaska: $85,669

Education

A bachelor’s degree is the most common for enterprise architect jobs, with 67 percent having one and 23 percent having a master's [6]. The majority of enterprise architects hold a degree in a subject like computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or business. 

It’s worth noting that higher-level degrees often lead to increased salaries. The following offers a breakdown of education levels and their associated average annual salaries [6]:

  • Associate degree: $106,001

  • Bachelor’s degree: $124,314

  • Master’s degree: $137,078

  • Doctorate: $137,305

Experience 

Increased experience comes with opportunities to advance to higher-paying positions, moving from an entry-level enterprise architect salary to a senior enterprise architect salary. Your salary can also increase as you spend more time in a position. 

According to Payscale, the average annual salary for an enterprise architect at each career stage is as follows [5]:

Entry level (less than 1 year)$86,571
Early career (1–4 years)$109,938
Mid-career (5–9 years)$135,291
Late career (10–19 years)$149,830
Experienced (20+ years)$158,855

Skills

Ensuring you have the essential skills for the role plays a big part in securing top positions. Consider developing expertise in workplace skills such as communication, problem-solving, leadership, and negotiation. Additionally, technical skills such as project management, IT, and a solid understanding of the cloud can help enterprise architects, as can an understanding of the cloud and the ability to organize infrastructure.

Some specific skills can contribute to earning higher salaries. Some critical skills and their corresponding average salaries include [5]:

  • Strategy development: $159,458

  • Enterprise application integration: $154,665

  • Enterprise solutions: $153,272

  • Cloud computing: $153,989

  • System architecture: $148,629

Job outlook

Enterprise architects are in high demand. Companies see the value in enterprise architects, and the role is popular, with plenty of career opportunities. Additionally, many organizations seek these professionals to help bridge their digital transformations, IT implementations, and business strategies. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects similar jobs, such as a computer network architect, to have a 13 percent increase in job opportunities between 2023 and 2033 [7]. 

Enterprise architect career path

To enter this career, you will likely start in entry-level or related roles to gain experience. Such roles include software developer, systems analyst programmer, software engineer, architect, and developer. 

In terms of career progression, you’ll find many roles you may consider after building experience as an enterprise architect. Possible job titles and their associated average annual base salary are as follows:

  • Solutions architect: $153,868

  • Enterprise architect director: $181,485

  • Information technology manager: $121,362

  • Vice president of information technology: $193,763

  • Integration architect: $142,993

  • Software architect: $163,466

  • Data warehouse architect: $131,342

  • Infrastructure architect: $153,898

Getting started with Coursera

Working as an enterprise architect comes with an excellent salary. However, to maximize your compensation, consider your industry and build up your skills and experience to reach the best-paid opportunities.

Continue learning about enterprise architecture and building your technical skills with an online certificate such as IBM's Introduction to Cloud Computing. You might also check out Google's System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services, part of the Google IT Support Professional Certification. All are available on Coursera.

IBM

course

Introduction to Cloud Computing

Start your cloud computing journey with this self-paced introductory course! Whether you need general cloud computing knowledge for school or business, or ...

4.6

(7,396 ratings)

407,808 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 12 hour(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Microservices, Hybrid Cloud Computing, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Computing, Cloud Services, Cloud Security, Application Deployment, Cloud-Native Computing, Identity and Access Management, Cloud Storage, Virtual Machines, DevOps, Serverless Computing, Cloud Computing Architecture, Public Cloud, Virtualization

Google

course

System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services

This course will transition you from working on a single computer to an entire fleet. Systems administration is the field of IT that’s responsible for ...

4.8

(26,138 ratings)

540,840 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 24 hour(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Virtualization, Windows Servers, IT Infrastructure, Network Troubleshooting, Lightweight Directory Access Protocols, User Accounts, Data Storage, Technical Support and Services, Server Administration, Active Directory, Technical Consulting, System Configuration, Disaster Recovery, Web Servers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), System Monitoring, Systems Administration, Linux Administration

Google

professional certificate

Google IT Support

The launchpad to a career in IT. This program is designed to take beginner learners to job readiness in about three-to-six months.

4.8

(188,087 ratings)

1,888,012 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 3 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Computer Hardware, Routing Protocols, Resilience, Applicant Tracking Systems, Technical Support, Cybersecurity, Package and Software Management, Computer Networking, Lightweight Directory Access Protocols, Network Security, Microsoft Windows, Network Troubleshooting, Desktop Support, Network Administration, IT Infrastructure, Interviewing Skills, Systems Administration, Information Systems Security, File Systems, OSI Models, Encryption, Malware Protection, Authentications, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Cyber Attacks, Security Awareness, Application Security, Wireless Networks, Hardening, Authorization (Computing), Cryptography, Information Technology, Security Management, Threat Detection, Artificial Intelligence, Identity and Access Management, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Virtualization, Active Directory, Technical Consulting, Disaster Recovery, Web Servers, Windows Servers, User Accounts, Data Storage, Technical Support and Services, Server Administration, System Configuration, System Monitoring, Linux Administration, Planning, Business Writing, Problem Solving, Communication, Generative AI, Professional Development, Prompt Engineering, Branding, Workforce Development, Linux Commands, Windows PowerShell, Operating Systems, OS Process Management, File Management, Software Installation, Remote Access Systems, Command-Line Interface, Linux, Hardware Troubleshooting, Help Desk Support, Virtual Machines, Technical Communication, Technical Documentation, Customer Support, Computer Architecture, TCP/IP, Network Protocols, Data Integrity, Network Model, Network Routing, Wide Area Networks, Network Architecture, Local Area Networks, Networking Hardware, General Networking, Network Infrastructure

Article sources

1

Glassdoor. “Looking to Upgrade? These are the Best Jobs for 2022, https://www.glassdoor.com/research/best-jobs-for-2022.” Accessed January 28, 2025.

Updated on
Written by:

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Advance in your career with recognized credentials across levels.

Subscribe to earn unlimited certificates and build job-ready skills from top organizations.