A solutions architect helps ensure an organization’s technical initiatives align with its business needs. This exciting career offers a relatively high salary. Explore the factors that might impact how much you make below.
Technology is a part of nearly every major industry in the United States, making technical careers in high demand. The technology sector is diverse and has a wide range of roles and responsibilities to suit all types of workers. One important tech-focused role is the solutions architect.
As a solutions architect, you combine the organization's technical and business sides and develop technical solutions to meet key business needs. If this sounds like a great career, you’re likely curious about the typical solutions architect’s salary, what factors impact a solutions architect’s salary, and how to maximize this salary. Explore the job and its earning potential in depth.
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As a solutions architect, you’ll evaluate a company or organization’s needs and determine how information technology (IT) can support these needs with software, hardware, or infrastructure. You’ll also act as the liaison between IT operations and the rest of the organization, ensuring alignment exists in developing and implementing technical solutions.
In this role, you may perform a wide range of technical and non-technical tasks, including the following:
Developing cloud infrastructure
Implementing microservices for e-commerce
Installing data, network, and system security
Leading brainstorming sessions
Identifying improvement opportunities
Building and migrating software and services
Communicating with clients and stakeholders
Since solutions architects have many responsibilities, the position typically comes with an above-average salary. Average salaries, according to several job sites, range from $116,327 to $132,299 [1, 2, 3, 4]:
Indeed | Zippia | Payscale | Glassdoor |
---|---|---|---|
$134,296 | $116,327 | $128,458 | $152,034 |
Your salary as a solutions architect can vary based on several factors, including education, experience, location, and industry. Explore these variables below.
Most organizations' minimum solutions architect qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology, engineering, or a related field. However, some organizations may accept a lower degree. Take a look at how solutions architect education levels can impact salary [2]:
Associate degree: $105,021
Bachelor’s degree: $121,545
Master’s degree: $132,940
Doctorate: $133,142
Certifications help prove your expertise in certain solutions architect skills. They may help you be more marketable and earn a higher salary.
As a solutions architect, many available certifications come from specific software firms or vendors. Typically, organizations will require solutions architects to gain certification in the software and systems they use. Some common certifications solutions architects earn, and the average salary you can earn by holding these certificates are as follows:
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF): $158,000 [5]
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM): $117,000 [6]
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): $129,000 [7]
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate: $126,000 [8]
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Service Provider: $107,000 [9]
You’ll typically need several years of IT experience to become a solutions architect. You can earn this experience as a network and computer system administrator, database administrator, computer systems analyst, or other related roles. Once you gain experience, you’ll learn new solutions architect skills to handle your job more efficiently and hopefully increase your income.
Take a look at how your years of experience as a solutions architect can impact your base salary [4]:
0–1 years: $115,783
1–3 years: $125,268
4–6 years: $137,278
7–9 years: $149,327
10–14 years: $160,573
15 or more years: $170,107
Location is another factor that can impact a solutions architect salary, whether due to the cost of living in an area or the demand for workers in that area. Review some of the average solutions architect salaries in large cities nationwide:
*All annual base salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of January 2025 and does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.
New York City: $163,236
Chicago: $153,375
Boston: $162,762
San Francisco: $179,821
Los Angeles: $164,006
Dallas-Fort Worth: $149,902
Atlanta: $148,660
Miami: $151,057
Because many organizations rely on computers to store and track data, solution architects impact a variety of industries. However, some industries hire solutions architects at a higher rate than others. As of 2025, the top five industries that employed solutions architects included the following [10]:
Computer systems design and related services: $134,130
Management of companies and enterprises: $133,340
Temporary help services: $127,670
Telecommunications: $106,860
Educational services, including state, local, and private: $102,210
Being in the computer and networking space means the solutions architect role has a wide range of related job titles. Some related careers and their median annual salary, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics include [11]:
Computer and information research scientists: $145,080
Computer and information systems managers: $169,510
Computer hardware engineers: $138,080
Computer programmers: $99,700
Computer support specialists: $60,810
Computer systems analysts: $103,800
Database administrator and architect: $117,450
Information security analysts: $120,360
Network and computer systems administrators: $95,360
Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers: $130,160
The demand for solutions architects is about average, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates 13 percent growth through 2033 [12]. This is faster than most other professions in the US and equates to about 12,300 openings annually. Most of these new jobs will come from workers transferring to a new field or leaving the workforce.
A solutions architect is responsible for combining business needs with an organization’s technical strategy so the tech can help support the business’s success. This makes solutions architects a critical part of any IT team.
If this type of responsibility is something you’re looking for, a career as a solutions architect may be right for you. You can gain the skills and knowledge to design architectural solutions with the Amazon Web Services AWS Cloud Solutions Architect Professional Certificate on Coursera. Upon completion gain a shareable certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.
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Average time: 6 month(s)
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Cybersecurity, Wireless Security, Cryptography, Network Security, Directory Service, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Backup, Domain Name System (DNS), Ipv4, Network Model, Troubleshooting, Binary Code, Customer Support, Linux, Powershell, Linux File Systems, Command-Line Interface
Indeed. "Network Architect Salary in United States, https://www.indeed.com/career/network-architect/salaries." Accessed January 28, 2025
Zippia. “Solutions Architect Salary, https://www.zippia.com/solutions-architect-jobs/salary/#.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Average Solutions Architect Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Solutions_Architect/Salary?loggedIn.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Glassdoor. “How Much Does a Solution Architect Make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/solution-architect-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: TOGAF 9 Certification, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=TOGAF_9_Certification/Salary.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Certified_ScrumMaster_(CSM)/Salary.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Certified_Information_Systems_Security_Professional_(CISSP)/Salary.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=AWS_(Amazon_Web_Services)_Certified_Solutions_Architect_-_Associate/Salary.” Accessed January 28, 2025
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Cisco_Certified_Network_Professional_(CCNP)/Salary.” Accessed January 28, 2025
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “ Computer Network Architects Pay, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-network-architects.htm#tab-5.” Accessed January 28, 2025
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Computer Network Architects: Similar Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-network-architects.htm#tab-8." Accessed January 28, 2025
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Computer Network Architects Job Outlook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-network-architects.htm#tab-6.” Accessed January 28, 2025
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