At many organizations, the solution architect is an essential gear in the machine. They help a team focus on a project’s functional (i.e., what it should do) and non-functional (availability, security, etc.) aspects. Given that importance, how much can solution architects earn, and which companies pay these tech professionals the most?
For their trouble, solution architects can earn quite a bit: according to levels.fyi, which crowdsources compensation data, the median solution architect salary is $190,000 per year. That’s a healthy premium over the average technology professional salary, which the most recent Dice Tech Salary Report pegged at $111,348 (up 2.3 percent year-over-year).
Levels.fyi also breaks down the companies that pay solution architects the most. As you can imagine, deep-pocketed tech and finance giants topped this list: big pay in exchange for helping manage mega-projects that impact the lives of millions or even billions:
What does it take to become a successful solution architect? Those who succeed in the role have a mix of technical and interpersonal skills; you must not only grasp the nuances of a project, but also communicate important things to all kinds of stakeholders throughout an organization. Solution architects are also problem-solvers who can analyze a project’s components and determine how they mesh into the whole.
"One of the key principles to becoming a solutions architect is to have robust problem-solving skills, which is earned via trial, error and practice," Ramesh Nallapu, solutions architect, SAP presales, cloud/digital transformation at Lemongrass, recently told Dice. “A graduate degree, such as a Master of Science or an MBA in information technology, will be very helpful, as these studies will not only educate you on the nuances of systems design, program management and computer architecture theory, but also in business, finance and people management.”
For those who opt for a solution architect career pathway, you can unlock opportunities to work on bigger and bigger projects—enterprise architects, for example, are tasked with overseeing a huge company’s sprawling tech stack. And as you climb, the compensation will climb, as well.
