For example, the mobile app should also include some functions that work in an offline mode also. The career progression of an AWS Solutions Architect depends on the type of projects roles and responsibilities of solution architect they work on and their overall work experience. AWS Solutions Architects often come from varied backgrounds, taking on this role at different points of their careers.
An enterprise architect needs to have a holistic and systemic view of the organization, as well as the ability to communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders and levels. After developing a strategic technical vision of the product, the solution architect is involved in estimating the budget and presenting it to the stakeholders. Once everything is agreed upon, he or she monitors the process of development and keeps stakeholders informed about the progress.
These specialists oversee the existing IT systems and networks, and explore and integrate new ones, making sure that they meet all requirements in regard to resilience, security, performance, availability, etc. In a rapidly changing technology environment, organizations face the need to transform their processes and systems to meet emerging business requirements. This digital transformation demands specific expertise and a set of practices to align business focus with technology solutions. Solutions architects must be able to take a broad look at the entire picture to see how different summands and business processes work together. Not a single detail should escape their searching glance to find its place among other important elements.
A Solution Architect zeroes in on particular business problems and designs solutions. At the same time, an Enterprise Architect surveys the broader architectural landscape across the organization and outlines strategic direction and standards. The decision to hire a Solution Architect is a pivotal one that businesses often grapple with.
It also requires clear communication skills and the ability to translate technical details of the project into simple language that will be easy for non-technical stakeholders to understand. Successful solutions architects are usually curious, rational, analytical, and methodical—all of which are important traits for this job. Their responsibilities consist of various elements like technical expertise, business knowledge, and seamless communication.
Hard skills include a deep knowledge of business processes and solutions, while soft skills include good communication. Solutions architecture requires both technical and interpersonal skills to design, describe, and manage solutions. They evaluate the existing environment and examine how different elements of business, information, and technology can be applied to solve a specific problem. A solution architect
This specialist thinks through the implementation of the selected solution or feasibility of a certain change in the tech ecosystem.
For late-career solutions architects with 20 years or more of experience, the average reported salary is $135,000 per year. You will likely need a bachelor’s degree or higher in information technology, computer science, software engineering, or a related field. For more senior roles, you may need more experience or education, including a master’s degree. Depending on the role, you might also need experience in specific IT areas, such as networking administration, development, customer service, or other relevant areas. Solutions architects are a vital role in any organization that wants to align its business goals and needs with IT services, products, software, and infrastructure.
According to Levels.fyi, the compensation packages of AWS Solutions Architects appear pretty competitive compared to other companies. “The CPSU/CSA delegates and members at Banksia Hill continue to advocate for experienced stable leadership capable of implementing the much needed changes at Banksia Hill,” they said in a statement. A spokesperson for the union representing Youth Custodial Officers, the CPSU/CSA, said “strong and ongoing leadership” was needed to deliver the model of care. “We are now back to the same people who were presiding over a broken system, they’re now taking it over, with no one like Tim with his expertise around change management taking it forward.”
Designing cloud and hybrid systems that use Microsoft Azure, including computing, network, storage, monitoring, and security, is a specialty of the Azure Solutions Architect. In addition to this, a solutions architect is also skilled in governance, data platforms, disaster recovery, virtualization, identity management, and IT operations. They provide technical leadership and make decisions regarding the most crucial elements of a system being created. The elements that would be hard to change after implementing and elements that may be related to failure risks. Also, the architect may sometimes propose technical standards, including coding standards, tools, or platforms. Software architects may also be engaged in the design of the architecture of the hardware environment.
The solution architect’s responsibilities include evaluating and selecting the tools and frameworks that best fit the unique requirements of the solution. Their expertise enables them to optimize the design and implementation process, ensuring the chosen technology stack aligns seamlessly with the organization’s needs. Software architecture and systems integrated into it are numerous details that work together. An architect needs to be very attentive to those details, as overlooking something may hinder the development process, lead to breakdowns, or make the software solution inefficient. They also should be able to understand the technical specifications of many different software solutions and hardware and perform analysis of different business layers. Architects are also responsible for the project context from the very beginning to the current moment.
Here, these specialists make sure the product and the development personnel are on the same page as to the effective implementation and subsequent functioning of a new software solution. The average salary for a solutions architect is $119,000 per year, according to data from PayScale. Reported salaries range from $75,000 to $160,000 per year, and entry-level workers average around $76,000 per year. The highest paid solutions architects are located in San Jose and San Francisco, where the reported average salaries are $144,000 and $132,000 per year, respectively. In addition to research on technologies and approaches critical to the architecture, there is often a review of patterns that might be useful to the architecture. Patterns are previously described and validated approaches that can be used to create portions of the solution.
The Technical Architect’s role is more granular, working within the framework laid down by the Enterprise Architect, focusing on how specific technologies can be applied to achieve that overarching vision. A solution architect’s salary expectations will range based on experience, achieved certifications, and qualifications. As it’s a critical technical and leadership role within a company, the position is well-paid and highly sought-after.
According to Google’s recommendation, it’s better to take this exam with at least 3 years of experience. Digital transformation requires businesses to reconsider either how they deliver value to their customers or what they will eventually deliver. There’s no way to answer these questions without linking technology and business perspectives, which is squarely in a solution architect’s wheelhouse. Besides that, it’s important that solution architects consider the project from a long-term perspective and understand that the solution might need to scale and adapt to possible changes in the future.