Solutions Architect Salary, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 7,307 US job postings by 2,036 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for solutions architects: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 7,307 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for solutions architects in US job postings is $175,000 a year (1,686 postings from 691 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $149,000 to $205,000.
- The skills that most set solutions architect postings apart are AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 5 years of experience.
Solutions Architect job postings in the US, October 2026
- $175,000
- Median advertised pay (1,686 postings)
- $149,000–$205,000
- Middle 50% of postings
- 7,307
- US job postings from 2,036 employers
- 5 years
- Median experience asked
How much does a solutions architect make?
The median advertised pay is $175,000 a year, from 1,686 US job postings by 691 employers that state pay. One in ten postings offers $235,000 or more.
Advertised pay in 1,686 US solutions architect job postings: median $175,000 a year, middle half $149,000 to $205,000.
- Median: $175,000
- 25th percentile: $149,000
- 75th percentile: $205,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $50K–$60K | 0.1% |
| $60K–$70K | 0.2% |
| $70K–$80K | 0.2% |
| $80K–$90K | 0.8% |
| $90K–$100K | 1.3% |
| $100K–$110K | 1.7% |
| $110K–$120K | 2.7% |
| $120K–$130K | 3.3% |
| $130K–$140K | 6.5% |
| $140K–$150K | 9.4% |
| $150K–$160K | 10.1% |
| $160K–$170K | 10.0% |
| $170K–$180K | 8.6% |
| $180K–$190K | 8.7% |
| $190K–$200K | 8.2% |
| $200K–$210K | 6.3% |
| $210K–$220K | 5.1% |
| $220K–$230K | 5.5% |
| $230K–$240K | 3.1% |
| $240K–$250K | 1.7% |
| $250K–$260K | 1.1% |
| $260K–$270K | 1.6% |
| $270K–$280K | 0.9% |
| $280K–$290K | 0.9% |
| $290K–$300K | 1.0% |
| $300K–$310K | 0.4% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an annual salary | $176,000 | $150K–$205K | 1,382 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $175,000 | $149K–$205K | 1,686 |
What is the starting salary for a solutions architect?
Figure withheld: fewer than 250 US postings list pay. How we decide.
Solutions architect levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked. Senior solutions architects have a median advertised pay of $173,000 a year.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 79.5% | 5 years | $172,000 |
| Senior | 11.6% | 5 years | $173,000 |
| Lead | 3.7% | 5 years | – |
| Principal | 3.9% | 8 years | – |
Highest-paying solutions architect jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solution Architect | $175,000 | 850 | 413 |
Solutions architect pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $175,000 | $145,000–$206,000 | 132 | 10.8% |
Skills employers ask for in solutions architect job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 41% |
| AWS | 22% |
| Azure | 20% |
| Problem-solving | 15% |
| Python | 15% |
| Analytical skills | 13% |
| Google Cloud | 11% |
| Java | 11% |
| SQL | 9% |
| Interpersonal skills | 8% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set solutions architects apart
- AWS15.6× as often as in all postings · 22%
- Azure20.2× as often as in all postings · 20%
- Google Cloud17.4× as often as in all postings · 11%
- Solution architecture124.5× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Java9.7× as often as in all postings · 11%
- Terraform16.6× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Python4.5× as often as in all postings · 15%
- Microservices34.8× as often as in all postings · 6%
- APIs14.8× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Kubernetes11.7× as often as in all postings · 8%
- CI/CD11.4× as often as in all postings · 7%
- REST APIs12.3× as often as in all postings · 7%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a solutions architect job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a solutions architect do?
Employers post these jobs as Solution Architect, Enterprise Architect, Technical Architect, Cloud Architect, Senior Solutions Architect and other titles. The largest specializations are Solution Architect (46%), Enterprise Architect (10%), Cloud Architect (9%), Technical Architect (12%), Systems Architect (3%), IT Architect (2%), Infrastructure Architect (2%).
The closest official occupation is Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (15-1299.08). Its most important tasks:
- Communicate with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements.
- Investigate system component suitability for specified purposes, and make recommendations regarding component use.
- Provide customers or installation teams guidelines for implementing secure systems.
- Direct the analysis, development, and operation of complete computer systems.
- Direct the installation of operating systems, network or application software, or computer or network hardware.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a solutions architect?
Among 3,197 postings that state a minimum, the median is 5 years. Under 1% say 0 years and 3% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 3,197 US solutions architect job postings: median 5 years, and 3% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | under 1% |
| 1 yr | 3% |
| 2 yrs | 9% |
| 3-4 yrs | 20% |
| 5-7 yrs | 37% |
| 8-9 yrs | 10% |
| 10+ yrs | 21% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 98%, Part-time 2% of the 453 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a solutions architect: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Solutions Architect | 485 (23.8%) |
| Solution Architect | 400 (19.7%) |
| Enterprise Architect | 247 (12.1%) |
| Technical Architect | 159 (7.8%) |
| Cloud Architect | 134 (6.6%) |
| Senior Solutions Architect | 115 (5.7%) |
| Lead Architect | 79 (3.9%) |
| Senior Solution Architect | 79 (3.9%) |
| Integration Architect | 61 (3.0%) |
| Principal Solutions Architect | 58 (2.9%) |
| Cloud Solutions Architect | 50 (2.5%) |
| Technology Architect | 45 (2.2%) |
| Chief Architect | 37 (1.8%) |
| Systems Architect | 36 (1.8%) |
| Application Architect | 34 (1.7%) |
| Principal Enterprise Architect | 34 (1.7%) |
| Sr. Solutions Architect | 32 (1.6%) |
| Domain Architect | 32 (1.6%) |
| Cloud Solution Architect | 28 (1.4%) |
| Azure Cloud Architect | 28 (1.4%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Solutions architect job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solution Architect | 1,067 | 400 | – | 5 years | communication, problem-solving, AWS |
| Cloud Architect | 283 | 134 | – | – | AWS, Azure, communication |
| Enterprise Architect | 465 | 247 | – | 5 years | communication, AWS, Azure |
| Technical Architect | 460 | 159 | – | – | communication, AWS, Azure |
Solutions Architect vs Enterprise Architect
| Solutions Architect | Enterprise Architect | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 973 | 465 |
| Employers | 485 | 247 |
| Median advertised pay | $176K | – |
| Median experience asked | 5 years | 5 years |
| Skills that stand out | solutions architecture | enterprise architecture, togaf |
Enterprise Architect vs Solution Architect
| Enterprise Architect | Solution Architect | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 465 | 1,067 |
| Employers | 247 | 400 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | 5 years | 5 years |
| Skills that stand out | enterprise architecture, togaf | – |
Solutions Architect compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solutions Architect | $175K | 5 years | 7,307 | – |
| Engineering Manager | $200K | 5 years | 5,505 | 15 |
| DevOps Engineer | $152K | 5 years | 7,274 | 13 |
| Software Engineer | $164K | 4 years | 66,571 | 14 |
| Sales Engineer | $140K | 4 years | 4,954 | 11 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Manager | 15 | $200K |
| DevOps Engineer | 13 | $152K |
| Software Engineer | 14 | $164K |
| Sales Engineer | 11 | $140K |
| Data Engineer | 10 | $145K |
| AI Engineer | 13 | $187K |
Applying for solutions architect jobs?
- Solutions architect resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find solutions architect jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a solutions architect make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 82 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 77 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.