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The differences between infrastructure engineers and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an infrastructure engineer, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $106,438, which is higher than the $86,635 average annual salary of an architect.
The top three skills for an infrastructure engineer include python, cloud and linux. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $106,438 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $51.17 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 91,845 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
As an infrastructure engineer, they're responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the IT infrastructure using the newest technology and ensure all the systems within an organization function seamlessly. They ensure all the IT systems are updated to support the business to function effectively. It is also their job to maintain internet connections, cabling, virtualization platforms, and storage area networks. Moreover, they oversee the IT infrastructure engineer system administration middleware application servers, like Oracle Weblogic server, IBM WebSphere server, and automated workflow tools.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Infrastructure engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Architect | |
| Average salary | $106,438 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Architecture |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between infrastructure engineers' and architects' demographics:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Architect | |
| Average age | 43 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 15% |