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What is a principal architect and how to become one
Principal architects are some of the most senior professionals on a construction team. They either occupy top management positions or create their organizations. Principal architects oversee the activities of junior architects and sometimes engineers. Principal architects may also perform a host of other project management duties.
A day in the life of a principal architect may include activities across various professional fields. They may interact with customers, develop professional relationships, and meet with their team members. Because they hold senior management positions in architectural or construction firms, principal architects may also be actively involved in recruiting employees and training them.
As a principal architect, you're at the pinnacle of your career. This means holding at least a master's degree in architecture. You will also need several years of experience, including internship roles, junior architect, and senior architect roles.
What general advice would you give to a principal architect?
Dr. Albert Boerema Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
This is true for all leadership work. In school or educational leadership, it means paying attention to how pedagogical, curricular, and assessment choices provide real opportunities for those on the margins to thrive.
Avg. Salary $133,276
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 3%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%
Asian 11.99%
Black or African American 6.24%
Hispanic or Latino 8.82%
Unknown 4.70%
White 67.73%
Genderfemale 10.67%
male 89.33%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Principal architect career paths
Key steps to become a principal architect
Explore principal architect education requirements
Start to develop specific principal architect skills
Skills Percentages Cloud 8.25% Infrastructure 6.71% Emerging Technologies 5.68% Java 5.18% AWS 4.64% Complete relevant principal architect training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principal architects learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a principal architect based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principal architect resumes.Gain additional principal architect certifications
More About CertificationsPrincipal architect certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific principal architect certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for principal architects include The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
Research principal architect duties and responsibilities
- Manage and review Hadoop log files.
- Manage integrated ERP projects for manufacturing plants
- Design and implement a Java base reverse proxy that manage application routes.
- Lead architecture development for a CRM web collaboration product and a CRM multi-media/multi-channel integration product.
Get principal architect experience
Prepare your principal architect resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principal architect resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a principal architect resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable principal architect resume templates
Build a professional principal architect resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your principal architect resume.
Apply for principal architect jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a principal architect job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first principal architect job
Are you a principal architect?
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Average principal architect salary
The average principal architect salary in the United States is $133,276 per year or $64 per hour. Principal architect salaries range between $97,000 and $181,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do principal architects rate their job?
Principal architect reviews
It's super versatile role where you have fun as a problem solver without having to deal with direct report operational work.
No clear step forward
Management your art to come thru in building form
Require tertiary title to advance
Good pay, good communication with other people
Less technical, but with some traveling sometimes
Updated January 8, 2025
