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What is a senior information technology architect and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Matthew Liotine Ph.D.

A Senior Information Technology Architect, also known as an enterprise architect, is responsible for organizing and managing the various technological components and networks of a company or an organization. The Senior IT Architects' other duties also include creating and installing new security and communications systems and updating them as necessary and are also often tasked with defining or aiding in the design of security policies and measures, analyzing mass amounts of data, and identifying opportunities for improvement.

They must have a very good understanding of cloud technology and system design and architecture, as well as security systems and applications, programming languages, and various professional software and platforms, such as INFORMATICA and SQL. Good IT Architects must also know how to prioritize things, manage employees and projects, and have good communications skills.

A person looking to work as a Senior Information Technology Architect will need to have a Bachelor's degree in a subject such as Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, as well as previous experience as an Architect. Certification is not always necessary, but it is far from a bad idea to obtain it, as it can lead to higher and better-paid positions. In fact, a Senior IT Architect earns $55.67 an hour on average.

What general advice would you give to a senior information technology architect?

Matthew Liotine Ph.D.Matthew Liotine Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Clinical Professor and Director of Master of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management, University of Illinois at Chicago

Most employers tell me that soft skills are equally, if not more important, than technical skills or domain knowledge. This translates into external/internal customer-facing skills, such as communication, team collaboration, writing, presentation, problem-solving, and being resourceful. (Many graduates overlook writing as a vital skill, but they fail to realize that in the course of their jobs, they will likely be required to write lots of memos and tons of emails.) The need to perfect these skills within the confines of a virtual world has become even more challenging and amplified with COVID. I teach in the information systems discipline, and when you view student resumes, many people look the same on paper. The soft skills will make a candidate stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That's why the candidate should pay attention to the screening interviews that they will undergo during the hiring process since employers will use these interviews to vet these skills.
ScoreSenior Information Technology ArchitectUS Average
Salary
8.1

Avg. Salary $120,393

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.9

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

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%

Gender

female 8.37%

male 91.63%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Senior information technology architect career paths

Key steps to become a senior information technology architect

  1. Explore senior information technology architect education requirements

    Most common senior information technology architect degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.0 %

    Master's

    16.7 %

    Associate

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior information technology architect skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cloud9.19%
    Java5.99%
    Enterprise Architecture5.48%
    AWS5.19%
    Emerging Technologies4.92%
  3. Complete relevant senior information technology architect training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior information technology 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 senior information technology architect based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior information technology architect resumes.
  4. Research senior information technology architect duties and responsibilities

    • Manage application development teams both domestic and international that focus on developing applications using corporate partner API's.
    • Design and code foundation and application software on Unix platforms, both FreeBSD and Linux, in C++ and perl.
    • Provide guidance to development application areas by applying knowledge of data warehouse design, extract-transform-load (ETL) design and development.
    • Perform various UNIX shell, DOS/Windows scripting, and C/C++ programming and building.
  5. Get senior information technology architect experience

  6. Prepare your senior information technology architect resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior information technology 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 senior information technology 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 senior information technology architect resume templates

    Build a professional senior information technology 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 senior information technology architect resume.
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
    Senior Information Technology Architect Resume
  7. Apply for senior information technology architect jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior information technology architect job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior information technology architect job

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Average senior information technology architect salary

The average senior information technology architect salary in the United States is $120,393 per year or $58 per hour. Senior information technology architect salaries range between $94,000 and $154,000 per year.

Average senior information technology architect salary
$120,393 Yearly
$57.88 hourly

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Senior information technology architect reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Good pay, good communication with other people

Cons

Less technical, but with some traveling sometimes


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

long term analysis

Cons

redesigning due to lack of understanding the requirements


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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