How To Become A Software Applications Architect: What It Is and Career Path

What is a software applications architect and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Frank McCown Ph.D.,

Christian Hansen Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a software applications architect. For example, did you know that they make an average of $56.42 an hour? That's $117,352 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a software applications architect?

Frank McCown Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.

ScoreSoftware Applications ArchitectUS Average

Salary

8.1

Avg. Salary $117,352

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.73%

Black or African American 4.67%

Hispanic or Latino 8.45%

Unknown 4.87%

White 52.11%

Gender

female 1.96%

male 98.04%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress level

4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a software applications architect

Explore software applications architect education requirements

Most common software applications architect degrees

Bachelor's

77.3 %

Master's

15.9 %

Associate

4.5 %

Start to develop specific software applications architect skills

Skills	Percentages
Java	40.21%
API	7.43%
Application Development	6.21%
Web Application	4.71%
Web Services	4.57%

Complete relevant software applications architect training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New software applications 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 software applications architect based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real software applications architect resumes.

Research software applications architect duties and responsibilities

Lead vendor evaluation and selection for cloud storage, CMS, analytics, and infrastructure.
Contribute to implementing microservices used to manage entities and maintain a synchronize state between supplier and distributor.
Create marketing/mailing module using MySQL, PHP, and JS.
Work on computer-assist design and imaging applications software in C++, Java, and Jython.

Apply for software applications architect jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a software applications 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

Average software applications architect salary

The average software applications architect salary in the United States is $117,352 per year or $56 per hour. Software applications architect salaries range between $88,000 and $155,000 per year.

Average software applications architect salary

$117,352 Yearly

$56.42 hourly

How do software applications architects rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Software applications architect reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023

Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

Nothing not doing my job

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become

What is a software applications architect and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a software applications architect?

Key steps to become a software applications architect

Explore software applications architect education requirements

Most common software applications architect degrees

Start to develop specific software applications architect skills

Complete relevant software applications architect training and internships

Research software applications architect duties and responsibilities

Apply for software applications architect jobs

How did you land your first software applications architect job

Average software applications architect salary

How do software applications architects rate their job?

Software applications architect reviews