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Looking for a tech career that plays a major role in business? This one’s for you! The role of an enterprise architect (EA) is to decide which IT system to incorporate in a corporation’s network for optimal success. These professionals must understand business strategies and keep up with IT trends in order to upgrade and appropriately adjust the tools required for individual organizations.
The job responsibilities for this position are robust. Enterprise architects maintain and support the IT systems of an organization, working to upgrade software, hardware, services, and networks of a company in order to help the business succeed. These professionals must not only have the IT skills to perform the job, but also understand business strategies so that they can incorporate the IT tools appropriate for the company to carry out operations effectively.
In order to determine which tools are best for an enterprise, these architects create an Enterprise Architect Plan (EAP) based on a framework that allows them to analyze which systems and processes are needed or can be removed to increase efficiency and productivity.
Additionally, the EA of an organization is responsible for pulling all of a company’s systems, software, servers, and operations together to ensure that all stakeholders can see the big picture and work towards the same mission. EAs must research, analyze data, troubleshoot problems, and find the best technology solutions for an organization.
This is a highly skilled position that requires the professional to organize and execute the best systems for a company. Some required skills that an EA should have include:
A bachelor’s degree provides the knowledge needed to begin working in the IT field. This base is necessary to eventually become an EA.
Hands-on work experience is necessary and most employers like to see that an EA has previous IT experience of five to 10 years. This allows a candidate time to become an expert in systems and networks and truly understand infrastructures and tools used. Since an enterprise architect is a leadership position, this also gives a candidate time to feel comfortable explaining technology, problem-solving, making decisions, and working and communicating with a team.
EAs use a variety of tools including software for visualization, presentation, data management, analytics, and business and IT alignment. In order to become a marketable EA, you must be proficient with the tools required for the job.
Popular software for creating these plans include Orbus, Planview, Sparx Systems, and Mega Hopex. Each software type has pros and cons and they are designed to allow for databases, visualization tools, modeling and more. IT work experience as well as online courses and related bootcamps can help you learn how to navigate software. Some, like Sparx, offer a free trial that can be used to become familiar with the software.
Bootcamps provide you with the skills needed specific to this career field. Most bootcamps include a curriculum that incorporates EA principles, modeling, governance, architecture development, and related tools and technology.
Certifications show employers the level of expertise EAs have. The most popular certifications that these professionals look to earn are in cloud systems and architecture. Certifications can increase average salary levels as well as hireability.
Some popular certifications for EAs include:
In order to achieve these certifications, attending a bootcamp or online training is recommended to help you prepare.
This profession is in high demand because of the value EAs can bring to corporations. While not specifically listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau does predict an 11% increase in computer and information systems managers, including enterprise architects between 2020 and 2030.
Enterprise architects are needed across a variety of sectors. They are highly regarded because they are able to create a comprehensive information technology plan for corporations that flows and adapts as the business does.
Because technology is condensed and simplified, it is usually more secure and less prone to risks. Because of the importance of this role in businesses, EA’s are well-compensated for their skillset.
Most corporations require a bachelor’s degree in computer science as well as five to 10 years of IT experience. A bootcamp focused on EA can better prepare you for the transition to this leadership position and prepare you for desired certifications such as Google Professional Cloud Architect, AWS Certified Architect, and CISSP Information Systems Security Architecture Professional.
Because of the level of expertise and the skills required not only in IT but also with business strategies, it generally takes five to 10 years to become an enterprise architect.
Already have your bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field and have work experience in IT? Then your next step could be to attend an Enterprise Architect Bootcamp. Bootcamps focus on the skills you need to join this elite profession and can prepare you for certifications that are highly regarded in this field.
According to Indeed.com, the average annual salary for this profession is $140,451. Of course, salary depends on experience and geographic location, so the average salaries for some of the nation’s top tech hubs is listed in the chart below.
| Tech Hub | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York, NY | $154,754 |
| Washington, D.C. | $140,017 |
| San Jose, CA | $185,241 |
| Atlanta, GA | $138,098 |
| Seattle, WA | $150,761 |
| Austin, TX | $137,583 |
