Career Spotlights
Azure Technical Architect
Career Spotlights
Azure Technical Architect
How much do Azure Technical Architects make?
| Junior (0-3 years) | Mid-level (4-8 years) | Senior (9+ years) | Freelance Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States ($) | - | 159,750 | 204,000 | 112-173 (p/h) |
| United Kingdom (£) | - | 84,500 | 115,000 | 530-800 (p/d) |
Junior (0-3 years)
| United States ($) | |
| United Kingdom (£) | |
Mid-level (4-8 years)
| United States ($) | |
| United Kingdom (£) | |
Senior (9+ years)
| United States ($) | |
| United Kingdom (£) | |
Freelance Rate
| United States ($) | |
| United Kingdom (£) |
40%
of Azure Technical Architects are satisfied with their job, down from 85% in our last survey
40%
of Azure Technical Architects are satisfied with their salary, down from 57% in our previous study
48 hours
Permanent Azure Technical Architects work an average of 48 hours per week
42 hours
Freelance Azure Technical Architects work an average of 42 hours per week
What factors impact your earning potential as an Azure Technical Architect?
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years of technical experience with Microsoft products | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Years of experience in IT | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Microsoft certifications | 84% | 17% | 0% |
| Exposure to large projects | 66% | 33% | 0% |
| Specific vertical industry experience | 66% | 17% | 17% |
| College/University degree(s) | 17% | 33% | 50% |
Years of technical experience with Microsoft products
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 0% | 0% |
Years of experience in IT
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 0% | 0% |
Microsoft certifications
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 84% | 17% | 0% |
Exposure to large projects
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 66% | 33% | 0% |
Specific vertical industry experience
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 66% | 17% | 17% |
College/University degree(s)
| Important | Neutral | Unimportant |
|---|---|---|
| 17% | 33% | 50% |
What steps should you take to become an Azure Technical Architect?
Education
Four fifths (80%) of Azure Technical Architects hold at least a Bachelor’s degree. However, only 17% consider a degree to be important to work with Microsoft Cloud. Similarly, 17% believe a degree to be an important factor when it comes to increasing earning potential.
What Microsoft certifications do Azure Technical Architects hold?
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert | 67% |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate | 50% |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert | 33% |
Certification
As with our last study, all of the Azure Technical Architects that took part in our survey are certified, and 50% of those have undergone certification renewal to maintain their Microsoft Certified status. Meanwhile, 67% (down from 77%) believe that certifications help make you a more valuable professional.
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification is a great starting point for those with an eye on a career as an Azure Technical Architect role. There are then a whole host of intermediate certifications you can take, depending on what kind of areas of Azure you want to specialize in, from AI and security operations to databases and development. The top-tier certification for those in Azure architecture careers is the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
Spotlighting a professional
Ever wondered what it takes to build a rewarding career as an Azure Architect? In this video, we chat with Azure MVP and MCT Gregor Suttie about his journey to becoming an Azure Architect.
As part of our annual deep-dive into the Microsoft community, Gregor sat down with Craig Allen, Director at Nigel Frank International, to talk essential skills, certifications, and what you can expect as an Azure professional. Watch the interview to discover Gregor’s insider tips for budding Architects.
Roles that can lead to becoming an Azure Technical Architect
- IT Support Executive
- Systems Engineer
- Azure/Software Developer
- Azure Administrator
What skills and experience should Azure Technical Architect have?
- Exceptional knowledge of Azure infrastructure, products and services
- Knowledge of operating systems including Linux, Unix, and Windows
- Understanding of networking concepts including TCP/IP, IP addresses, HTTP, DNS
- Understanding of other cloud functionality like virtualization and storage
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure concepts like microservices and containers
- Experience with SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture)
- Time and project management skills including creation of production and migration schedules
- Experience and familiarity with Azure app-related services such as ASP.NET, .NET Core, Web APIs, Azure Functions, Service Bus, Event Grid, SQL Server, and Azure SQL Database
- High-level understanding of key security concepts
- Working knowledge of a programming or scripting language such as PowerShell, Bash, .Net, .Net Core, Java, JSON, PHP, Perl, Python, and/or Ruby on Rails
- Understanding of cloud governance practices including cost management
- Understanding of DevOps tools and methodologies
- Requirements gathering and specification creation, along with the ability to translate commercial requirements into technical solutions
- Ability to communicate technical concepts and their impact to stakeholders at all levels
What are the opportunities for progression?
Solution Architect or Technical Architect or Enterprise Architect?
If you’ve got your eye on a career as an Azure Architect, there are several paths you can go down. The two most common types of Architect roles you’ll find in the Azure world are Technical Architect and Solution Architect.
While both roles involve in-depth knowledge of Azure products and services, a Technical Architect tends to do more of the heavy lifting when it comes to coding, while a Solution Architect’s role is more about bridging the gap between the stakeholders and the technical team.
A Solution Architect will often evaluate the requirements of a project and come up with the best solution using Azure products. They then present this vision with a Technical Architect, who will take those building blocks and execute the implementation, define best practices, and deal with any configuration to ensure the end result meets the requirements mapped out by the stakeholder. The Solution Architect designs; the Technical Architect delivers.
Those who like getting into the nuts and bolts of a system will be well-suited to a Technical Architect role. Those with great communication skills, stakeholder management experience, and a knack for problem-solving make great Solution Architects.
The third type of Architect role you might come across is Enterprise Architect. In larger organizations, there tend to be more levels to the architecture career track, and as a result, there are often more roles available within these sizable end user businesses than in smaller, partner organizations. Enterprise Architect is a senior-level role, responsible for meeting business goals through the effective use of technologies and best practices. The job involves deciding what systems to invest in, creating roadmaps for the adoption of new tech, and taking a broad overview of the entire IT environment to make sure it is properly supporting the business.
As it is typically less hands-on and technical than other types of Architect jobs, many Enterprise Architects come into the role after working as a Project or Program Manager. It’s a big-picture job that involves a lot of high-level planning and business acumen.
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