Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure are the two biggest participants in the cloud computing industry. With a 47.1 percent market share of cloud computing (an increase of 42 percent from the previous year), AWS holds the largest market share of the two. Since AWS is currently the largest provider of cloud computing services globally, a position as an AWS Solutions Architect comes with a lot of benefits and potential salary.
Consequently, as demand for AWS grows, so does the need for Solution Architects. Therefore, we will talk about the AWS Solution Architect, salaries and certifications in this article.
Topics covered in the blog are:
- Who is an AWS Architect?
- What does an AWS Architect do?
- AWS Solution Architecture Salary
- Factors Affecting AWS Salary in India
- AWS Solution Architect Certification
- Conclusion
Before discussing salaries, let’s first understand what an AWS Solution Architect does.
Who is an AWS Architect?
AWS Solution Architect Certification holders are known as AWS Solution Architects (SA). A solution architect joins the development and solution team and is primarily responsible for organizing the cloud solution for the business. They make sure that the organization’s cloud initiatives are complemented by ones that are dependable, affordable, safe, functional, and high-performing. These professionals have the technical and business expertise to make judgements and offer solutions that are suited for the needs of the organization.
Solution architects should have the following skills in addition to the AWS Solution Architect Certification.
- Understanding of security regulations and compliance requirements.
- Tools for project management must be understood.
- Talents in software development and technical literacy.
- Competence in cloud technology networking and monitoring.
- Understanding how AWS uses tools like Chef, Jenkins, Docker, and Ansible.
Apart from these, Solution Architects must have time management skills, communication skills, rapid decision-making, solving problems, leadership, and analytical assessment.
Read More: About AWS Identity and Access Management.
What does an AWS Architect do?
A Solution Architect tries to merge the technical and enterprise architecture by leveraging the cloud solution and technology. To understand what the Solution Architects do, let’s divide it into two sections. First, we will see the Roles and Responsibilities of the Solution Architect, and second, the primary processes on which Solution Architect focuses.
Different Roles and Responsibilities of an AWS Solution Architect are as follows:
- They must evaluate the system and suggest a robust architectural solution to meet the business objectives.
- The solution Architect must clearly understand the customer’s need and then help in designing and planning the solution infrastructure.
- The Solution Architect should contact the technical and development team to ensure a smooth shift into the architectural solution.
- The Solution Architect will be responsible for communicating the requirement to the development team. He will also help in presenting the solution to the customer and clear their air of doubt.
- AWS Solution Architect will also have a role to look after the monitoring systems and the configuration management.
Primary Processes
When solution architects play their cards, they help remove the time constraint and deliver the projects within the budget limit. The various tasks and processes in which the Solution Architect gets involved are as follows:
- Fulfilling the requirements of stakeholders
Every project consists of various stakeholders. A Solution Architect makes sure that all the requirements of stakeholders are taken into account. He will also inform stakeholders about the processes, cost, and development stage of the product.
- Anticipate the solution to fit in the existing environment
A Solution Architect must understand the business infrastructure, processes, application architecture, work model, and operating system. Because understanding all these aspects will help solution architects to arrive at the right solution that can be integrated with the existing business constraints.
- Work on project constraints
A project involves various constraints like technologies, resources, risks, time, cost, scope, quality, and security. A solution architect needs to look at these constraints and closely monitor them to make managerial decisions.
- Selection of the technological solution
The most crucial task performed by the Solution Architect is to select the right technological solution according to business needs. And AWS Solution Architect does this by comparing, assessing, and evaluating different technologies.
- Examine the non-functional requirement
Solution Architects must also look for non-functional requirements such as performance, reliability, security, accessibility, maintainability, availability, scalability, and usability. Keeping an eye on the non-functional requirement will help Solution Architect to ensure that processes meet the business requirement.
Also Read: Our blog post on AWS SNS.
AWS Solution Architect Salary
In 2022, AWS made more than $80 billion in revenue and almost $23 billion in profit. This is higher than their 2021 revenue of over $62 billion and net profits of $18.5 billion. AWS is growing tremendously and will continue to bloom in the coming years. AWS holds the largest market share of 33% in the world of cloud providers. With the exponential growth of AWS, demand for the AWS Solution Architect also rises, and as a result, they are one of the highest-paid experts in the cloud industries.
Now let’s look at the salaries offered to AWS Solution Architects in different countries.
Countries | Beginners with 1- 4 years of experience | Intermediate Professional having experience between 5 to 9 years | Experienced Professional with more than ten years of experience |
USA | $113,145 | $128,709 | $153,900 |
India | ₹644,000 | ₹13,86,744 | ₹24,67,543 |
Canada | CAD88,245 | CAD99,456 | CAD104,834 |
United Kingdom | £48,634 | £57,123 | £64,045 |
Australia | AUD104,371 | AUD134,516 | AUD 131,456 |
Germany | €62,774 | €80,000 | €98,675 |
Check Out: What is AWS WAF?
Let’s take a closer dive at the AWS Certified Solution Architect Salary figures in India and the US.
India – An entry-level AWS Solution Architect will grab around ₹644,000 per annum. Upgrading skills and reaching a mid-level career will get an average salary of around ₹13,86,744 per annum. A full-grown experienced solution architect earns more than ₹24,67,543.
The US – AWS Solution Architect starting their career will grab around $113,145 per annum. In a mid-level career, they will get an average salary of around $128,709 per annum. AWS Senior Solution Architect has a salary of around $153,900.
Read More: About Well Architected Framework AWS.
Factors Affecting AWS Salary
An AWS Solution Architect’s salary may affect due to the following constraints.
- Qualities and Skillset – The salary figures displayed here are not engraved on the stones. Your skills and expertise are the real play cards. One must be able to demonstrate their expertise and help organizations. Hence it is vital to keep on upgrading your skills and capabilities.
- Organization and Employer – Salary is also impacted due to the type of employer and organization. Well-established industry leaders and high caped companies offer lucrative packages. Whereas newly established start-ups will offer a somewhat decent package.
- Job Location – As we have seen from the above trend, salaries vary according to the geographical location. This difference can happen due to the country’s economic condition or the demand for a job in a particular location.
- Working Experience – Experience in the cloud field also matters. Professionals with more experience and expertise are paid higher compared to professionals with less experience. Here is the catch keep working on your skills and grow your expertise to achieve the heights.
Also Check: Our blog post on AWS Storage.
AWS Solution Architect Certification
AWS provides Solution Architect Certification at two different levels
Note: You can create your AWS Free Trial Account.
AWS Certified Solution Architect – Associate level
This certification is also known as SAA – C03 and is for individuals with some AWS cloud experience. Individuals taking this certification should have the capability to design, build, administrate and implement the AWS system and applications. The Associate level helps in gaining knowledge to make the application. It helps in providing hands-on experience in networking, database, and storage. Individuals become capable of guiding an organization through the project life cycle.
Note: Check out AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate SAA-C03 Step by Step Activity Guides.
AWS Certified Solution Architect – Professional level
The prerequisite for the Professional level is to have Associate level certification. It is for the individual who has worked more than two years as a Solution Architect and has sufficient experience operating the AWS system. After completing the certification, one will build a highly scalable, reliable, and error-free application. They will be in a state to decide on the AWS services based on the requirement. In addition to that, they will also learn to implement and plan cost-effective strategies. Besides that, they will also be able to conduct the migration of complex applications.
Conclusion
No doubt, Solution Architect is one of the sought-after professions. Not in just terms of salaries but also the career opportunities it provides. To attain proficiency and a high level of expertise in AWS, one should have profound knowledge in the field and should be capable of demonstrating their skills. Hence it becomes essential to get trained from a credible source. We can help you get expert training and provide you with all the practical knowledge needed to demonstrate skills. Check out our training program.
Related/Reference
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03
- What is AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Skills & duties
- AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate SAA-C03 Step By Step Activity Guides (Hands-On Labs)
Next Task For You
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Techwrix says
Pretty helpful. Thanks for sharing detailed post AWS SAA.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Techwerix,
Glad you liked our blog.
Please stay tuned for more informative blogs like this.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21Academy