Solutions Architect to Data Architect

Summary: None of the 6 core skills listed for Data Architect match Solutions Architect word for word, but 2 build on related experience. The US median salary changes by +3% ($160K → $165K). Difficulty: Major Pivot, typically around 12 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Solutions Architect: Design complex technical solutions and system architectures.

Data Architect: Data Architect designing data warehouses and cloud data platforms. Growth outlook +28%; AI-augmented (AI changes how the work is done, not whether it exists). Typical education: bachelor. Typical experience: 6-9 years.

Skills that carry over

None of the listed skills match word for word, but the related experience below transfers.

Builds on related experience

• Cloud Data Platforms — builds on Cloud Architecture
• Performance Tuning — builds on Cloud Architecture

Skills to learn for Data Architect

• Data Warehouse Design
• Database Architecture
• ETL Systems
• Data Modeling

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Solutions Architect career guide | Data Architect career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Solutions Architect to Software Engineer — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Solutions Architect to Payment Systems Architect — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Solutions Architect to Cloud Engineer — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Solutions Architect to DevOps Engineer — 7 of the core skills carry over
• Database Administrator to Data Architect — 6 of the core skills carry over
• Analytics Engineer to Data Architect — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Business Intelligence Developer to Data Architect — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Data Scientist to Data Architect — 5 of the core skills carry over