below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays more than
69%
of similar roles. Most pay
$193,935–$250,000
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$231k
versus about
$222k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
694 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 651 roles with salary data.
The Principal Architect will lead the ITP architecture guild, serving as a cross-organization community of practice to establish standards, patterns, and guardrails for engineering teams. This role involves defining AI-first reference architectures, managing architecture review processes, and creating logical and physical architectures for large-scale distributed systems. Key responsibilities include developing pro-code golden paths, mentoring engineers, and prototyping solutions for complex software problems. The candidate must utilize skills in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python to translate functional requirements into detailed specifications. The work focuses on modernizing legacy environments, managing data flows, and ensuring reliability, security, and scalability across cloud-native and AI-era platforms. You will solve systemic technical debt and design transition roadmaps to maintain service continuity while improving developer experience and operational supportability.
What does a Architect earn?
Median $225000 from 45 postings across 26 companies.
Lead the ITP architecture guild to establish standards, patterns, and operating mechanisms across the organization.
Define and evolve architectural principles, reference architectures, and guardrails for consistent high-quality technical decisions.
Drive AI transformation by defining AI-first reference architectures, patterns, and Responsible AI guardrails.
Develop and manage the architecture review process, including intake criteria, quality bars, and decision records.
Create logical and physical architectures spanning data flows, deployment topologies, resiliency, and operational supportability.
Build and maintain a pro-code golden path and an instrumented developer loop to improve engineering velocity.
Prototype solutions for complex engineering problems and validate high-risk design elements through benchmarks and simulations.
Define target-state architecture and sequenced transition roadmaps to modernize legacy systems and reduce technical debt.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and 8+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Master's Degree in Computer Science and 12+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and 15+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Extensive experience defining logical and physical architectures for large-scale, business-critical enterprise products, platforms, cloud services, or distributed systems.
Demonstrated success defining future-state architecture and delivering multi-year transformation or modernization roadmaps across multiple engineering teams or organizational boundaries.
Experience establishing and governing architecture principles, design standards, reference architectures, patterns, guardrails, architecture decision records, and technical review practices.
Deep understanding of software and distributed-systems design, including service boundaries, APIs, integration patterns, data architecture, identity, networking, deployment topology, resiliency, observability, and operational supportability.
Relevant architecture or cloud certifications are beneficial (preferred).
Agentic AI
Distributed Systems
Microservices
APIs
Platform Engineering
Kafka
Spark
Data Management
Streaming Data
Real-time Processing
Observability
System Architecture
Data Governance
Generative AI
Event-Driven Architecture
API
Platform Engineering
Distributed Systems
Resiliency Engineering
ISO 20022
Cloud-Native Architecture
Integration Platforms
Azure
Azure API Management
Event Hub
Service Bus
Azure Data Factory
AKS
Azure AD
Entra ID
Snowflake
Databricks
FHIR R4
HL7
LLM
RAG
MLOps
LLMOps
Pinecone
Azure AI Search
pgvector
REST
GraphQL
SAFe
Agile
HIPAA
HITECH
Business Architecture
Solution Architecture
Systems Architecture
Business Process Modelling
Business Capability Modeling
Strategic Planning
Strategic Analysis
Project Management
Program Management
Business Analysis
Business Relationship Management
Process Frameworks