Data Architect

Data Architects design systems for enterprise database systems and set standards for operations, programming, and security. They integrate new systems with existing warehouse structure and refine system performance and functionality.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

Data Administrator, Data Officer, Database Architect, Database Consultant, Information Architect, Information Modeling Engineer Specialist, Information Technology Architect (IT Architect), System Engineer, Technical Operations Vice President

 

Summary

Data architects work to visualize, design, and prepare data in a framework that can be utilized by teams of data analysts, data scientists, or engineers. They will typically guide teams of data scientists by building a “blueprint” which can then be used to further analyze the data at hand. Build databases at organizations which allow for the collection and analysis of large datasets.

Tasks

• Design databases to support business applications, ensuring system scalability, security, performance and reliability.
• Develop database architectural strategies at the modeling, design and implementation stages to address business or industry requirements.
• Collaborate with system architects, software architects, design analysts, and others to understand business or industry requirements.
• Develop data models for applications, metadata tables, views or related database structures.
• Set up database clusters, backup, or recovery processes.

Educational Requirements

Approximately 90% of data architects have at least a bachelor’s degree, with most of these being earned in computer science, data science, or a related field. Additionally, approximately a quarter of data architects have obtained a master’s degree in a field related to data science.

Salary Information 2022

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a Data Architect in 2022 was $136,540.

 

Want to know more?

• Dataversity - Data Architect vs. Data Engineer
• O*NET-Database Architect

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Belonging to professional organizations & LinkedIn groups can provide you with networking, informational interviewing, & job shadowing opportunities, as well as assist you with finding internships and jobs.

• List of Professional Organizations
• International Data Management Association (DAMA)
• Institute for Certified Computing Professionals (ICCP)
• The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI)

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Information retreived from Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021, O*NET Online: Database Architects, Dataversity: Data Architect vs. Data Engineer and ComputerScience.org: Database Administrator Careers.