Computer Systems Engineers/Architects

Design and develop solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions.

SOC: 15-1299.08

Common Job Titles

IT Architect (Information Technology Architect)Infrastructure EngineerSolutions ArchitectSystems Engineer

What You'll Need to Succeed

AI-generated

Key competencies for this occupation at a glance

  • KnowledgeDesign enterprise-level system architectures and integration solutions applying knowledge of computers, telecommunications, and engineering principles to meet organizational requirements.
  • KnowledgeDevelop technical strategies and roadmaps for systems management and infrastructure evolution collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
  • KnowledgeAnalyze complex system administration issues and network architecture problems using systems analysis and evaluation techniques to identify root causes.
  • KnowledgeEvaluate system performance, compliance, and security requirements against established standards and industry best practices.
  • Hands-onOperate cloud computing platforms and containerization technologies using tools such as AWS, Azure, Docker, and Kubernetes for system deployment and orchestration.
  • Hands-onExecute system integration and configuration management tasks using automation tools such as Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and Terraform.
  • Hands-onPerform programming and scripting tasks in multiple languages including Python, Java, C++, and Shell scripting to support system automation and customization.
  • KnowledgeApply database management and query optimization techniques working with SQL, NoSQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server to ensure data integrity and performance.
  • MindsetIntegrate customer service principles with technical consultation when providing guidance to stakeholders and resolving complex technical issues.
  • KnowledgeAssess emerging technologies and system vulnerabilities through continuous learning and monitoring to maintain current knowledge of computing trends.
  • MindsetAdvocate technical solutions and architectural decisions by documenting, presenting, and negotiating recommendations with technical and non-technical audiences.
  • KnowledgeCoordinate system implementation and deployment activities managing project timelines, resources, and cross-functional teams to ensure successful delivery.
Wage Data According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Annual wage data for Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (2024)

Estimated Total Employment (U.S.)

439,380

Wage Distribution by Percentile

MetricU.S.
10% of workers earn the following or less$52,650
10% of workers earn the following or more$176,800
Workers on average earn$116,700

+ indicates wage is at or above the BLS reporting cap ($239,200/year)

Skills & Requirements

Key competencies for this occupation, ranked by importance

  • Computers and Electronics4.9/5
  • English Language4.1/5
  • Telecommunications4.0/5
  • Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
  • Engineering and Technology3.8/5
Tools & Technology

Equipment and software commonly used in this occupation

In-Demand Technology

Frequently requested by employers in job postings

AJAXAdobe AcrobatAdobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe PhotoshopAmazon DynamoDBAmazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2Amazon RedshiftAmazon Simple Storage Service S3Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormationAmazon Web Services AWS softwareAnsible softwareApache CassandraApache HadoopApache HiveApache KafkaApache MavenApache SparkApache Subversion SVNApache TomcatApple macOSAtlassian BitbucketAtlassian ConfluenceAtlassian JIRAAutodesk AutoCADAutodesk RevitBashBentley MicroStationBorder Gateway Protocol BGPCC#C++Cascading style sheets CSSChefCisco WebexDassault Systemes SolidWorksDjangoDockerDrupalESRI ArcGIS softwareEclipse IDEElasticsearchEpic SystemsExtensible markup language XMLGitGitHubGitLabGoGoogle AnalyticsGoogle AngularGraphQLHibernate ORMHypertext markup language HTMLIBM DB2IBM SPSS StatisticsIBM TerraformIBM WebSphere MQJUnitJavaScriptJavaScript Object Notation JSONJenkins CIKubernetesLinuxMEDITECH softwareMarketo Marketing AutomationMicrosoft .NET FrameworkMicrosoft ASP.NETMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active DirectoryMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft Azure softwareMicrosoft DynamicsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerShellMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL Server Integration Services SSISMicrosoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRSMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft TeamsMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft Visual BasicMicrosoft Visual Basic for Applications VBAMicrosoft Visual StudioMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows ServerMongoDBMySQLNoSQLNode.jsOracle Cloud softwareOracle DatabaseOracle JavaOracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EEOracle PL/SQLOracle PeopleSoftOracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio ManagementPHPPerlPostgreSQLPuppetPythonRReactRed Hat Enterprise LinuxRed Hat OpenShiftRedisRubySAP softwareSASSalesforce softwareScalaSeleniumServiceNowShell scriptSlackSplunk EnterpriseSpring BootSpring FrameworkStructured query language SQLSwiftTableauTeradata DatabaseThe MathWorks MATLABTransact-SQLTrimble SketchUp ProTypeScriptUNIXUNIX ShelljQuery

Technology Skills

3M Post-it AppAdobe AIRAdobe ActionScriptAdobe DreamweaverAdobe FlexAdobe FrameMakerAdvanced business application programming ABAPAltia Design

Tools & Equipment

Blade serversComputer network routersDesktop computersGraphics display cardsLaptop computersLightweight directory access protocol LDAP serversMainframe computersMass storage devices