A Salesforce Architect is the strategic anchor of a Salesforce implementation. They are responsible for designing and delivering high-quality solutions that are trusted, easy, and adaptable.
Because the Salesforce Platform is vast and ever-expanding due to acquisitions and rapid product development, there is rarely only one way to solve a problem. Consequently, an architect’s primary role is to navigate ambiguity and lean into the mantra of “it depends.” They translate complex business requirements into technical paths, clearly articulating the trade-offs involved (e.g., “Building this quickly now will increase our maintenance costs later.”).
A key goal of an architect is to ensure that the solution remains robust as the user base grows and business needs evolve, minimizing “technical debt” along the way. To achieve this, Salesforce Architects leverage resources like the Salesforce Well-Architected Framework and the Salesforce Architecture Center to validate their designs and build for the long term.
What is the scope of a Salesforce Architect?
It is a misconception that a Salesforce Architect only needs to know the Salesforce core platform. Given the deeply unified nature of the platform today, a Salesforce Architect must have a broad awareness of adjacent products, including:
- Data and analytics: Data 360, Tableau
- Integration: MuleSoft, Informatica
- Collaboration: Slack
Does an architect need to be a deep expert in all of these?
No. However, you do need a “working knowledge” of their capabilities and use case fit, so you can dive deeper when a project requires it. Any great architect knows the limits of their expertise and knows when to bring in a specialist to ensure an optimal design.
What does a Salesforce Architect do?
A Salesforce Architect acts as a trusted advisor, bridging the gap between business vision and technical reality.
Their day-to-day responsibilities generally fall into three buckets:
1. Business and technical strategy
It’s important to understand that “architect” is a broad title that exists on a continuum between functional (business) and technical (code) skills. While this spectrum is the primary way to categorize the role, an architect’s focus is also shaped by their specific domain expertise and scope. Their role spans:
The functional-technical spectrum:
- Solution Architects (functional): Focus on the business side, ensuring that the right problems are being solved through requirement gathering, process mapping, and “clicks-not-code” features
- Technical Architects (technical): Focus on “under the hood” engineering, specializing in complex integrations, large data volumes, security, and coding standards
Domain specialization:
- Business/industry: Specialize in specific sectors like Financial Services or Health Cloud
- Technical pillars: Focus on specific domains like integration, data, or AI
Architectural scope:
- Enterprise Architects: Focus on the full breadth of an enterprise landscape and how Salesforce fits into the broader IT ecosystem
- Program Architects: Oversee the architecture for a specific, large-scale program of work to ensure cohesive delivery
Ultimately, these distinctions show that the role is rarely one-dimensional. A successful architect understands where they sit across these dimensions and knows how to balance the different layers to ensure that the solution effectively serves the long-term business vision.
2. Salesforce solution design
Regardless of title, all Salesforce Architects are responsible for the structural integrity of the implementation and the Salesforce org(s) involved. Their role requires them to:
- Data & security design: Design the data model, defining identity and access management, and ensuring data sharing is set up appropriately
- System integration: Architect how Salesforce talks to other enterprise systems (e.g., ERPs, Marketing Automation) and determine the best integration patterns
- Build vs. buy decisions: Analyze a business requirement to determine if it should be solved with standard configuration (“clicks”), custom programming (“code”), or a third-party AppExchange tool
DevOps: Establish the rules for how changes are moved from testing to production to ensure stability
3. Managing stakeholders
Beyond technology, an architect is a leader who must often build organizational buy-in for new solutions. While they may not have the answer to every niche question instantly, they are experts in Salesforce and industry capabilities, and they know how to find answers fast. Their communication skills allow them to translate complex technical concepts into language that stakeholders and C-level executives can understand.
This also includes establishing proper governance processes and structures. Architects ensure stakeholder alignment and that the right procedures are in place, followed, and traceable.
What skills does a Salesforce Architect need?
A successful architect must be a “T-shaped” professional: possessing broad general knowledge across the platform and deep expertise in specific areas, including:
Technical acumen
- Governance and DevOps: Leverage experience with release management and establish the rules for how changes are moved from testing to production to ensure stability
- Code literacy: Read code and recognize coding best practices to effectively guide development teams; they do not need to be a developer, but they must understand when to use code versus standard configuration
- Platform expertise: Understand Salesforce products, data modeling, platform limits, and consumption considerations
- System integration: Maintain proficiency in how Salesforce connects with other technologies, including APIs, identity management, and data movement and lifecycle
Communication and leadership
- Translation: Explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and “speak the language” of the business
- Business acumen: Understand underlying business processes to ensure that technology solves actual business problems rather than just building what was requested
- Active listening: Listen to stakeholders to uncover the root cause of a request, not just the surface-level symptom
- Continuous learning: Maintain the drive to constantly update their knowledge
Background and experiences
Salesforce Architects come from many different backgrounds. Many have years of experience as a developer or an administrator on the platform. Others come from different technology stacks or business-facing roles, such as business analysts. Ultimately, it is the blend of technical expertise and business insight that defines the role.
What are the career prospects for Salesforce Architects?
The Salesforce Architect career path remains one of the fastest-growing and most secure tracks in the ecosystem. As implementations become more complex, the need for experienced strategic guidance continues to skyrocket.
We expect this demand to persist and accelerate in the Agentic AI Era, where up-front design is the ultimate driver for success. AI thrives when it is powered by connected data and rich context, elements that are right in the wheelhouse of architects. By prioritizing a solid foundation and following industry best practices, architects provide the fastest and most reliable route to the Agentic Enterprise, ensuring that technology and strategy work in perfect harmony.
27%
increase
in global demand for Technical Architects
According to the 2025 Salesforce Talent Ecosystem Report, the demand for architects is driving the highest growth among all technical roles:
- Technical Architect demand has increased by 27% globally
- Solution Architect demand has increased by 21% globally
The bottom line: Whether your expertise lies in deep technical engineering or business-focused solutioning, the market is signaling a clear need for your skills. With demand outpacing supply, there has never been a better time to advance your career as a Salesforce Architect.
Embrace the architect in you
An architect is defined by their vision. They build systems that will last, that are maintainable, and that scale as the business grows.
An architect acts as an ambassador for new technology, always planning for the future. Whether they are designing a technical integration or a complex data model, they think three to five years out to ensure that today’s solution supports tomorrow’s success.
If this sounds like you, start your journey to a career as a Salesforce Architect today:
- Visit the Salesforce Architecture Center
- Subscribe to the Salesforce Architect Digest Monthly Newsletter on LinkedIn
- Discover the Salesforce Architecture Blog
- Follow @SalesforceArchs on X
- Join the Architect Trailblazers Community Group
- Learn about Salesforce Architect Certifications
Discover what’s new for architects on the Salesforce Architecture Center
