Official pay data
Updated 15 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£45,860
Median
£60,288
75th percentile
£81,932
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to IT business analysts, architects and systems designers; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
The national benchmark uses the broader occupation of IT business analysts, architects and systems designers. It is a useful comparison for a Solutions Architect because the role centres on understanding needs, assessing options and planning technology solutions. It is not a title-specific estimate: the occupation also covers other architecture, analysis and systems-design work.
Benchmark fit
Solutions Architect work fits the mapped occupation where it involves designing end-to-end technology solutions, comparing approaches and aligning a selected solution with project or product requirements, technology strategy and engineering standards.
Nearby titles: Senior or lead solutions architect is a later experience-based progression, not another name for the same career stage..
Use the figures as a broad occupational comparison, not as proof that every role in the group has the same client-facing solution-design remit or the same offer value.
Role scope
A Solutions Architect turns client or project needs into a recommended technology approach, then helps plan and design the chosen solution.
Elicit needs, propose options and weigh their strengths, weaknesses and costs before making a recommendation. · Help plan and design the preferred solution with the project team. · Depending on the assignment, help manage a move to a new or improved system and check that it works with the wider network.
A recommendation that sets out the preferred solution after comparing options. · A planned and designed technology solution aligned with the relevant requirements and standards.
This is described as a progression after gaining experience as a Solutions Architect.
This is a later move focused on the organisation's overall IT strategy, rather than an equivalent title at the same career stage.
Read the range
When comparing an offer with the broad benchmark, look for a role built around needs discovery, option assessment, recommendations and solution planning. A post that is chiefly about an organisation-wide IT strategy has a different scope from this Solutions Architect description.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Supplementary regional medians are available alongside the national benchmark.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £52,954 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £50,084 | Not published |
| London | Not published | £74,574 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £49,429 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £50,685 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £49,626 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £68,065 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £68,115 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £51,237 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £62,420 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £54,279 | Not published |
The national occupation figure is not a local offer estimate; location, employer, duties and working pattern can all differ.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer's annual cash pay on the same hours basis as the benchmark. Keep the fixed salary visible, then check which additional cash payments are actually offered and under what rules. Assess benefits separately from cash pay.
Record the annual basic-pay amount separately so you can see how much of the offer is fixed.
Ask whether overtime, bonus, commission, shift premiums or other cash payments are offered, and what eligibility and payment rules apply.
Check the terms of any pension contribution, health cover, leave or equity separately, because benefits are not the same thing as gross cash earnings.
Progression
With experience, a Solutions Architect can progress to a senior or lead role and later move into enterprise architecture.
The role broadens the focus from a selected solution to the organisation's overall IT strategy. Compare its broader strategic remit separately rather than treating it as the same Solutions Architect role.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover IT business analysts, architects and systems designers (2133) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Solutions Architect vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
