What US adverts show
On D365 Market, US adverts tagged solution architect that state pay have a median of $165,500 a year. The 25th percentile is $112,500 and the 75th is $182,000. That comes from 13 adverts at 11 employers in the snapshot taken on November 5, 2026. These numbers are what employers advertised. They are not what people actually earn, and they lean toward states with pay transparency laws, such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington.
For context, all US Dynamics 365 adverts on the site have a median of $153,050. Senior-level Dynamics 365 adverts have a median of $174,150 and lead-level adverts $167,750. The architect median is above the overall Dynamics 365 median but a little below the senior and lead medians. The architect median is about $12,000 above the median for the whole Dynamics 365 category.
What UK adverts show
IT Jobs Watch tracks UK adverts that use a given job title. For the six months to November 5, 2026, permanent Dynamics 365 Architect roles quoted a median salary of £96,250. The 25th percentile was £90,000 and the 75th was £100,000, across 68 salaries. That range is tight. UK permanent architect roles seem to settle near £100,000.
Contract day rates for Dynamics 365 Architect roles had a median of £575, with a range of £513 to £606 across 55 quoted rates. Dynamics 365 Solution Architect titles also had a £575 median, but the 75th percentile went higher, to £666, from 38 rates. All of these are advertised rates. No source covered contract day rates outside the UK, so this guide gives none for the US.
Why architect pay varies so widely
The title means different things to different employers. At one Microsoft partner, a solution architect owns the design for a full Finance and Operations rollout across several legal entities. At a small end user, the same title can mean the most senior person on a Power Platform team. The US quartiles are $70,000 apart because both kinds of job get the same label.
Product line matters too. Finance and supply chain architects are rare because they must understand accounting, inventory and integration all at once. Customer Engagement architects often add Azure and data work on top. Contract work also pays differently from permanent jobs. A UK contractor on £575 a day earns a lot only when they are working, and they cover their own gaps between contracts, pension and leave.
Certifications for architects in 2026
Microsoft retired the Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert certification and its exam, MB-700, on June 30, 2026. If you already earned it, Microsoft says it stays on your Learn transcript. You can no longer take the exam or renew it.
The current architect-level certification is Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert. To earn it, you pass exam AB-100 and hold at least one of the associate certifications Microsoft lists as prerequisites. The exam covers Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Copilot Studio and Microsoft Foundry. Microsoft says the exam will be updated on November 16, 2026, so read the current study guide before you book.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. D365 Market advertised pay from US adverts that state pay, snapshot November 5, 2026. These are advertised figures, not earnings, and they lean toward US states with pay transparency laws. Not an official Dynamics 365 pay rate. The Dynamics 365 CE row is a small sample. Refer to the Solution & Technical Architect salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Deep product knowledgeMost architects come up through functional or technical work on one Dynamics 365 product line. They know it well enough to judge what the standard product should handle and where customization is needed.
- Integration and data designArchitects plan how Dynamics 365 connects to other systems and how data moves during migration and after go-live.
- Full implementation experienceEmployers want people who have seen projects from design through go-live and into support, including the ones that went badly.
- AB-100 certificationThe Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert certification needs exam AB-100 plus at least one prerequisite associate certification. You do not need it to get hired, but it shows you are current.
- Client-facing judgmentAn architect explains tradeoffs to finance directors and IT leads, and that skill decides how much they get paid as much as technical depth does.
How to get there
- Early careerFunctional or technical consultantConfigure or build on one Dynamics 365 product and earn the matching associate certification.
- Mid careerSenior consultantLead a workstream, run design workshops and own integration or data decisions for your area.
- After several projectsLead or workstream architectDesign across several modules or apps and review other people's designs.
- Senior careerSolution architectOwn the overall design for a full implementation and earn AB-100 if you work on AI and agent solutions.
- Later careerEnterprise or principal architectShape a partner's practice or a large customer's Microsoft platform strategy.
Open now on D365 Market
Questions people ask
What is the median advertised pay for a Dynamics 365 solution architect in the US?
On D365 Market, US solution architect adverts that state pay had a median of $165,500 a year as of November 5, 2026. That comes from 13 adverts at 11 employers, and it is advertised pay, not earnings.
How much do Dynamics 365 architects earn in the UK?
IT Jobs Watch shows permanent Dynamics 365 Architect adverts with a median of £96,250 and a range of £90,000 to £100,000, for the six months to November 5, 2026. These are advertised salaries.
What is the UK contract day rate for a Dynamics 365 solution architect?
Dynamics 365 Solution Architect contract adverts had a median of £575 a day, ranging from £514 to £666 across 38 quoted rates. The broader Dynamics 365 Architect title had the same £575 median.
Can I still take the MB-700 solution architect exam?
No. Microsoft retired MB-700 and the Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert certification on June 30, 2026. People who already earned it keep it on their Microsoft Learn transcript.
Which certification replaces it for architects?
Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert is the current architect-level certification. You need to pass exam AB-100 and hold at least one of the associate certifications Microsoft lists as prerequisites.
Why is the US pay range for architects so wide?
Employers use the title for very different jobs, from leading a multi-country ERP design to heading a small Power Platform team. Product line, employer type, seniority and location all move the advertised figure.
Sources
- D365 Market: Dynamics 365 salary guide
- IT Jobs Watch: Dynamics 365 Architect permanent salaries (UK)
- IT Jobs Watch: Dynamics 365 Architect contract rates (UK)
- IT Jobs Watch: Dynamics 365 Solution Architect contract rates (UK)
- Microsoft Learn: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert
- Microsoft Learn: Exam and assessment lab retirement
- Microsoft Learn: Finance and Operations Apps Solution Architect Expert renewal
