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Computer Systems Engineers/Architects

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

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

Related: Computer Network Architects Computer Systems Analysts Database Architects Information Security Engineers Software Developers

Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical Government

Summary
Details

Configure servers to meet functional specifications.
Direct the installation of operating systems, network or application software, or computer or network hardware.
Define and analyze objectives, scope, issues, or organizational impact of information systems.
Direct the analysis, development, and operation of complete computer systems.
Develop or approve project plans, schedules, or budgets.
Document design specifications, installation instructions, and other system-related information.
Investigate system component suitability for specified purposes, and make recommendations regarding component use.
Evaluate existing systems to determine effectiveness, and suggest changes to meet organizational requirements.
Provide technical guidance or support for the development or troubleshooting of systems.
Complete models and simulations, using manual or automated tools, to analyze or predict system performance under different operating conditions.
Evaluate current or emerging technologies to consider factors such as cost, portability, compatibility, or usability.
Perform security analyses of developed or packaged software components.
Research, test, or verify proper functioning of software patches and fixes.
Develop efficient and effective system controllers.
Communicate project information through presentations, technical reports, or white papers.
Develop application-specific software.
Identify system data, hardware, or software components required to meet user needs.
Verify stability, interoperability, portability, security, or scalability of system architecture.
Establish functional or system standards to address operational requirements, quality requirements, and design constraints.
Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.
Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.
Investigate system component suitability for specified purposes, and make recommendations regarding component use.
Communicate project information through presentations, technical reports, or white papers.
Design and conduct hardware or software tests.
Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.
Train system users in system operation or maintenance.
Provide advice on project costs, design concepts, or design changes.
Provide customers or installation teams guidelines for implementing secure systems.
Collaborate with engineers or software developers to select appropriate design solutions or ensure the compatibility of system components.
Design and conduct hardware or software tests.
Monitor system operation to detect potential problems.
Evaluate existing systems to determine effectiveness, and suggest changes to meet organizational requirements.
Collaborate with engineers or software developers to select appropriate design solutions or ensure the compatibility of system components.
Complete models and simulations, using manual or automated tools, to analyze or predict system performance under different operating conditions.
Research, test, or verify proper functioning of software patches and fixes.
Communicate with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements.
Develop system engineering, software engineering, system integration, or distributed system architectures.

Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.

Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

131800/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

63.36/hr

Currently Employed

17,060

Yearly Projected Openings

1500

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Analytical Thinking
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Achievement/Effort

Access servers
Computer servers
Desktop computers
Graphics or video accelerator cards
High capacity removable media drives
Mainframe computers
Mobile phones
Motherboards
Network routers
Notebook computers
Personal computers
Radio frequency RF cable
Signal cable
Tablet computers

Access software
Analytical or scientific software
Application server software
Backup or archival software
Business intelligence and data analysis software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software
Cloud-based management software
Clustering software
Communications server software
Computer aided design CAD software
Computer based training software
Configuration management software
Content workflow software
Customer relationship management CRM software
Data base management system software
Data base reporting software
Data base user interface and query software
Data mining software
Desktop communications software
Desktop publishing software
Development environment software
Document management software
Electronic mail software
Enterprise application integration software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Enterprise system management software
Expert system software
File versioning software
Financial analysis software
Geographic information system
Graphical user interface development software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Human resources software
Industrial control software
Information retrieval or search software
Instant messaging software
Internet browser software
Internet directory services software
Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
LAN software
Medical software
Metadata management software
Network conferencing software
Network monitoring software
Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software
Network security or virtual private network VPN management software
Object or component oriented development software
Object oriented data base management software
Office suite software
Operating system software
Portal server software
Presentation software
Process mapping and design software
Program testing software
Project management software
Requirements analysis and system architecture software
Sales and marketing software
Spreadsheet software
Storage networking software
Switch or router software
Transaction security and virus protection software
Transaction server software
Video conferencing software
Video creation and editing software
WAN switching software and firmware
Web page creation and editing software
Web platform development software
Word processing software

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Computer Systems Engineers/Architects

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