As Salesforce continues to expand, architects face increasing pressure to define their niche. Should they try to cover a wide range of products and platforms, or go deep in a specific area? With constant platform updates, emerging technologies like AI, and new roles entering the ecosystem, there’s no simple answer.
In this article, we explore how Salesforce Architects are choosing where to focus their skills, what influences those decisions, and what the most successful professionals are doing to stay ahead. Drawing from the 2025 SF Ben Architect Survey, we’ll unpack key trends around specialization, hands-on experience, and how architects are managing risk in an ever-changing environment.
The Pressure to Specialize in a Growing Ecosystem
Salesforce is not getting any simpler. In fact, 66.6% of architects agree that the platform is becoming increasingly complex. This has clear implications for career development. The biggest perceived risk to an architect’s career is the challenge of keeping up with rapid technological change, with 57.2% of respondents citing it as their top concern.
This is especially true for those earlier in their careers, who are more likely to feel the pressure of adapting to new tools and trends, including AI. More experienced architects, on the other hand, tend to be more concerned about competition. Many see the growing number of professionals entering the ecosystem as a threat to their career stability or advancement.
So, with the platform growing in scope and complexity, how are architects deciding where to focus their energy?
The majority of respondents (54.7%) are guided by the requirements of their current role. In other words, their specialization is driven by what they need to deliver. Another 20.8% are looking ahead and aligning their skills with where they believe the market is going. And for 20%, it comes down to personal interest, focusing on the areas they genuinely enjoy working in.
A Shift Toward Multi-Disciplinary Expertise
Interestingly, very few architects base their choices on external influences. Just 3.8% are guided by Salesforce’s official direction, and a tiny 0.7% choose their path based on what other architects are doing. This suggests that most professionals are making deliberate, practical choices rooted in their current context and long-term goals, rather than following the crowd.
When we look at how architects describe their level of specialization, the picture becomes even more nuanced. Just over half (50.5%) report specializing in more than one product or area, indicating a strong trend toward multi-disciplinary expertise.
A further 37.4% identify as generalists covering a broad range of topics. Only 12.1% say they focus on a single area of specialization.
This mix of skills reflects the reality of working in the Salesforce ecosystem today. As Caitlin Graaf, Independent Solutions Architect, puts it:
“The Salesforce landscape is changing rapidly, with a proliferation of new products, tools, platforms, and the increased adoption of AI. As Salesforce becomes increasingly complex, professionals will need to ensure that they can balance core skills with product-specific skills to meet the demands of their roles.”
The data also highlights one clear pathway to career advancement: getting hands-on. A full 37% of respondents cited hands-on experience as the most effective way to grow in their career. No matter the area of focus, doing the work — not just reading or certifying — remains the most reliable way to build confidence, credibility, and capability.
Summary
In a world where it is no longer realistic to master every part of Salesforce, architects must make smart, strategic choices. Whether you specialize deeply in a single cloud or stay flexible across multiple domains, the key is to stay grounded in what is most useful to your current role, where the market is going, and what genuinely motivates you. That’s the balance that will help you thrive in 2025 and beyond.
