Database Administrator salaries are dependent on experience and location, but many DBAs earn between $80,000 and $150,000 per year.
Introduction
When it comes to making money, database administrators are in a pretty sweet spot. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that their median annual wage is $90,070, and the top 10% in this field make more than $142,530 annually. Compare that to all occupations as a whole, which have a median average wage of just $37,040 per year—and it’s no wonder that being a database administrator is such an attractive option these days! But what factors contribute to the salaries of these professionals? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about how much database administrators make at different points in their careers.
Salary
- The average salary for a database administrator is between $73,000 and $120,000.
- Database administrators earn significantly more money in the tech industry than they do in other industries.
- The highest paid DBAs tend to reside on the West Coast or along both coasts of Florida.
- DBA salaries are typically lower in northern states than southern ones.
Education level and experience
The educational requirements for a career as a database administrator are dependent on the company and the position. Most companies require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology, but some may accept an associate’s degree in computer science. Additionally, employers often look for candidates with experience working with databases and programming languages such as PHP (hypertext preprocessor) or MySQL.
To advance your career and climb the ladder within this field, you may consider pursuing an advanced degree in computer science. This can help you gain skills that are needed for more advanced positions such as database architect or software engineer.
Location
You can expect to make the most money in New York City and San Francisco, where you’ll easily earn over $100K a year. If you’re willing to relocate, Chicago is also a good option, as are Washington DC and Boston.
Those who prefer warmer climates might want to consider Los Angeles or Dallas—both have high average salaries for database administrators. The same goes for Houston (TX) and Seattle (WA).
Database administrator salaries by city
The highest database administrator salaries are in New York City, at $98,000 per year. The second highest database administrator salaries are in San Francisco with an average of $91,000 per year. San Jose comes in third with an average salary of $90,000 annually for this role. Washington DC follows it up as the fourth highest paying city for DBAs on average at $87,500 per year. Boston comes next with an average salary of $83,500 annually for DBAs followed by Seattle and Los Angeles rounding out the top seven highest paying cities for this position with annual averages of roughly $80-75k respectively depending on experience level and region within each city/state/region where you work (eastern coast vs western coast).
Database administrators are responsible for ensuring the reliability and integrity of the data stored in a database. They typically work with a team of developers and system administrators to ensure that all aspects of the database are operating correctly. Database administrators are paid a median salary of $73,000 per year, according to PayScale.
The skills required to become a database administrator (DBA) include:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- SQL programming experience
- Experience working with relational databases
The average salary for a database administrator is $79,000.
Database administrators perform a wide variety of tasks, including designing and maintaining databases, performing system administration, analyzing data and creating reports, troubleshooting database problems on both local systems and remote servers, developing new applications that include database functionality, maintaining backup systems and disaster recovery plans for the organization’s databases, and providing technical support for database users within the organization. They may also have responsibility for supervising entry level computer programmers in their department or other departments in their organization.
Database administrators are employed by many different types of organizations including government agencies; retail stores; hotels; restaurants; hospitals; law firms; insurance companies; educational institutions; manufacturing plants; financial services firms such as banks; real estate companies; engineering firms; advertising agencies; publishing houses; nonprofit organizations such as charities or churches; utilities like electric power companies or telephone companies (which provide internet service); transportation companies like airlines or shipping companies (which provide travel reservations); information technology companies like software publishers (who provide software products), hardware manufacturers (who make computers), telecommunications carriers (who provide phone lines),
Conclusion
The highest salaries are found in New York City, but they’re followed closely by San Francisco and Boston. Database administrators with more education and experience earn more than those with less education and experience.
The highest salaries for database administrators are found in New York City.
While the national average salary for database administrators is $96,000, salaries in New York City are higher. The average salary for a database administrator in New York City is $122,000.
