Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Database administrators focus on managing and organizing data for organizations. This career combines computers and information technology with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. At the national level, there are 78,000 jobs in this field, with a national median annual salary of $104,620, indicating substantial earning potential. Workers in this occupation rely on mathematics, critical and analytical thinking, and careful attention to detail. Communication skills such as writing, reading, speaking, and listening also play an important role, along with interpersonal abilities and project management. Creativity and innovation are listed among the top skills, suggesting opportunities to improve processes and tackle complex data challenges. A bachelor’s degree is the typical education requirement, making this career accessible to those completing four-year college programs. With 4,000 annual openings projected, there is ongoing movement in the job market, which can support both new entrants and experienced professionals exploring advancement or transitions within the broader technology field.
Database administrators have a national median annual salary of $104,620, providing a strong overall earning profile. Salaries vary by location. Among the top states, median pay ranges from $105,900 in New York to $129,300 in Massachusetts, with California at $113,060, Colorado at $118,340, and Washington at $118,140. This shows that many leading states for this occupation offer pay levels above the national median. Metro areas show even higher salary levels in several locations. Median pay reaches $138,620 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, and $132,370 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Other top metros also offer six-figure median salaries, including New York-Newark-Jersey City at $121,550 and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont at $127,760. These figures suggest that choosing where to live and work can significantly influence earnings for database administrators.
National employment for database administrators is 78,000, with projected employment growth of -0.7%. This indicates a slightly declining employment projection overall. Despite this negative growth rate, the occupation still shows 4,000 annual openings. These openings reflect ongoing hiring needs, which can include replacement of workers who retire, change occupations, or move into other roles. The combination of modest negative growth with a steady number of openings suggests that while total employment is expected to decrease slightly, there will still be opportunities for both new and experienced professionals. Job seekers may want to pay attention to geographic differences and employer demand when evaluating prospects, since the outlook can vary by state and metro area. Overall, the data points to a competitive but active labor market where targeted job search strategies and strong skills may be important for long-term career success.
Location plays an important role in opportunity for database administrators. At the state level, California and Massachusetts stand out with the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, 67.38 and 65.87, along with strong median salaries of $113,060 and $129,300. New York, Colorado, and Washington also provide notable opportunities, with median pay between $105,900 and $118,340 and opportunity scores from 56.29 to 65.78. All of these top states share the same projected growth rate of -0.7%, so differences in opportunity primarily reflect variations in salary, employment levels, and overall scores. Several metro areas rank even higher on opportunity score. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ both exceed 77 on the opportunity score, with median salaries of $138,620 and $121,550. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also offer high scores and six-figure median pay, highlighting these metros as especially strong options for location-focused job seekers.
For database administrators, the typical education requirement is a bachelor’s degree. This four-year educational background provides a foundation for the technical and analytical demands of the role. The top skills associated with this occupation highlight the importance of both technical and core professional abilities. Success in this field relies on computers and information technology knowledge, along with mathematics and strong critical and analytical thinking. Problem solving, decision making, and being detail oriented are also central. In addition to technical strengths, employers value writing and reading skills, as well as speaking and listening. Interpersonal skills and project management abilities support collaboration and coordination of work. Creativity and innovation are noted as important, indicating that database administrators are expected not only to manage data but also to refine processes and contribute new ideas. Students and career changers can use this skill profile to guide their education choices and personal development plans for entering or advancing in this career.
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