Database Administrators
What Database Administrators Do
Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.8/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.5/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.9/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.6/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Database Architects96% skill match
- Physicists95% skill match
- Architectural and Civil Drafters94% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists93% skill match
- Computer Programmers93% skill match
- Web Developers92% skill match
- Computer Systems Analysts92% skill match
- Computer and Information Research Scientists92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
- Programmingimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- Microsoft Azure Data Factory
- PySpark
- Relational database management system software
Other Software Used
- ADO.NET
- ASG Technologies ASG-Zeke
- Ab Initio
- Access management software
- Acronis Recovery Expert
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Advanced business application programming ABAP
- Amazon Data Pipeline
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Adaptability
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- RealisticLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where database administrators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA6.70× national avg
- 2Montgomery, AL6.57× national avg
- 3Santa Fe, NM5.82× national avg
- 4Bloomington, IN3.18× national avg
- 5Tallahassee, FL3.15× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Software DevelopersLateral Move
- Database ArchitectsLateral Move
- Computer Systems AnalystsLateral Move
- Information Security AnalystsLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$195,622
- DeVry University-Illinois (Lisle, IL)
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)grads earn ~$172,904
- University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$173,716
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
- Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)grads earn ~$129,303
- Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)grads earn ~$144,205
- University of Maryland Global Campus (Adelphi, MD)grads earn ~$130,314
- MyComputerCareer at Columbus (Columbus, OH)grads earn ~$58,108
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$152,422
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)grads earn ~$129,737
- Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA)grads earn ~$40,186
- Northeastern University Professional Programs (Boston, MA)grads earn ~$158,542
- School of Visual Arts (New York, NY)grads earn ~$67,483
- George Mason University (Fairfax, VA)grads earn ~$162,691