Database administrator salaries are among the highest base wages in IT, and experienced DBAs and database managers can earn well into the six-figure range. Here is a dynamic look at the database administrator salary landscape, featuring key figures, trends and analyses of the leading salary surveys and national employment data.
Explore the database administrator job description for a deep-dive into this career path.
Historic DBA Salaries
Average salary range for database administrators and related technology professionals for the past three years:
| Job Title | 2018 Salary | 2019 Salary | 2020 Salary | 2-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Database Administrator | $75,750 - $156,000 | $77,000 - $159,250 | $79,250 - $160,500 | + 3.5% |
| Database Developer | $97,750 - $164,500 | $98,250 - $167,750 | $101,250 - $172,750 | + 4.5% |
| Database Manager | $107,000 - $180,000 | $108,000 - $183,000 | $112,250 - $186,500 | + 3.7% |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $83,750 - $175,750 | $85,750 - $178,000 | $87,500 - $185,500 | + 5.2% |
| Data Architect | $110,000 - $184,000 | $111,500 - $187,750 | $119,750 - $193,500 | + 6.5% |
Historic salary table notes: Wages in this table represent the U.S. national average. The lower figure in each range represents the 25th percentile of salary survey respondents (typically those new to the position or working in a less competitive market) while the higher figure in each range represents the 95th percentile (those with greater experience, specialized database skills and certifications).
 | Source: Robert Half Technology 2018, 2019 and 2020 IT Salary Guides |
Skills To Boost Your DBA Salary
Learn these sought-after skill sets to increase your pay in the database administrator career path and related job roles:
- Business Intelligence (BI)
- ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)
- Proficiency in the leading databse management systems (DBMS) including Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and IBM DB2
- Hadoop skills
- Big Data
- SQL database development
Database Administrator Salaries by State
| U.S. State / Location | Average Annual Wage | Average Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | $82,740 | $39.78 |
Alaska | $81,770 | $39.31 |
Arizona | $85,060 | $40.89 |
Arkansas | $78,470 | $37.73 |
California | $95,630 | $45.98 |
Colorado | $92,790 | $44.61 |
Connecticut | $97,670 | $46.96 |
Delaware | $91,430 | $43.96 |
District of Columbia | $97,030 | $46.65 |
Florida | $84,860 | $40.80 |
Georgia | $89,010 | $42.79 |
Hawaii | $89,400 | $42.98 |
Idaho | $61,430 | $29.54 |
Illinois | $91,730 | $44.10 |
Indiana | $73,490 | $35.33 |
Iowa | $85,330 | $41.02 |
Kansas | $83,870 | $40.32 |
Kentucky | $76,080 | $36.58 |
Louisiana | $88,390 | $42.50 |
Maine | $74,570 | $35.85 |
Maryland | $87,790 | $42.21 |
Massachusetts | $91,060 | $43.78 |
Michigan | $84,210 | $40.49 |
Minnesota | $88,410 | $42.50 |
Mississippi | $71,280 | $34.27 |
Missouri | $87,910 | $42.26 |
Montana | $60,600 | $29.14 |
Nebraska | $82,280 | $39.56 |
Nevada | $87,560 | $42.09 |
New Hampshire | $90,290 | $43.41 |
New Jersey | $106,390 | $51.15 |
New Mexico | $77,650 | $37.33 |
New York | $94,330 | $45.35 |
North Carolina | $89,120 | $42.85 |
North Dakota | $75,710 | $36.40 |
Ohio | $84,690 | $40.72 |
Oklahoma | $72,580 | $34.89 |
Oregon | $87,180 | $41.91 |
Pennsylvania | $83,690 | $40.24 |
Puerto Rico | $48,880 | $23.50 |
Rhode Island | $92,180 | $44.32 |
South Carolina | $73,840 | $35.50 |
South Dakota | $73,310 | $35.25 |
Tennessee | $81,980 | $39.41 |
Texas | $88,940 | $42.76 |
Utah | $92,640 | $44.54 |
Vermont | $76,860 | $36.95 |
Virginia | $97,050 | $46.66 |
Washington | $98,120 | $47.18 |
West Virginia | $66,230 | $31.84 |
Wisconsin | $81,220 | $39.05 |
Wyoming | $61,850 | $29.74 |
 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Top 5 Highest Paying Cities for Database Administrators:
- Trenton, New Jersey | $110,000
- San Francisco, California | $107,000
- Washington DC Metro Area | $105,000
- New York City, New York | $103,000
- Seattle, Washington | $102,000
| Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Database Salaries by DBMS & Experience
- Junior Database Administrator: $61,000
- Database Administrator: $78,000
- SQL Database Administrator: $88,000
- Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator: $91,000
- Senior Database Administrator: $105,000
- IBM DB2 Database Admin: $107,000
- Certified MySQL Database Administrator: $110,000
- Oracle Database Administrator: $111,000
- Database Administration Manager: $112,000
| Source: Payscale.com |
Database Administrator Salary vs. Other IT Job Roles
- Technology Manager: $142,063
- Systems Architect: $129,952
- Product Manager: $114,174
- DevOps Engineer: $111,683
- Software Engineer: $110,989
- Hardware Engineer: $110,972
- IT Project Manager: $110,925
- Cyber Security Engineer: $110,716
- Applications Developer: $105,202
- Security Analyst: $103,597
- Database Administrator: $103,473
- Data Scientist: $95,404
- Business Analyst: $94,926
- Computer Programmer: $91,404
- Network Engineer: $88,280
- Web Developer: $82,765
- Systems Administrator: $82,624
- Technical Support: $60,600
- Help Desk Technician: $45,709
- PC Service & Repair: $41,310
| Source: 2019 Tech Salary Report by Dice.com |
Database Administration Training
Regardless of your industry and database system specialization(s), database administration is a sought after profession offering top-tier earning potential and significant opportunities for upward mobility. Start on your path to a lucrative database administrator salary today; browse our directory of database training and degree programs and connect with an admissions advisor to build your ideal learning plan.
DBA Career Resources
- Database administrator job description
- DBA education requirements
- Database technology training programs
- Current database administrator job openings
- Database administrator job outlook
- Database administration certifications
Subject Matter Expert Contributor
Daniel Greenspan is an IT education specialist and the founder of ITCareerFinder. Working closely with IT professionals, world-class trainers and tech executives since 2005 has given him a unique perspective into the information technology job market and the skills and credentials IT pros need to succeed.
Web-based Database Administrator salary data refreshed annually.
Salary survey data updated annually upon publication dates.