Learn everything you need to know to pursue a career as a database administrator.

As the internet and technology become increasingly important parts of our lives, the amount of data we are generating has been growing. This means that there has been a growth in demand for qualified database administrators who can manage this data.

After all, someone has to store the data we generate online and ensure that data is protected in all cases. Database administrators will manage a database and ensure that it is available whenever it is needed. They play a key role in ensuring the data users and companies generate is kept safe and is always accessible.

How do you become a database administrator? That’s the question we hope to answer in this guide. Below you will find information about the promising career prospects of a career in database administration, as well as information about expected salaries and training programs.

Database administration is about managing databases and ensuring they are available when they are needed. The database administrator (DBA) will manage, back up, and protect information stored in a database. The DBA plays a critical role in many companies, especially those which generate large amounts of data.

For example, let’s say you are working for an education course provider. Your responsibility would be to ensure all data for the provider’s courses was stored safely and ensure students could readily access the information they need when they need it. The DBA would also ensure professors could amend courses when changes were required.

Database Administrator Job Description - What Does a Database Administrator Do?

Database administrators create, update, and manage databases and associated programs. They are responsible for ensuring a database is accessible, and functions as intended.

A database administrator will also need to ensure a database is secure by protecting confidential information correctly and setting up the right user permissions. DBAs may work with other DBAs, as well as the broader development team to ensure an application can consume and amend information from a database correctly. In addition, in many cases, a DBA will store internal information, rather than information used for a specific app.

Database administrators can take on a wide variety of roles in a company. For example, a DBA may be assigned to an application team to assist with integration between a database and a broader application. The DBA may also be responsible for working with business analysts to derive insights from a dataset.

Database administrators’ responsibilities often include:

Database administrators have a strong job outlook. According to the 

, jobs in database administration are expected to grow by 9 percent by 2029, which is “faster than average.” This growth will be driven by growing needs of companies across the economy to collect, store, and analyze new and existing data.

Database Administrator Salaries - How Much Do Database Administrators Earn?

Database administrators earn impressive salaries. Most expected salaries for DBAs, according to ZipRecruiter, range between $65,000 and $104,000, depending on your experience level. However, the national average salary is over 

There’s no way to know the exact salary you can expect to earn as a DBA, as it can vary between companies and locations. Big companies like Google and Oracle with large data needs will offer higher salaries than most startups, for example. DBAs in 

 can expect to earn an average of almost $101,000 per year, whereas DBAs in 

 , Texas can expect to earn over $83,500 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.

Further, salaries for database administrators vary widely depending on your experience. Junior DBAs can expect to earn an average of over 

 per year, whereas senior DBAs earn an average of almost $113,000 per year. Keep in mind that those salaries do not include stock options or other employee benefits, which you should consider when evaluating a particular job.

How Can You Become a Database Administrator?

There are several different paths you can take to become a DBA. The most common paths people pursue when starting their career in database administration are as follows:

Each path has its own benefits and drawbacks. While data roles in the past were mostly offered to college graduates, this has been changing rapidly over the last few decades. Now, many data scientists are self-taught or pursue a non-traditional path. Perhaps the most viable alternative to college for budding database administrators is going to a coding bootcamp.

Coding bootcamps allow you to acquire the practical skills you need to thrive in a particular role, without spending four years on a university course and taking out loans to finance your education. In a coding bootcamp, you can learn everything you need to know in under a year, and be taught by industry veterans who have walked the same path you are going down.

There’s more than one way to learn about database administration. Many DBAs attend a college and university, where they will spend a lot of time learning about data storage and algorithms. Other people have taught themselves data science and lack any formal coding education. However, this is rare in database administration. That said, there is another way to learn the skills you need to become a DBA: coding bootcamps.

Coding bootcamps are short-term, intensive programs where you will learn all of the practical skills you need to enter a particular field. There are dozens of high-quality coding bootcamps which teach courses in data science. After graduating from a data science program, you’ll be armed with a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills, the knowledge you need, and a network which you can use to find a job as a DBA.

Top Skills Needed for Database Administration Careers

In order to be a successful database administrator, there are several technical skills you’ll need to learn and master. Let’s start with the technical skills you need to thrive as a DBA.

Essential Technical Skills for Database Administrators

The following technical skills are crucial to have as a database administrator. These database administration skills include development tools, programming technologies, and other data-related concepts.

Essential Soft Skills for Database Administrators

To be successful as a database administrator, you’ll need to have a set of “soft” skills — personal attributes and abilities — as well as technical knowledge. Here are the main soft skills you should have as a database administrator:

How to Become a Database Administrator: Step-by-Step

There’s a few steps you’ll need to go through in order to become a database administrator, which include:

Career Karma is here to help you through every step of your journey to becoming a database administrator. We’ll provide free mentorship, coaching, and access to a community of your peers who can support you along the way. We’ll also help you prepare for and get accepted to one of the top data science bootcamps, so you can get the training you need to succeed in your new career.