The role of database administrator, or DBA, is a highly skilled and specialized one. Because of this the average database administrator salary is higher than most salaries in the I.T. world. Not only this, but average database administrator salaries are showing good year on year increases too. Add to this the nature of the job combined with the opportunity to get involved in such a wide range of projects, and a career as a DBA is a great choice.
Database Administrator Salary Details
The actual database administrator salary you’ll be able to achieve depends on your location, your experience and qualifications, and the particular industry you work in. For example in the United States, DBA jobs on both the East and West coasts tend to have higher salaries than those in the middle of the country. In actual fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, four of the top five cities with the highest average DBA salary are in California. See the second table below for a breakdown of average DBA salaries per state.
Senior database administrators with years of experience will obviously be able to command higher salaries than junior DBAs. And the average database administrator salary also varies according to which particular database(s) you have experience with. For example, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server database administrator salaries are higher on average than those for other databases.
Average DBA Salary By Year
The average nationwide database administrator salary for the last three years in the U.S. are shown in the table below (Source: Robert Half Technology 2015, 2014 & 2013 IT Salary Guides):
| Year | Average Salary Range |
|---|---|
| 2013 | $83,000 - $119,500 |
| 2014 | $87,500 - $126,000 |
| 2015 | $91,000 - $134,750 |
The average Oracle database administrator salary was 7% higher than these figures and the average SQL Server DBA salary was 10% higher.
Average Annual And Hourly DBA Salary By State
The table below shows the average database administrator salary broken down by state as at May 2014 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics):
| State | Average Hourly Salary | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34.98 | $72,750 |
| Alaska | $34.76 | $72,300 |
| Arizona | $36.49 | $75,900 |
| Arkansas | $30.77 | $64,010 |
| California | $44.89 | $93,370 |
| Colorado | $45.21 | $94,050 |
| Connecticut | $42.4 | $88,200 |
| Delaware | $42.41 | $88,210 |
| District of Columbia | $44.34 | $92,220 |
| Florida | $38.25 | $79,560 |
| Georgia | $39.53 | $82,220 |
| Hawaii | $33.13 | $68,910 |
| Idaho | $31.00 | $64,480 |
| Illinois | $38.87 | $80,850 |
| Indiana | $33.52 | $69,710 |
| Iowa | $37.38 | $77,740 |
| Kansas | $37.64 | $78,290 |
| Kentucky | $32.29 | $67,160 |
| Louisiana | $32.76 | $68,130 |
| Maine | $30.41 | $63,240 |
| Maryland | $42.52 | $88,440 |
| Massachusetts | $39.62 | $82,410 |
| Michigan | $39.43 | $82,010 |
| Minnesota | $43.14 | $89,730 |
| Mississippi | $31.64 | $65,810 |
| Missouri | $38.13 | $79,320 |
| Montana | $27.25 | $56,670 |
| Nebraska | $35.60 | $74,050 |
| Nevada | $38.69 | $80,480 |
| New Hampshire | $37.96 | $78,950 |
| New Jersey | $49.20 | $102,350 |
| New Mexico | $33.50 | $69,670 |
| New York | $40.65 | $84,560 |
| North Carolina | $40.37 | $83,960 |
| North Dakota | $34.00 | $70,730 |
| Ohio | $37.42 | $77,830 |
| Oklahoma | $34.44 | $71,630 |
| Oregon | $41.10 | $85,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $36.12 | $75,130 |
| Puerto Rico | $22.87 | $47,570 |
| Rhode Island | $41.04 | $85,360 |
| South Carolina | $34.69 | $72,150 |
| South Dakota | $35.71 | $74,280 |
| Tennessee | $37.57 | $78,140 |
| Texas | $37.09 | $77,140 |
| Utah | $38.79 | $80,680 |
| Vermont | $31.62 | $65,780 |
| Virginia | $43.35 | $90,170 |
| Washington | $44.12 | $91,760 |
| West Virginia | $28.36 | $58,980 |
| Wisconsin | $35.60 | $74,050 |
| Wyoming | $27.35 | $56,900 |
Note: Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by 2080 hours.
Summary
A career as a database administrator is a good option. The average database administrator salary is higher than for most I.T. jobs and the outlook is good, with average salaries increasing year on year.