Database Administrator Salary

Do "keys" to you mean only 'primary keys' and 'foreign keys'? Is it true that the only procedures you have ever learned are 'stored procedures'? And do you believe that quarries should always end with a semicolon (;)? If answers to all the above questions is a big 'yes', then thousands of terabytes of exclusive data is just waiting to be controlled by a database administrator like you. As for the salary figures, there are certain criteria you need to fulfill.

Duties

All firms in the everchanging information technology sector need highly qualified and experienced database administrators (DBAs) who would not only manage, maintain and develop databases, but also formulate policies for ensuring the security of the company database.

To give you a fair idea about the job of a database administrator, we can say that companies hire DBAs for effective management of data or information. Apart from the already mentioned work that a DBA is supposed to do, a DBA also performs security checks, backups and upgrades database systems to maintain a close balance between data safety and accessibility.

First and foremost, an employer looks for a few basic qualifications before hiring. Formal training in computer science has been marked as a minimum benchmark. This may be in the form of a bachelor's degree in computer science, telecommunications, systems science etc.

Salary Range of Database Administrator

Coming to the point of salaries, DBAs are amongst the most well-paid IT professionals. Their salary ranges between $37,000 to $100,000 per annum, with entry-level pay scale ranging anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000. One of the factors that determine the salary is relevant work experience. The amount earned is in direct proportion to the number of years of experience, the professional has in the relevant field. The following table will make things crystal clear.

Salary Vs Work Experience

Years of Experience	Salary Range (USD)
<1 year	35,000-55,000
1-4 years	44,000- 65,000
<5-9 years	57,000-81,000
<10-19 years	68,000-95,000
>20 years	75,000-100,000

Other Determining Factors

As clearly visible above, experience plays a crucial role in the salary that is paid to a database administrator. Though, very vital, experience is not the only deciding factor. Another factor that comes into the picture is certifications earned by the DBA. Various IT firms use different databases depending on their requirements and cost constraints. There are numerous data warehousing software available in the market. Some are open source, while some are licensed and need to be purchased. Oracle, MySQL and Microsoft's SQL Server sum up the most popularly used databases in the IT industry today. Every database issues its own certification, as even though all are fundamentally similar, they exhibit distinct characteristics.

For those looking forward to working with Oracle should go for the Oracle Certified Professional program, which will award you a certification of an Oracle Certified Associate. At the entry level, the Associate certification has been made mandatory by most organizations, although to move higher up the hierarchy, you need to become a Certified Professional, followed by a Certified Master.

The open source databases like MySQL also offer certifications, ranging from Associates to Certified Administrator, allowing you to challenge for higher salaries within the companies working on MySQL.

Microsoft has an established training program which trains candidates to earn a Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) certificate, after passing a series of tests that cover all aspects of planning, setting up, maintaining, and using a Microsoft SQL Server.

Pay scale of DBAs also depends on the size of the database. For example, a professional working in a large industry with an enormous database will surely earn a lot more than a DBA working in a small office where the database may be limited to storing the company's employee and consumer base details. The contrast in the level of sensitive and confidential information being handled gets reflected in the pay. Also, there is a vast difference in pay, depending upon the level of responsibility thrust on the administrator. These aspects play a crucial role in deciding the amount a professional is set to earn.

The requirement for more versatile DBAs has seen a steep rise, in the recent past. Due to the constant rise in the number of network security breaches and firewall failures, ability to secure the confidential data is not just an add-on any more, for an aspiring DBA. There's also a rising demand for more multitasking individuals in this field, which has further propelled the salaries.

Hope this brief will prove fruitful for your future endeavor as a well-paid database administrator, and has enriched your knowledge on current salary figures of the same.