Database Administrators Salary: $104,620 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 73,180 database administrators work nationally, and $104,620 is the BLS national median annual wage. Much hiring sits in professional, scientific, and technical services.
Database Administrators: what the data shows
Common questions about database administrators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a database administrators?
Database Administrators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 15-1242.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 73,180 workers.
What does a database administrators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Analyzing Data or Information, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a database administrators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $104,620 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $122,296 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,907 |
| 25th percentile | $86,889 |
| Median (50th) | $114,109 |
| 75th percentile | $153,060 |
| 90th percentile | $180,732 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is database administrators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 1.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 3.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 73,180.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do database administratorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 73,180 | 18.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 62,300 | 15.6% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18,360 | 4.6% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18,360 | 4.6% |
| Educational Services | 14,300 | 3.6% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 11,450 | 2.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Database Administrators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 219,010 | $84,130 |
| Gambling Cage Workers | 13,490 | $36,990 |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | 7,600 | $30,460 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 600,680 | $78,300 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Database Administrators workforce.
Employment Over Time
73,180 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Database Administrators grew from 32,020 in 2022 to 32,320 in 2025 (0.9%).
Historical employment for Database Administrators from the California OEWS series, 2022–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$104,620 Median pay (BLS national)
Database Administrators earn $104,620 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Database Administrators.
Salary distribution for Database Administrators.
Employment Growth Projections
0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
32,826 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 1.6%
33,340 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 3.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Database Administrators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Database Administrators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Database Administrators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Database Administrators.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Database Administrators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Database Administrators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,360 employees, $119,060 avg wage
- TX: 6,110 employees, $109,330 avg wage
- PA: 5,000 employees, $105,100 avg wage
- VA: 4,210 employees, $113,810 avg wage
- FL: 4,080 employees, $102,900 avg wage
- NY: 3,680 employees, $113,070 avg wage
- GA: 3,020 employees, $105,590 avg wage
- MD: 2,640 employees, $124,430 avg wage
- IL: 2,290 employees, $107,750 avg wage
- WA: 2,190 employees, $118,000 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Database Administrators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,770 employees, $125,260 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 3,470 employees, $121,460 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,610 employees, $112,690 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,240 employees, $117,210 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 2,170 employees, $105,420 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,890 employees, $111,270 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,860 employees, $127,410 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,830 employees, $110,410 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,600 employees, $115,340 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 1,380 employees, $125,690 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Database Administrators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Database Administrators in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Database Administrators is about 73,180 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Database Administrators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Database Administrators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Database Administrators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Database Administrators in 2023 were Engineering, Business Administration, Management.
Common majors for Database Administrators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Database Administrators workers.
Education level distribution for Database Administrators.
Skills
Database Administrators need many skills, but most especially Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Required skills for Database Administrators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Database Administrators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Database Administrators include Computers and Electronics, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Telecommunications.
Knowledge areas required for Database Administrators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Database Administrators include Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Database Administrators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Database Administrators.
Daily Activities
Database Administrators spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Analyzing Data or Information.
Most important work activities for Database Administrators.
About
Database Administrators
Database Administrators earn $104,620 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
15-1242 - Database Administrators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Database Administrators reports an average salary of $122,296, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 73,180 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.