Database administrators
Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.
Database administrators administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. The role reports a median annual salary of $104,620 in the US. Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows high AI exposure (0.70 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include information structure, domain name service, system backup best practice, distributed computing, resource description framework query language.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £37,995 a year for Database administrators and web content technicians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £30,395 to £48,133 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3133). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Database administrators, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Computer Applications (BCA) — BCA (three years, or four years for BCA Honours / with Research)
Entrance exams: CUET-UG, IPU CET
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Cybersecurity — B.Tech in CSE (Cyber Security) (four years)
Entrance exams: JEE Main, MHT CET, KCET, CUET-UG
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
4 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Telecommunications
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
A day in the life
You start the morning checking overnight alerts and backup logs to confirm every database came through the night intact. One reporting query ran unusually slowly, so you look at how it reads the tables and add an index that brings it back up to speed. Mid-morning a new team needs access to customer records, and you set up their accounts so each person sees only the parts of the database they need. After lunch you test an upgrade of the database software on a copy of the live system, running the application's usual checks and fixing a couple of stored procedures that break. Later you walk a junior colleague through restoring a table from a backup, then answer questions from analysts who cannot find the data they want. Writing up change requests and keeping the documentation current is the tedious part. The quiet satisfaction is knowing a whole business depends on systems you keep safe, fast and running.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Modify existing databases and database management systems or direct programmers and analysts to make changes.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard information in computer files against accidental or unauthorized damage, modification or disclosure.
- Plan and install upgrades of database management system software to enhance database performance.
- Specify users and user access levels for each segment of database.
- Test changes to database applications or systems.
- Test programs or databases, correct errors, and make necessary modifications.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Database administrators do?
Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.
What does a typical day look like in Database administrators?
You start the morning checking overnight alerts and backup logs to confirm every database came through the night intact. One reporting query ran unusually slowly, so you look at how it reads the tables and add an index that brings it back up to speed. Mid-morning a new team needs access to customer records, and you set up their accounts so each person sees only the parts of the database they need.
How much does Database administrators earn?
The median annual salary for Database administrators in the US is $104,620.
How do I become database administrators?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Database administrators need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include information structure, domain name service, system backup best practice, distributed computing, resource description framework query language, query languages. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Database administrators?
Our AI-durability model gives Database administrators a score of 0.70 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Database administrators has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.