OVERVIEW
What Is a Database Administrator?
A database administrator (DBA) is an information technology professional who keeps a company’s data organized, secure, and available to the people who need it. Database administrators help companies manage their data, no matter what form it takes. DBAs often help organizations install relevant data management platforms, configure programs to securely store information, migrate this data to different servers and employee devices, and fix users’ issues in accessing required data.
The role of a database administrator typically requires at least an undergraduate degree. In addition, you might need a few years of relevant experience to qualify for hire by some employers. If you’re still exploring options, you can browse careers in information technology to see whether a data administrator job is the right choice for you.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Database Administrator Do?
A database administrator installs, maintains, and protects databases so people across an organization can get the data they need. On a day-to-day basis, a DBA fulfills a wide range of responsibilities. From configuring database platforms to managing user permissions to ensuring that systems run smoothly, you’ll be constantly involved in helping your organization manage its information.
The exact responsibilities of a database administrator can include:
- Installing database servers.
- Maintaining databases for your employer or clients.
- Managing database access, to ensure that employees receive access only to the information they need.
- Updating database access parameters and available data according to employer or client preferences.
- Protecting databases from data loss or cybersecurity breaches, including backup and recovery planning.
- Troubleshooting issues with database performance or access, plus ongoing performance monitoring so you can monitor database health and catch problems before users notice them.
- Communicating with clients and fellow database administrators.
- Updating database platforms to reflect current best practices, including database modifications and upgrades.
- Researching the latest database protection and management methods for potential integration.
All these tasks exist to serve the main goal of a DBA: making sure your organization’s information is protected and ready the moment someone asks for it.
Where Do Database Administrators Work?
Database administrators work in nearly every industry, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) listing computer systems design (14%), finance and insurance (12%), educational services (11%), information (8%), and management of companies and enterprises (7%) as the top industries employing DBAs. Here’s what the role can look like in those industries:
- Computer systems design: Supporting firms that provide computer design services to other businesses.
- Finance and insurance: Working with the large databases that banks and insurance companies rely on.
- Educational services: Managing records for schools, colleges, and universities.
- Information: Supporting organizations that handle data as a core part of what they offer.
- Management of companies and enterprises: Keeping a corporate office’s internal data organized and secure.
The actual work you do changes depending on the setting.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How to Become a Database Administrator?
If you’re interested in securing a stable, high-paying IT career like that of a database administrator, a great first step is to obtain a bachelor’s degree, though this is far from the only possible pathway. Some strong options for those that opt for earning a bachelor’s degree include bachelor’s degree in information technology, through which you can gain a foundation in modern computing and IT principles or a bachelor’s degree in cloud computing, where you develop proficiency in IT applications, network security, and cloud applications. Alternatively, some students prefer to obtain a bachelor’s degree in data analytics. This program teaches skills like data analysis, machine learning, data visualization, and data systems administration to fully inform your understanding of a database administrator’s role.
Each field of study with these degrees will immediately benefit your skill set once you begin a career as a database administrator. Along with a bachelor’s degree, top industry certifications can help you stand out from the competition as you work to find database administration jobs. Certifications from AWS, CompTIA, ITIL, and Linux are all great options for those who want to demonstrate their proficiency in database systems and network security and some of WGU’s programs even come with these certifications. Some employers require or prefer certain individual certifications, so it’s important to check prospective job postings to decide what each employer values most.
Best Degrees for a Database Administrator
Technology
Cloud and Network Engineering – B.S.
Launch your career in designing, securing, and optimizing complex networks....
Launch your career in designing, securing, and optimizing complex networks.
Students choose between four unique specializations within this program. These spcializations prepare students to work with different software systems and processes in their careers.
Specializations in this program include: General, Cisco, AWS, and Azure.
- Time: 61% of graduates finish similar programs within 36 months.
- Tuition: $3925 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 34 or 37 courses in this program depending on focus area
This program also includes third-party certifications that will help you boost your résumé and be prepared for career success. Certifications available in all specializations include:
- CompTIA A+
- Linux Essentials - LPI
- ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
Technology
Java Developer Certificate
Build practical Java skills and a strong foundation for development roles...
Build practical Java skills and a strong foundation for development roles through hands-on learning.
- Time: 3 months from start to finish.
- Cost: $499 for the certificate.
- Courses: 3 courses total in this program.
This certificate is designed to help individuals who want to pursue web development gain important skills and experience, boosting their résumé right away. This program is an important step for your career.
Build your foundational skills in back end web development with a focus on SQL queries, user interface, database management, Java fundamentals and frameworks, and more.
Technology
Information Technology – B.S.
Award-winning coursework and value-add certifications make this online...
Award-winning coursework and value-add certifications make this online program a top choice.
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 39 months.
- Tuition: $3925 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 35 total courses in this program.
Stackable CompTIA certifications that you can earn in this program:
- IT Operations Specialist (earned with A+ and Network+)
- Cloud Administration Professional (earned with Network+ and Cloud+)
- Secure Infrastructure Specialist (earned with A+, Network+, and Security+)
- Secure Cloud Professional (earned with Security+ and Cloud+)
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Scripting and programming
- Networking and security
- Systems and services
- Data management
- Business of IT
Technology
Data Analytics – B.S.
Pair analytics expertise with AI innovation and drive measurable value...
Pair analytics expertise with AI innovation and drive measurable value with data insights.
- Time: 62% of graduates finish within 36 months.
- Tuition and fees: $3925 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 39 total courses in this program.
Certifications in this program at no additional cost include:
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- CompTIA Data+
- CompTIA Project+
- Udacity Nanodegree—a unique, highly recognized credential designed to prepare you for a career in data science
- MSI Change Management (Optional Certification)
- Certiprof Design Thinking Professional Certificate (Optional Certification)
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Data management
- Data wrangling
- Statistical analysis
- Visualization
- Leadership and management
- Model deployment & storytelling
Technology
Accelerated IT Bachelor's and Master's Degree
Earn both your bachelor’s in IT and master’s in Information Technology at...
Earn both your bachelor’s in IT and master’s in Information Technology at a faster pace with fewer courses.
- Time: Approximately 5 years.
- Tuition: $4175 per 6-month term for the bachelor's degree; $4425 per term for the master's portion.
- Courses: 42-43 total courses in this program.
Stackable CompTIA certifications that you can earn in this program:
- IT Operations Specialist (earned with A+ and Network+)
- Cloud Administration Professional (earned with Network+ and Cloud+)
- Secure Infrastructure Specialist (earned with A+, Network+, and Security+)
- Secure Cloud Professional (earned with Security+ and Cloud+)
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Automation with Python
- Cloud and networking security
- IT service management
- Data and AI fluency and integration
- Agile project and product management
- Microsoft IT strategy in cloud, data, AI, and security
This program allows students to earn their bachelor's degree in IT and move directly into a master's degree in IT management, cutting down on the total number of courses to complete.
Business
MBA Information Technology Management
Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper...
Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper management:
- Time: Graduates can finish in 12 months
- Tuition: $4,805 per 6-month term
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program
Sample careers and jobs this business degree will prepare you for:
- Management
- Project Management
- Leadership
- Innovation
- Communications
- Information Systems Security
Learn to navigate emergencies, execute strategies, and optimize systems with the competencies within this specialty MBA.
Technology
Data Analytics Skills Certificate
Learn foundational analytics concepts and build job-ready skills in data...
Learn foundational analytics concepts and build job-ready skills in data analysis, data visualization, SQL, Python, and Excel.
- Time: 6 months from start to finish.
- Cost: $2,000 for the certificate.
- Courses: 6 courses total in this program.
This certificate is designed to help aspiring data analysts begin their journey, gain valuable experience, and add a critical credential to their résumé. You are also guaranteed admission into a WGU School of Technology degree program. All of these courses can be applied to a course in the B.S. Computer Science and B.S. Data Analytics degree programs. This certificate will prepare you for the next step in your career.
This certificate can help build fundamental skills in data analysis, and also help those with no technical background begin to build vocational identity for a long-term career in data analytics.
How Much Does a Database Administrator Make?
$104,620
The median database administrator salary was $104,620 per year in May 2025, or about $50.30 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $60,230, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $163,320. For context, the median for all occupations was $50,980.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
4%
BLS projects database administrators and database architects employment to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035. About 7,300 openings a year are expected for both roles together over the decade, with many of these openings coming from new demand and replacing workers who either transfer or retire.
What Does Database Administrator Career Growth Look Like?
On a typical database administrator career path, experienced DBAs may move from their role into data architects, who focus on database design and build new databases from an organization’s technical requirements. Alternatively, a role in management could be a better fit if you’re interested in an opportunity to grow beyond hands-on work.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Database Administrator Need?
Working as a database administrator requires a mix of technical skills, like database operations and cybersecurity, and soft skills, like communication and attention to detail. You’ll put these skills to work each day, whether you’re discussing situations with colleagues or solving a problem in a data collection program, and both technical and soft skills are necessary to keep your organization’s information protected and easy to reach.
Technical skills:
- Database operations: The ability to manage a database from start to finish, including database design, access controls, monitoring, updates, backup, and recovery.
- Cybersecurity: The ability to practice database security by protecting data from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure.
- Technological proficiency: Comfort working across multiple operating systems and platforms.
- SQL and database management systems: Working knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL), relational database concepts, and database management systems, including products like Microsoft SQL Server.
- Performance troubleshooting: Diagnosing slowdowns, planning capacity, and scaling systems so you can optimize database performance as demand grows.
- Automation: Using scripts and scheduling tools to automate routine tasks like backup jobs and health checks.
- Modern data platforms: Familiarity with cloud platforms, NoSQL, and AI and machine learning as data work shifts toward the cloud.
Soft skills:
- Problem solving: The ability to overcome any issues that might be affecting database performance.
- Interpersonal communication: The ability to correspond with clients, company representatives, and fellow IT staff members.
- Organization: The ability to prioritize maintenance, security, and availability tasks so data stays appropriately managed.
- Analytical thinking: The ability to review information from several sources and decide on the right fix.
- Attention to detail: The ability to take in and understand complex and detailed systems and identify even the smallest mistakes. Complex systems leave little room for error, and a small mistake can cause big problems.
Interested in Becoming a Database Administrator?
You can start by exploring the IT and data analytics bachelor’s programs that can set you on your path in this career. Learn more about the degree programs that can best prepare you to become a database administrator.
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Interested in Becoming a Database Administrator?
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