SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Information Security Analysts” (15-1212) and “Database Architects” (15-1243).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 15-1242.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $60,230 | $5,019 | $1,158 | $28.96 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $79,610 | $6,634 | $1,531 | $38.28 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $104,620 | $8,718 | $2,012 | $50.30 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $135,460 | $11,288 | $2,605 | $65.13 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $163,320 | $13,610 | $3,141 | $78.52 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Database Administrators is $104,620, which is 105% higher. Among the 21 occupations of the field Computer and Mathematical, it ranks number 12 by median pay. With 69,990 jobs, it makes up about 4.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Database Administrators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Utah ($135,750), Massachusetts ($129,300) and New Jersey ($125,860). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($51,880), Maine ($70,500) and West Virginia ($73,490). The most jobs were in California (7,240), Texas (6,430) and Virginia (5,940). The occupation is most concentrated in Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 3.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 1,200 | $135,750 | $121,270 | $65.27 |
| Massachusetts | 2,310 | $129,300 | $126,790 | $62.16 |
| New Jersey | 1,810 | $125,860 | $125,070 | $60.51 |
| Maryland | 2,300 | $124,300 | $126,510 | $59.76 |
| District of Columbia | 560 | $118,540 | $115,790 | $56.99 |
| Colorado | 1,220 | $118,340 | $115,130 | $56.90 |
| Washington | 1,730 | $118,140 | $122,310 | $56.80 |
| Tennessee | 2,020 | $115,500 | $109,570 | $55.53 |
| Texas | 6,430 | $114,400 | $113,270 | $55.00 |
| North Carolina | 1,920 | $113,900 | $113,260 | $54.76 |
| California | 7,240 | $113,060 | $121,500 | $54.35 |
| Nevada | 380 | $109,670 | $109,940 | $52.72 |
| Alaska | 90 | $108,810 | $103,520 | $52.31 |
| Connecticut | 810 | $108,270 | $113,250 | $52.05 |
| Georgia | 2,460 | $106,810 | $108,580 | $51.35 |
| Rhode Island | 280 | $106,020 | $105,860 | $50.97 |
| New York | 3,590 | $105,900 | $114,100 | $50.91 |
| Illinois | 2,340 | $104,650 | $108,300 | $50.31 |
| Arizona | 1,120 | $104,280 | $104,750 | $50.14 |
| Vermont | 120 | $104,230 | $103,180 | $50.11 |
| Florida | 3,810 | $104,120 | $107,750 | $50.06 |
| Iowa | 360 | $101,210 | $103,420 | $48.66 |
| Delaware | 670 | $100,910 | $110,100 | $48.52 |
| Minnesota | 1,020 | $100,700 | $102,430 | $48.42 |
| Missouri | 1,140 | $100,270 | $101,960 | $48.21 |
| Oregon | 1,060 | $100,260 | $101,250 | $48.20 |
| Kansas | 440 | $100,170 | $107,100 | $48.16 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,450 | $100,110 | $104,210 | $48.13 |
| Nebraska | 610 | $100,020 | $103,060 | $48.09 |
| Wisconsin | 1,220 | $100,020 | $103,890 | $48.09 |
| Michigan | 1,150 | $99,830 | $101,420 | $48.00 |
| New Mexico | 570 | $98,450 | $101,190 | $47.33 |
| Louisiana | 290 | $98,270 | $98,120 | $47.24 |
| Ohio | 1,860 | $97,190 | $100,770 | $46.73 |
| Oklahoma | 790 | $95,320 | $96,840 | $45.83 |
| Alabama | 1,840 | $93,900 | $96,500 | $45.14 |
| South Carolina | 990 | $93,640 | $98,670 | $45.02 |
| Virginia | 5,940 | $93,320 | $104,560 | $44.86 |
| New Hampshire | 250 | $92,110 | $96,270 | $44.29 |
| Indiana | 930 | $90,090 | $98,070 | $43.31 |
| Mississippi | 200 | $87,790 | $87,050 | $42.21 |
| Kentucky | 650 | $87,390 | $92,080 | $42.02 |
| Idaho | 180 | $85,660 | $90,270 | $41.19 |
| Hawaii | 100 | $85,500 | $95,710 | $41.11 |
| Montana | 300 | $83,120 | $87,100 | $39.96 |
| South Dakota | 170 | $82,540 | $86,260 | $39.69 |
| Arkansas | 420 | $82,480 | $90,420 | $39.66 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $82,480 | $83,630 | $39.66 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $78,730 | $86,530 | $37.85 |
| West Virginia | 240 | $73,490 | $79,460 | $35.33 |
| Maine | 260 | $70,500 | $79,880 | $33.90 |
| Puerto Rico | 170 | $51,880 | $59,610 | $24.94 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580 a year
- Computer Systems Analysts$105,850 a year
- Statisticians$105,650 a year
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$104,300 a year
- Web and Digital Interface Designers$104,000 a year
- Computer Programmers$100,390 a year
Common questions
How much do Database Administrators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $104,620 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $60,230 and the highest-paid 10% more than $163,320.
How many people work as Database Administrators?
About 69,990 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.