SOC 15-1242 · May 2025
Database Administrator Salary
Database Administrators in the US earn a median of $104,620 a year ($52.93 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Database Administrator pay climbed from $96,550 in 2021 to $110,090 in 2025, a +14.0% change in 4 years.
Median annual
$104,620
Half of all Database Administrators in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+14.0% since 2021 · +2.5% YoY
Hourly
$52.93
Job growth 2025-35
-0.1%
US workers
69,990
BLS series
Annual median wage for Database Administrators in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Database Administrators is $60,230 – $163,320.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$60,230
25th
$79,610
Median
$104,620
75th
$135,460
90th
$163,320
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Database Administrators. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $60,230 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $79,610 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $104,620 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $135,460 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $163,320 |
Geography
Database Administrator pay by state
Database Administrators earn the most in Utah ($135,750, +30% against the national median) and the least in Maine ($70,500). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 51 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$104,620
Highest-paying states for database administrators
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | $135,750 | +30% | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $129,300 | +24% | 2,310 |
| New Jersey | $125,860 | +20% | 1,810 |
| Maryland | $124,300 | +19% | 2,300 |
| D.C. | $118,540 | +13% | 560 |
| Colorado | $118,340 | +13% | 1,220 |
| Washington | $118,140 | +13% | 1,730 |
| Tennessee | $115,500 | +10% | 2,020 |
| Texas | $114,400 | +9% | 6,430 |
| North Carolina | $113,900 | +9% | 1,920 |
All 51 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $135,750 | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $129,300 | 2,310 |
| New Jersey | $125,860 | 1,810 |
| Maryland | $124,300 | 2,300 |
| D.C. | $118,540 | 560 |
| Colorado | $118,340 | 1,220 |
| Washington | $118,140 | 1,730 |
| Tennessee | $115,500 | 2,020 |
| Texas | $114,400 | 6,430 |
| North Carolina | $113,900 | 1,920 |
| California | $113,060 | 7,240 |
| Nevada | $109,670 | 380 |
| Alaska | $108,810 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $108,270 | 810 |
| Georgia | $106,810 | 2,460 |
| Rhode Island | $106,020 | 280 |
| New York | $105,900 | 3,590 |
| Illinois | $104,650 | 2,340 |
| Arizona | $104,280 | 1,120 |
| Vermont | $104,230 | 120 |
| Florida | $104,120 | 3,810 |
| Iowa | $101,210 | 360 |
| Delaware | $100,910 | 670 |
| Minnesota | $100,700 | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $100,270 | 1,140 |
| Oregon | $100,260 | 1,060 |
| Kansas | $100,170 | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $100,110 | 2,450 |
| Wisconsin | $100,020 | 1,220 |
| Nebraska | $100,020 | 610 |
| Michigan | $99,830 | 1,150 |
| New Mexico | $98,450 | 570 |
| Louisiana | $98,270 | 290 |
| Ohio | $97,190 | 1,860 |
| Oklahoma | $95,320 | 790 |
| Alabama | $93,900 | 1,840 |
| South Carolina | $93,640 | 990 |
| Virginia | $93,320 | 5,940 |
| New Hampshire | $92,110 | 250 |
| Indiana | $90,090 | 930 |
| Mississippi | $87,790 | 200 |
| Kentucky | $87,390 | 650 |
| Idaho | $85,660 | 180 |
| Hawaii | $85,500 | 100 |
| Montana | $83,120 | 300 |
| South Dakota | $82,540 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $82,480 | 100 |
| Arkansas | $82,480 | 420 |
| North Dakota | $78,730 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $73,490 | 240 |
| Maine | $70,500 | 260 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Database Administrators
Database administrators and architects (BLS SOC 15-1242) use specialized software to store and organize data, ensuring it is available to authorized users and protected from unauthorized access. The role typically requires a bachelor's degree plus experience with major database platforms (Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MongoDB) and increasingly cloud-data-platform certifications (AWS, Snowflake, Databricks).
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $60,230 – $163,320. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are Utah, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Pay in Utah runs 1.9 times the level in Maine, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as bachelor's degree, and projects about 3,300 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to shrink 0.1% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Database Administrator salary in the US?
How much does a Database Administrator make an hour?
How much do Database Administrators make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Database Administrators the most?
Is the average Database Administrator salary higher than the median?
Is Database Administrator a growing career?
Open positions
Open Database Administrator roles hiring now
Browse current Database Administrator listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 15-1242. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.