Database Administrator Salary
This is what we do all day: recruit technology and IT professionals.
Technology Headhunters uses BLS OEWS data to answer this pay question. The median pay for Database Administrator in the United States is $104,620 a year, and the middle half of workers earned between $79,610 and $135,460 (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 15-1242).
Direct match
BLS reports this role as SOC 15-1242, Database Administrators. This title matches the BLS occupation.
BLS publishes one set of figures for SOC 15-1242. 1 other title in our taxonomy maps to it and shows the same numbers. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation. They are not experience levels.
| Measure | Per year |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,230 |
| 25th percentile | $79,610 |
| Median | $104,620 |
| 75th percentile | $135,460 |
| 90th percentile | $163,320 |
| Mean | $110,090 |
| Measure | Per hour |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.96 |
| 25th percentile | $38.28 |
| Median | $50.30 |
| 75th percentile | $65.13 |
| 90th percentile | $78.52 |
| Mean | $52.93 |
A figure shown as "or more" is top-coded. BLS does not publish exact wages at or above $239,200 a year or $115.00 an hour.
BLS estimates 69,990 people work in this occupation nationally.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $105,590 | $73,750 to $138,210 | 860 | 0.68 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $124,560 | $79,560 to $156,500 | 670 | 1.02 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $115,100 | $76,060 to $135,580 | 580 | 0.91 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $122,950 | $98,080 to $142,470 | 510 | 1.54 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $121,550 | $87,370 to $162,390 | 3,630 | 0.85 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $121,550 | $87,370 to $162,390 | 3,630 | 0.85 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $122,390 | $94,510 to $143,530 | 2,430 | 1.33 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $109,680 | $77,410 to $135,990 | 1,870 | 0.92 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1242 Database Administrators, the United States. Released 2026-05-15. Methodology and mapping notes.
These are BLS survey-based wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a modeled technology-title range. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.
Recruiter's read
Qualitative view from the search team. Not BLS data.
Published pay for this occupation is a useful floor for planning. Scarce skills, security clearances and niche stacks often change what a specific search needs. Talk to us if your search needs more than a published range can tell you.
Questions answered by BLS data
What is the median pay for Database Administrator?
BLS reports a median of $104,620 a year for SOC 15-1242, Database Administrators, in the United States (May 2025). Half of workers earned less and half earned more.
What is the pay range for Database Administrator?
10% of workers in this occupation earned less than $60,230. 10% earned more than $163,320.
How many Database Administrator jobs are there?
BLS estimates 69,990 workers in SOC 15-1242 nationally in May 2025.
Does BLS publish this exact job title?
Yes. Database Administrator maps directly to SOC 15-1242, Database Administrators.
Which of our target metros reports the highest median for Database Administrator?
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL , at $124,560 a year (May 2025).
Are percentiles the same as experience levels?
No. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than that amount. BLS does not report pay by experience.
Related roles
Download the source data for this role (CSV) · Methodology
What changed between the published releases?
These are BLS survey estimates for SOC 15-1242, Database Administrators. They are not a projection or a comparison of the same individual workers.
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $104,620 |
| May 2025 | $104,620 |
How do published wages differ by industry?
These national rows describe private establishments in BLS four-digit industry groups. Industry names are shown as BLS publishes them. They do not include government establishments. An industry figure is still an occupation estimate, not a quote for this exact title.
View the published industry table
| Industry | NAICS | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 211100 | $98,280 | $136,580 | $173,510 | $133,690 | 70 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 213100 | $70,510 | $79,450 | $86,180 | $83,700 | Not published by BLS |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | $96,330 | $121,250 | $136,380 | $119,630 | 320 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | 221200 | $106,000 | $125,160 | $144,980 | $124,520 | 100 |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $69,120 | $88,990 | $117,590 | $98,450 | 30 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $80,620 | $96,770 | $114,230 | $114,520 | Not published by BLS |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $66,890 | $82,460 | $102,650 | $91,100 | 110 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 311400 | $45,040 | $96,560 | $115,470 | $97,000 | 40 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 311800 | $148,050 | $162,050 | $164,430 | $145,660 | Not published by BLS |
| Other Food Manufacturing | 311900 | $96,830 | $105,880 | $124,380 | $113,260 | 40 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 322200 | $60,490 | $91,690 | $107,070 | $89,220 | 30 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | 323100 | $64,450 | $93,140 | $115,730 | $90,800 | 150 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 3250A1 | $70,460 | $86,790 | $115,640 | $93,350 | 100 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 3250A2 | $55,470 | $88,150 | $128,030 | $93,420 | 30 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 325400 | $55,710 | $89,510 | $131,300 | $95,830 | 170 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 326100 | $73,400 | $83,760 | $111,550 | $93,120 | 60 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | $63,210 | $91,340 | $124,040 | $95,530 | 140 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3320A2 | $74,950 | $90,000 | $113,780 | $94,140 | 80 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 332700 | $68,850 | $85,460 | $100,800 | $88,450 | 40 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3330A1 | $76,360 | $88,620 | $112,270 | $98,850 | 150 |
| Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 333600 | $70,330 | $74,820 | $77,290 | $76,790 | 40 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | $88,900 | $107,850 | $144,220 | $118,450 | 170 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 334200 | $106,640 | $132,150 | $149,040 | $128,560 | 70 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 334400 | $94,020 | $114,700 | $142,210 | $118,130 | 170 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 334500 | $99,140 | $119,650 | $144,730 | $122,170 | 280 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 335300 | $72,360 | $84,790 | $97,630 | $90,270 | 40 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | $58,360 | $83,910 | $109,940 | $89,830 | 40 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 336300 | $70,530 | $85,800 | $106,810 | $88,720 | 80 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 336400 | $92,080 | $131,630 | $162,950 | $131,290 | 220 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3370A1 | $55,070 | $61,270 | $97,440 | $80,260 | 30 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 339100 | $87,870 | $98,090 | $143,000 | $117,550 | 140 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339900 | $71,130 | $91,610 | $120,390 | $98,830 | 110 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | 4450A1 | $51,190 | $55,940 | $62,210 | $58,090 | 40 |
| Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers | 449100 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 30 |
| Electronics and Appliance Retailers | 449200 | $63,590 | $88,470 | $88,470 | $81,160 | Not published by BLS |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | 456100 | $42,090 | $84,620 | $128,790 | $88,360 | 70 |
| Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers | 458100 | $97,000 | $101,870 | $101,870 | $100,900 | Not published by BLS |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers (4594 and 4595 only) | 4590A1 | $45,270 | $85,890 | $140,290 | $95,380 | Not published by BLS |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers | 459900 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 270 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 481100 | $137,230 | $160,240 | $174,970 | $155,550 | 40 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation | 481200 | $111,670 | $121,690 | $125,790 | $119,900 | Not published by BLS |
| Taxi and Limousine Service | 485300 | $131,710 | $153,170 | $178,910 | $156,250 | Not published by BLS |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 488100 | $58,970 | $88,440 | $120,210 | $91,330 | 50 |
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | 488200 | $92,750 | $135,480 | $147,600 | $119,850 | 30 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement | 488500 | $75,390 | $97,100 | $126,970 | $97,280 | 90 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 492100 | $55,940 | $62,600 | $81,870 | $71,610 | 60 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 493100 | $66,470 | $95,540 | $126,300 | $97,820 | 180 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 512100 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 70 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 513100 | $77,630 | $123,730 | $150,890 | $116,910 | 250 |
| Software Publishers | 513200 | $77,210 | $121,380 | $149,600 | $118,330 | 1370 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations | 516100 | $65,340 | $74,170 | $88,270 | $83,650 | 30 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers | 516200 | $103,760 | $135,060 | $181,990 | $140,400 | 150 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | $99,960 | $123,730 | $144,820 | $122,060 | 2860 |
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | 519200 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 310 |
| Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | 521100 | $123,900 | $129,790 | $160,460 | $132,950 | 100 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | 5220A1 | $90,000 | $115,740 | $138,510 | $118,240 | 1650 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | 522200 | $117,380 | $139,510 | $161,330 | $137,650 | 730 |
| Insurance Carriers | 524100 | $82,760 | $121,160 | $143,880 | $115,770 | 2730 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | 524200 | $67,960 | $111,940 | $138,280 | $107,520 | 1420 |
| Legal Services | 541100 | $90,900 | $130,470 | $155,180 | $123,690 | 460 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | 541200 | $75,100 | $94,060 | $131,050 | $106,400 | 500 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | $77,810 | $103,420 | $135,390 | $106,840 | 1420 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | $88,610 | $124,130 | $147,410 | $124,290 | 10430 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 541600 | $81,920 | $107,840 | $136,690 | $111,960 | 1920 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 541700 | $86,780 | $119,990 | $155,540 | $122,780 | 1790 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 541800 | $78,520 | $103,460 | $125,650 | $106,710 | 350 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541900 | $81,040 | $117,120 | $149,570 | $114,230 | 520 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 551100 | $90,620 | $124,270 | $142,050 | $119,400 | 5320 |
| Office Administrative Services | 561100 | $84,470 | $110,250 | $144,400 | $113,740 | 660 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | $97,970 | $108,910 | $131,470 | $113,570 | Not published by BLS |
| Employment Services | 561300 | $75,080 | $117,390 | $150,520 | $113,870 | 2410 |
| Business Support Services | 561400 | $71,770 | $111,090 | $139,520 | $107,540 | 480 |
| Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | 561500 | $85,850 | $126,260 | $142,670 | $121,740 | 250 |
| Investigation and Security Services | 561600 | $69,750 | $104,990 | $122,560 | $100,610 | 90 |
| Other Support Services | 561900 | $55,160 | $69,890 | $85,900 | $74,640 | 50 |
| Offices of Physicians | 621100 | $83,240 | $101,610 | $124,210 | $103,410 | 330 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 621400 | $64,980 | $84,540 | $111,870 | $92,780 | 240 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 621500 | $75,590 | $96,490 | $115,170 | $99,080 | 300 |
| Home Health Care Services | 621600 | $64,460 | $100,200 | $147,700 | $100,870 | 80 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | 621900 | $55,850 | $94,140 | $113,140 | $91,900 | 190 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | 623200 | $53,210 | $75,330 | $88,190 | $79,390 | 80 |
| Other Residential Care Facilities | 623900 | $46,390 | $58,150 | $77,570 | $65,540 | 40 |
| Individual and Family Services | 624100 | $55,180 | $65,400 | $79,380 | $75,310 | 630 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | 624200 | $53,930 | $62,840 | $74,710 | $65,840 | 230 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | 624300 | $57,730 | $75,140 | $93,270 | $76,840 | 50 |
| Child Care Services | 624400 | $43,890 | $69,090 | $76,120 | $63,180 | Not published by BLS |
What should you check outside the wage figure?
For this technology hire, compare the cash work covered by the occupation before judging an offer. Keep discretionary bonuses separate. BLS does not list equity or RSUs in its wage definition. We do not assign stock awards a cash value or add them to these wages.
Remote pay bands are an employer decision. These figures have no remote-work or cost-of-living adjustment. The published metro and state rows describe the BLS area, not a remote candidate's personal pay expectations.
Compare all published metro medians for this occupation · Read the mapping and data method
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1242 Database Administrators, the United States. Released 2026-05-15. Methodology and mapping notes.
These are BLS survey-based wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a modeled technology-title range. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.