Database Administrator or Architect
Database Administrator or Architect
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What Database Administrators and Architects Do
Database administrators and architects create or organize systems to store and secure a variety of data, such as financial information and customer shipping records. They also make sure that the data are available to authorized users.
Duties
Database administrators and architects typically do the following:
- Identify user needs to create and administer databases
- Design and build new databases
- Ensure that organizational data are secure
- Back up and restore data to prevent data loss
- Ensure that databases operate efficiently and without error
- Make and test modifications to database structure when needed
- Maintain databases and update permissions
Database administrators, often called DBAs, make sure that data analysts and other users can easily use databases to find the information they need. They also ensure that systems perform as they should by monitoring database operation and providing support.
Many databases contain personal, proprietary, or financial information. Database administrators often are responsible for planning security measures to protect this important information.
Database architects design and build new databases for systems and applications. They research the technical requirements of an organization during the design phase and then create models for building the database. Finally, they code new data architecture, integrating existing databases or infrastructure, and check for errors or inefficiencies.
The duties of database administrators and database architects may overlap. For example, administrators and architects may be generalists who work on both systems and applications. However, some DBAs specialize in certain tasks, such as maintenance, that vary with an organization and its needs. Two common specialties are as follows:
System DBAs are responsible for the physical and technical aspects of a database, such as installing upgrades and patches to fix program bugs. They ensure that the firm’s database management systems work properly.
Application DBAs do all the tasks of a general DBA focusing solely on a database for a specific application or set of applications, such as customer-service software. They may write or debug programs and must be able to manage the applications that work with the database.
Work Environment
Database administrators held about 85,200 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of database administrators were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | 14% |
| Finance and insurance | 13 |
| Information | 10 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 9 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 8 |
Database architects held about 64,000 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of database architects were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | 36% |
| Finance and insurance | 13 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 7 |
| Administrative and support services | 6 |
| Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services | 6 |
Database administrators and architects work in nearly all industries. For example, in retail they may design databases that track buyers’ shipping information; in healthcare, they may manage databases that secure patients’ medical records.
Work Schedules
Most database administrators and architects work full time.
Getting Started
How to Become a Database Administrator or Architect
Database administrators (DBAs) and architects typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology or a related field.
Education
Database administrators and architects typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering; some DBAs study business. Employers may prefer to hire applicants who have a master’s degree focusing on data or database management, typically either in computer science, information systems, or information technology.
Database administrators and architects need an understanding of database languages, such as Structured Query Language, or SQL. DBAs will need to become familiar with whichever programming language their firm uses.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Certification is typically offered directly from software vendors or vendor-neutral certification providers. Employers may require their database administrators and architects to be certified in the products they use.
Advancement
Database administrators and architects may advance to become computer and information systems managers. Experienced database administrators may advance to become database architects.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of database administrators and architects is projected to grow 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 10,200 openings for database administrators and architects are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Employment growth will be driven by the continued data needs of companies in nearly all sectors of the economy. Database administrators and database architects will be needed to organize and present information to stakeholders in a user-friendly format. As organizations continue to migrate to cloud environments, these administrators and architects will be critical to ensuring proper database design, transition, backup, and security and to ensuring that connections to legacy systems remain intact.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about database administrators and architects, visit
Association for Computing Machinery
Computing Research Association
For more information about opportunities for women pursuing information technology careers, visit
National Center for Women & Information Technology
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of database administrators and architects.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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