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Database Administrators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 15-1242 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$104,624
$50.30/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Database Administrators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$60K
P25$80K
P50$105K
P75$135K
P90$163K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
↓
Demand: COOLING. Demand is cooling -- tech openings are at 3.1% and easing (JOLTS, June 2026). Employers have more leverage, so the median (or slightly below) is competitive; you do not need to stretch.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in information & tech are rising about 2.9% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.5-3.0% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $104,624 to $135,470 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median is plenty in this softer market.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Database Administrators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 0.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · COOLING

the Information sector is running a 3.1% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.9% to 3.1% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings rebounded to 3.1% (up 0.6pp) but remain the lowest of any major sector. Employers keep hiring leverage.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.9% per year, down from 3.5% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Database Administrators is $104,624 per year ($50.30/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $79,622 and $135,470 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $163,322 per year. There are approximately 69,990 database administrators employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.7%
Little or no change
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
78K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
10K$124,130
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
5K$124,270
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
4K$95,010
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
3K$100,050
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
3K$110,860
Wage range across top 5 industries: $95,010 to $124,270 (31% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$28.96$60,237
P25$38.28$79,622
P50MEDIAN$50.30$104,624
P75$65.13$135,470
P90$78.52$163,322

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · tech sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
3.1%
Quits Rate
1.1%

Information sector openings rebounded to 90K in June (+18K), rate 3.1% -- still the lowest of any major sector. Quits eased to 1.1%. Tech hiring demand stays soft and employers retain leverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average database administrators salary?

The national median salary for Database Administrators is $104,624 per year ($50.30/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $79,622 and $135,470 annually.

How much do top-earning database administrators make?

The 90th percentile salary for Database Administrators is $163,322 per year ($78.52/hr). The 75th percentile is $135,470 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for database administrators?

Entry-level Database Administrators (10th percentile) earn approximately $60,237 per year ($28.96/hr). The 25th percentile is $79,622 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Database Administrators Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California7,240 workersTexas6,430 workersVirginia5,940 workersFlorida3,810 workersNew York3,590 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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