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The national median salary for Database Architects is $135,970 per year ($65.37/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $107,910 and $169,478 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $209,997 per year. There are approximately 64,770 database architects employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. Set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security. Model, design, and construct large relational databases or data warehouses. Create and optimize data models for warehouse infrastructure and workflow. Integrate new systems with existing warehouse structure and refine system performance and functionality.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.7%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
67K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
15% from new growth86% 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
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
16K
$142,930
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
7K
$134,330
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
4K
$134,510
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
NAICS 518200
4K
$157,020
Insurance Carriers
NAICS 524100
3K
$133,520
Wage range across top 5 industries: $133,520 to $157,020 (18% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$39.24
$81,619
P25
$51.88
$107,910
P50MEDIAN
$65.37
$135,970
P75
$81.48
$169,478
P90
$100.96
$209,997
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · tech sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
2.8%
Quits Rate
1.1%
Information sector openings held flat at 81K in March, but layoffs jumped to 66K (+13K, rate 2.4%) -- the highest layoff rate among major sectors. Quit rates dropped to 1.1%. Tech employers retain maximum leverage; cuts continue in pockets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average database architects salary?
The national median salary for Database Architects is $135,970 per year ($65.37/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $107,910 and $169,478 annually.
How much do top-earning database architects make?
The 90th percentile salary for Database Architects is $209,997 per year ($100.96/hr). The 75th percentile is $169,478 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for database architects?
Entry-level Database Architects (10th percentile) earn approximately $81,619 per year ($39.24/hr). The 25th percentile is $107,910 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.