Is this a competitive Database Architects salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$101K
P25$133K
P50$170K
P75$203K
P90$228K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- tech openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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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 $170,165 to $203,133 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Database Architects pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
the Information sector is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.5% to 4.3% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.4 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.3% (up 45K; July revised down to 2.8%), but hires fell to a 1.6% rate, the lowest of any major private sector. Quits 1.1%. Postings are up; hiring is not.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings edged up to 3.3%, still the lowest of any major sector. Quits held at 1.0%. Employers keep hiring leverage.
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.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 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 median salary for Database Architects in California is $170,165 per year ($81.81/hr). This is 22% higher than the national median of $139,506.
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.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$48.66
$101,213
+17.4%
P25
$63.89
$132,891
+21.5%
P50MEDIAN
$81.81
$170,165
+22.0%
P75
$97.66
$203,133
+20.0%
P90Top earners
$109.57
$227,906
+11.7%
How California compares for Database Architects
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Database Architects in California sits above the national range at every level: +17.4% at entry, +22.0% at the median and +11.7% at the top.
An offer at the national median of $139,506 would sit at about the 29th percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 2.25 times the bottom here, close to the 2.37 times seen nationally.
California employs 6,210 people in this role, 9.2% of the national total.
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Database Architects
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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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
16K
$148,680
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
7K
$139,320
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median database architects salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Database Architects in California is approximately $170,165, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 22% higher than the national median of $139,506. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
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.
