Careers / Database Architects

Database Architects — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$139,500

United States, 2025

Employment

67,140

United States, 2025

Typical education

Bachelor's Degree

Job Zone 4

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
15-1243.00
Job zone
4
Experience required
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years

Typical tasks

  • Develop and document database architectures.
  • Collaborate with system architects, software architects, design analysts, and others to understand business or industry requirements.
  • Develop database architectural strategies at the modeling, design and implementation stages to address business or industry requirements.
  • Design databases to support business applications, ensuring system scalability, security, performance, and reliability.
  • Develop data models for applications, metadata tables, views or related database structures.
  • Design database applications, such as interfaces, data transfer mechanisms, global temporary tables, data partitions, and function-based indexes to enable efficient access of the generic database structure.
  • Develop methods for integrating different products so they work properly together, such as customizing commercial databases to fit specific needs.
  • Create and enforce database development standards.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$86,240
10th
$109,370
25th
$139,500
Median
$169,290
75th
$204,000
90th

10th percentile

$86,240

25th percentile

$109,370

75th percentile

$169,290

90th percentile

$204,000

Most important skills

  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.9
  • Systems Analysis3.8
  • Active Listening3.5
  • Speaking3.5
  • Programming3.4
  • Active Learning3.3
  • Systems Evaluation3.3
  • Operations Analysis3.1
  • Writing3.1

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 19 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

19

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension3.94.1Not selected4.1
Complex Problem Solving3.94.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking3.93.9Not selected3.9
Judgment and Decision Making3.93.9Not selected3.9
Systems Analysis3.83.8Not selected3.8
Programming3.44.1Not selected4.1
Speaking3.53.9Not selected3.9
Active Listening3.53.8Not selected3.8
Systems Evaluation3.33.8Not selected3.8
Writing3.13.9Not selected3.9
Active Learning3.33.6Not selected3.6
Monitoring3.13.6Not selected3.6
Operations Analysis3.13.4Not selected3.4
Mathematics3.03.1Not selected3.1
Coordination3.03.1Not selected3.1
Technology Design3.03.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.03.0Not selected3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.03.0Not selected3.0
Service Orientation3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Jose, CA$197,9601,1202025
San Francisco, CA$175,8601,6002025
Reno, NV$170,390802025
CA$170,1606,2102025
Sacramento, CA$169,3102302025
Oxnard, CA$168,390602025
Philadelphia, PA$163,5901,5002025
Bridgeport, CT$163,3501702025
Washington, DC$162,8704,7402025
Denver, CO$162,6401,3602025
Springfield, MA$161,730502025
MA$161,6502,6902025
Boston, MA$161,6502,1202025
Bloomington, IL$161,430902025
Waterbury, CT$160,4802025
VA$160,3605,2602025
Allentown, PA$160,3001102025
Santa Maria, CA$159,240402025
North Port, FL$157,730302025
Flint, MI$157,100302025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Database Architects to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.