Database Architects: Career Profile
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.
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The Daily Work of Database Architects Take On?
The core tasks performed by database architects include:
- 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.
What Database Architects Need to Know
Top database architects combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- ADP Planner (Automatic Data Processing Planner)
- Big Data Architect
- Big Data Engineer
- Cloud Architect
- Cloud Infrastructure Architect
- Computer Architect
- DBMS Specialist (Database Management System Specialist)
- Data Analyst
Job Outlook
There are about 322,075 database architects working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.3% over the projection horizon.
Database Architects Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $148,480 |
| Hourly median | $71.38 |
| 10th percentile | $101,810 |
| 25th percentile | $125,145 |
| 75th percentile | $171,815 |
| 90th percentile | $195,150 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Database Architects Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $161,160 |
| California | $159,130 |
| West Virginia | $157,590 |
| District of Columbia | $157,080 |
| Maine | $154,790 |
| Colorado | $151,460 |
| Hawaii | $149,500 |
| Connecticut | $147,400 |
| Delaware | $146,430 |
| Washington | $144,050 |
| New Jersey | $143,900 |
| Maryland | $140,710 |
| Oregon | $139,660 |
| Wisconsin | $138,930 |
| Rhode Island | $136,510 |
| Georgia | $135,280 |
| Illinois | $134,490 |
| Texas | $133,800 |
| Indiana | $133,150 |
| Florida | $133,040 |
| Oklahoma | $132,360 |
| Nebraska | $132,320 |
| Iowa | $131,370 |
| Arizona | $130,620 |
| North Carolina | $130,560 |
| Minnesota | $130,420 |
| Nevada | $130,360 |
| Ohio | $129,840 |
| Kansas | $129,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,040 |
| South Carolina | $128,440 |
| Tennessee | $128,440 |
| New York | $128,270 |
| Utah | $127,770 |
| South Dakota | $127,460 |
| Idaho | $126,030 |
| Michigan | $120,810 |
| New Mexico | $120,120 |
| Montana | $116,250 |
| North Dakota | $116,120 |
| Alaska | $113,800 |
| Alabama | $111,330 |
| Missouri | $108,820 |
| Kentucky | $102,560 |
| Arkansas | $101,000 |
| Mississippi | $90,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $77,300 |
| Wyoming | $62,760 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for database architects shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $152,924 | 4.5% | 1.05 |
| Far Western US | $152,477 | 14.7% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $140,212 | 5.1% | 1.46 |
| Middle Atlantic | $135,609 | 17.3% | 1.23 |
| Southwest | $133,111 | 12.5% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $130,162 | 9.1% | 0.70 |
| Plains States | $120,764 | 6.4% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $79,735 | 30.2% | 2.31 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $188,120 | 6,710 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $174,880 | 260 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $170,960 | 130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $170,700 | 1,540 |
| Tulsa, OK | OK | $167,760 | 230 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $166,210 | 930 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $163,730 | 60 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $162,310 | 1,430 |
Industry Breakdown
Most database architects work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24,380 | $138,610 |
| Finance and Insurance | 9,580 | $138,540 |
| Information | 8,510 | $151,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 6,710 | $134,330 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3,560 | $136,890 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,900 | $129,820 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,020 | $123,410 |
| Manufacturing | 1,900 | $129,460 |
Below are examples of industries where database architects work:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Procedure management software: Apache Airflow (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for database architects reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Database Architects
Entry-level database architects positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Computer Network Architects (Primary-Long)
- Database Administrators (Primary-Short)
- Data Warehousing Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Primary-Long)
- Computer Programmers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for database architects typically earn programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
8 programs across 7 majors
- Computer Information Systems
- Computer Science
- Information Technology
- Information Science
- Computer Software Applications
- Computer Systems Analysis
- Computer Systems Networking
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1243.00 (Database Architects).
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