Database Administrator Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$108,000
national median salary
$82,000 to $142,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$149,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$113,000
Las Vegas, NV
Lowest Paying
$82,000
Jackson, MS
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
The average Database Administrator salary in the United States is $108,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $82,000 at the 25th percentile to $142,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $149,000, while Las Vegas offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. DBAs managing mission-critical Oracle, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL clusters for Fortune 500 companies earn the highest base salaries.
Database Administrator salary by city
Skills that increase Database Administrator pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Database Administrators based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $15,120 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$15,120 per year
≈ +$14,040 per year
≈ +$12,960 per year
≈ +$11,880 per year
≈ +$11,880 per year
≈ +$10,800 per year
≈ +$10,800 per year
≈ +$9,720 per year
What you should know
DBAs managing mission-critical Oracle, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL clusters for Fortune 500 companies earn the highest base salaries. Expertise in performance tuning, disaster recovery design, and database migration to cloud-managed services adds 15 to 20% over general administration. Financial and healthcare data compliance knowledge commands additional premiums.
Junior DBAs start at $58,000 to $75,000, progressing to mid-level at $82,000 to $115,000 within three to four years. Senior DBAs earn $120,000 to $145,000, while database architects and directors of data infrastructure reach $155,000 to $210,000 at enterprise organizations.
Annual bonuses of 8 to 12% are standard, with on-call stipends adding $5,000 to $10,000. Many employers cover Oracle or Microsoft certification costs, and senior DBAs at large enterprises receive retention bonuses of $10,000 to $25,000.