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The differences between database administrators and lead database administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a database administrator and a lead database administrator. Additionally, a lead database administrator has an average salary of $114,426, which is higher than the $81,960 average annual salary of a database administrator.
The top three skills for a database administrator include customer service, linux and microsoft sql server. The most important skills for a lead database administrator are DBA, PL/SQL, and linux.
| Database Administrator | Lead Database Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $81,960 | $114,426 |
| Hourly rate | $39.40 | $55.01 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 56,992 | 58,263 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Database administrators use specially designed software to keep, organize, restore, and secure data for businesses, employees, and customers from unauthorized people or unwanted users. They search for potential security risks or issues and proactively correct or find appropriate solutions. They are highly trained tech experts who work full-time for establishments that give computer design services or in industries that have huge databases, such as educational academies, institutions, and insurance firms. It is their responsibility to closely monitor the database system to ensure efficiency and functionality. They work jointly with information systems managers to customize database solutions based on corporate needs. They also coordinate the systems that data analysts use for translating numbers into strategic business plans.
A lead database administrator or DBA serves as a primary technologist in an organization or company. Lead database administrators are technical experts in terms of database and middleware technology design, tuning, configuration, troubleshooting, and building. They use specialized software for data storage and organization. Their role may also include database migration, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and data recovery. Among the necessary skills for this job include problem-solving, organizational, interpersonal, and communication.
Database administrators and lead database administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Database Administrator | Lead Database Administrator | |
| Average salary | $81,960 | $114,426 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $111,000 | Between $88,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Foster City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Retail |
There are a few differences between a database administrator and a lead database administrator in terms of educational background:
| Database Administrator | Lead Database Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between database administrators' and lead database administrators' demographics:
| Database Administrator | Lead Database Administrator | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.4% Female, 38.6% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 17.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 27.3% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |