How to hire a database administrator

How to hire a database administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step database administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a database administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new database administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a database administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a database administrator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A database administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, database administrators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of database administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Database Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Database Administrator	Database administrators (DBAs) use specialized software to store and organize data, such as financial information and customer shipping records. They make sure that data are available to users and are secure from unauthorized access.	$28-53
   SQL Server Developer	A structured query language (SQL) server developer is a specialist who is tasked to develop and maintain systems to store, organize, and access databases. With their experience in data architect and management, SQL server developers can develop and scale SQL databases based on the needs of their organization... Show more	$34-54
   SQL Developer	An SQL developer is responsible for designing database systems for storing and accessing business information. SQL developers incorporate a high-level of data management and technical knowledge to ensure the safety and security of the systems, preventing unauthorized access that may put the company's reputation in jeopardy... Show more	$33-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Linux
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • DBA
   • Troubleshoot
   • Database Administration
   • Database Design
   • Disaster Recovery
   • PL/SQL
   • Database Systems
   • Database Backup
   • Database Performance
   • Recovery Procedures
   • ETL

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Deploy and manage VMware horizon view on CISCO UCS for VDI deployemet.
   • Create and manage database security, data encryption, and apply object level security.
   • Resolve ASM errors, which lead to complete dysfunction of the ASM due to capacity issues.
   • Fix grid control alerts on the database and monitor the database using grid control including managing of templates.
   • Create and manage DTS and SSIS jobs to perform extra back up support for company's back up agent and procedure.
   • Lead multiple infrastructure planning and implementation including instance strategy, technical platform selection, architecture design, backup and recovery strategy.

   More database administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your database administrator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A database administrator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a database administrator in Alabama may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level database administrator usually earns less than a senior-level database administrator. Additionally, a database administrator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average database administrator salary

   $81,960yearly

   $39.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level database administrator salary

   $60,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average database administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$96,878	$47
   2	California	$91,890	$44
   3	Massachusetts	$85,710	$41
   4	New York	$83,497	$40
   5	New Jersey	$82,403	$40
   6	District of Columbia	$80,422	$39
   7	Arizona	$79,905	$38
   8	Minnesota	$79,137	$38
   9	Illinois	$78,849	$38
   10	Virginia	$78,804	$38
   11	North Carolina	$78,256	$38
   12	Texas	$77,988	$37
   13	Ohio	$77,907	$37
   14	Michigan	$77,149	$37
   15	Colorado	$75,732	$36
   16	Georgia	$74,695	$36
   17	Nebraska	$74,242	$36
   18	Kentucky	$74,149	$36
   19	Missouri	$73,558	$35
   20	Florida	$71,940	$35

   Average database administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Citadel	$158,273	$76.09	1
   2	Meta	$149,279	$71.77	19
   3	Levi Strauss & Co.	$147,361	$70.85
   4	Apple	$146,985	$70.67	8
   5	PayPal	$145,127	$69.77	2
   6	Grubhub	$141,501	$68.03	1
   7	Barnes & Noble	$139,990	$67.30	2
   8	StubHub	$138,178	$66.43
   9	eBay	$137,780	$66.24
   10	Google	$137,590	$66.15	2
   11	Logitech	$137,151	$65.94
   12	Amazon	$136,796	$65.77	65
   13	Costco Wholesale	$136,206	$65.48	4
   14	Lord Abbett	$134,097	$64.47
   15	NVIDIA	$133,770	$64.31	3
   16	OpSource	$133,370	$64.12
   17	Twitter	$133,109	$63.99
   18	Microsoft	$132,688	$63.79	21
   19	Expedia Group	$132,546	$63.72	17
   20	Intuitive Surgical	$132,325	$63.62

4. Writing a database administrator job description

   A database administrator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a database administrator job description:

   Database administrator job description example

   The primary purpose of this role is the installation, monitoring and basic tuning of enterprise-level databases following established database design standards and procedures. The role will also perform database backups and restores to ensure proper recovery procedures are in place. Complies with team standards of database administration methodology. Participates in project teams by implementing database structure that meets requirements and specifications. Participates in disaster recovery exercises. Attends status meetings and/or regularly communicates progress against project activities.
   Job Description Implements, configures and troubleshoots database instances, backups and user access Performs general database troubleshooting, debugging and testing Evaluates and provides technical solutions for moderately complex database tasks/projects Shows a moderate knowledge of the leading enterprise-level RDBMS software packages, utilities and general database concepts Creates or modifies database structures per specifications, on time and on budget in a quality manner Updates database support documents and user documentation Completes medium complexity tasks Complies with database documentation standards within the organization Participates in 24/7 on call support responsibilities including maintenance windows and disaster recovery drills Works with software vendors, application support and developers to resolve moderate database issues. Performs patching on existing databases Resolves production support issues in a timely manner, including during non-business work hours Communicates effectively with manager, peers, and internal customers to relay status of work and raise challenges, concerns, questions, and issues as necessary Collaborates with senior DBAs to help author standard process and support related documents Stays abreast of the new database technologies and help articulate pros and cons to the management team Understands basic database architecture, distributed infrastructure and various network technologies to implement robust and scalable solutions for the organization Configures and installs databases in accordance to change management policies and procedures Required Education and Experience Bachelor's Degree in relevant field or 3-5 years IT experience 2-5 years of experience in an IT environment Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills Strong analytical and problem solving skills Ability to read and understand software specifications Ability to work irregular hours or schedules to accommodate site needs and to perform assigned duties in an efficient manner Our Organization has a business casual environment and focuses on teamwork, associate development, training, and continuous improvement. We offer competitive wages, excellent affordable insurance benefits (including health, dental, vision and life), 401K plan, paid vacation and holidays.
   
   Our Organization is an equal
   
   opportunity employer.
   
   Position Overview:
   
   Our DBA II position is a unique opportunity for an individual with prior DBA experience seeking new challenges and looking to broaden their database administration experience/responsibilities. The successful candidate will be responsible for performance monitoring, maintenance and operational support of our entire assortment of databases (165+ Oracle, 350+ MSSQL, 5+ Sybase). This candidate will provide day-to-day production support, troubleshooting, administration and backup/restore of various databases. Responsibilities also include database upgrades, patching and security. We are a very proactive database team, so when not on-call and/or working specific projects, the candidate will be expected to continually assess, improve, and optimize our database environment to eliminate/reduce the possibility of database outages/downtime.
   
   Key Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   Under the direction of the Senior Database Team Lead, and working closely with Senior Database Administrators to ensure that our Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases perform optimally, including, but not limited to the following: Monitor performance of database system resources and query performance Monitor and maintain database storage resources Monitor and maintain database maintenance plans for backups, index rebuilds, and statistics updates Perform Oracle, MSSQL, Sybase upgrades, migrations and configuration changes Install database software service packs, cumulative updates and security patching as necessary Maintain database documentation as required Maintain and administer database security access Perform database ad-hoc backups and restores Troubleshoot and resolve database connectivity issues Follow Change Management processes to implement database configuration changes Follow Problem Management processes to troubleshoot and resolve issues Proactively monitor and respond timely to database alerts Optimize SQL code as necessary Rotational, primary DBA on-call requirements to ensure 24x7 support of database operations Required Basic Qualifications: Self-starter, with a keen interest in technology and highly motivated towards success Self-sufficient, able to work independently and provide updates to upper Management Possess necessary skills and disposition to provide high quality customer service Strong analytical, research, and problem solving capabilities Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize work effectively Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to work within and in support of a team environment Required Technical Qualifications: 2-5 years relevant experience as a production support database administrator in an Oracle and/or SQL Server environment Experience administering Oracle 11g, 12c, 18c or 19c instances/databases Experience administering SQL Server 2008-2019 instances/databases Experience with common database monitoring, diagnostic, trending and administration tools (ex. Toad, DBArtisan, OEM, Solarwinds, etc.) Experience working with Linux operating systems (RedHat) Experience working with Windows operating systems Bachelor's Degree (BS/BA) or equivalent combination of education and experience Bonus Technical Qualifications: Experience with Azure Cloud technologies (Azure SQL Server, Azure Analysis Services, Azure Synapse, Azure DataFactory, Azure Active Directory) Experience with Oracle RAC, DataGuard, ASM/ACFS technologies Experience with database instance tuning (memory configuration) Experience with SQL query tuning (baselines, profiles, indexes, explain plans, etc.) Experience with Oracle Database Appliance (ODA) hardware/support Experience with MSSQL Replication, AlwaysOn technologies Experience with Qlik/Attunity Replicate software or other 3rd-party replication applications

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right database administrator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with database administrators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit database administrators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your database administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality database administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting database administrators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a database administrator applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new database administrator

   Once you've found the database administrator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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