How to hire a database analyst

How to hire a database analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step database analyst 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 analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new database analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a database analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The database analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a database analyst to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a database analyst that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of database analysts and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Database Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Database Analyst	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.	$30-55
   Business Intelligence Analyst	The primary job of business intelligence (BI) analysts is to analyze data and identify areas of improvement for an organization. These professionals are responsible for identifying trends that may help managers, executives, and other departments make better decisions to improve company processes and modernization... Show more	$28-51
   Database Developer/Database Administrator	A database developer/database administrator specializes in designing and developing database programs and systems, maintaining and updating them regularly. They are in charge of understanding project needs and guidelines, establishing and implementing test systems to identify potential risks and issues, fixing and upgrading components, and storing data according to protocols... Show more	$29-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Database Management
   • Database Design
   • Data Analysis
   • Backup Recovery
   • ETL
   • Data Warehouse
   • PL/SQL
   • Data Quality
   • Data Collection
   • Data Integrity
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • Ssis
   • Windows
   • Troubleshoot

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop PL/SQL packages and procedures in order to automate financial reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
   • Used T-SQL skills including creation of user define functions, complex store procedures, query optimization to write automate reporting.
   • Implement and automate existing manual process, to create CRF by creating new database objects in SQL and macro in excel.
   • Develop employee web portal using PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and MySQL.
   • Design and schedule SSIS packages to load data from OLTP to OLAP system for data analysis and generating KPI reports.
   • Perform analysis, design, programming, and unit testing of PL/SQL code and UNIX shell scripts.

   More database analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your database analyst job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A database analyst salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, database analysts' average salary in arkansas is 35% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level database analysts earn 46% less than senior-level database analysts.
   • Certifications. A database analyst with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a database analyst's salary.

   Average database analyst salary

   $85,660yearly

   $41.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level database analyst salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average database analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$105,289	$51
   2	Washington	$103,104	$50
   3	Nevada	$92,413	$44
   4	New Jersey	$87,444	$42
   5	New York	$87,372	$42
   6	Massachusetts	$86,436	$42
   7	North Carolina	$84,894	$41
   8	Virginia	$84,232	$41
   9	Delaware	$83,410	$40
   10	Ohio	$82,728	$40
   11	Illinois	$81,683	$39
   12	Arizona	$81,559	$39
   13	Pennsylvania	$81,209	$39
   14	Florida	$81,156	$39
   15	District of Columbia	$80,984	$39
   16	Texas	$80,871	$39
   17	Minnesota	$80,704	$39
   18	Kansas	$79,760	$38
   19	Iowa	$78,807	$38
   20	Georgia	$78,494	$38

   Average database analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$144,966	$69.70	7
   2	Roku	$135,274	$65.04	5
   3	eBay	$122,133	$58.72	7
   4	Texas Mutual Insurance	$120,844	$58.10
   5	Donegal Insurance Group	$120,571	$57.97
   6	Costco Wholesale	$119,881	$57.64	3
   7	The Walt Disney Company	$119,573	$57.49	28
   8	Karma Automotive	$119,177	$57.30
   9	NRG Energy	$116,186	$55.86	6
   10	Moffitt Cancer Center	$115,884	$55.71	5
   11	Microsoft	$115,785	$55.67	9
   12	Pfizer	$115,675	$55.61
   13	CenterPoint Energy	$115,507	$55.53
   14	Henry Ford Health System	$114,884	$55.23
   15	Duke University Health System	$113,540	$54.59	5
   16	Populus Group	$112,877	$54.27
   17	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$112,854	$54.26	39
   18	Publix	$112,850	$54.25	2
   19	UT Southwestern Medical Center	$112,501	$54.09	2
   20	Arch Capital Group	$111,046	$53.39	1

4. Writing a database analyst job description

   A database analyst 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. Below, you can find an example of a database analyst job description:

   Database analyst job description example

   5+ years related experience including a minimum of 2+ years developing requirements, designing and executing test cases in IT.
   Ability to synthesize complex information and explain it to others in technical and non-technical terms.
   Experience with a variety of QA methodology and problem solving tools/techniques.
   Detail-oriented person who is passionate about quality and is enthusiastic about the new technology offered to customers.
   Experience with and a passion for translating user-interface design into requirements and acceptance criteria.
   Ability to lead other team members through resolving challenges.
   Mastery of creating and executing test cases.
   Experience in Perl/Python/JavaScript scripting and user-level automation.
   Excellent customer experience intuition; demonstrated success in delivering a world-class customer experience.
   Experience with Lean methods.
   Experience with diagraming and visual communications.
   Certification in Training in Design Thinking.

   General Job Information

   Title

   Lead Database Analyst

   Grade

   26

   Work Experience - Required

   IT

   Work Experience - Preferred

   Education - Required

   A Combination of Education and Work Experience May Be Considered., Bachelors - Computer and Information Science

   Education - Preferred

   License and Certifications - Required

   License and Certifications - Preferred

   Salary Range

   Salary Minimum:

   $70,715

   Salary Maximum:

   $113,145

   This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Actual pay will be adjusted based on an individual's skills, experience, education, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

   This position may be eligible for short-term incentives as well as a comprehensive benefits package. Magellan offers a broad range of health, life, voluntary and other benefits and perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing.

   Magellan Health, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Tobacco-free workplace. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled.
   Every employee must understand, comply with and attest to the security responsibilities and security controls unique to their position; and comply with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements and internal policies and procedures.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right database analyst 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 analysts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit database analysts 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 analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit database analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit database analysts, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 analyst 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 analyst

   Once you've selected the best database analyst candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new database analyst. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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