Best cities for a database engineer
The best cities for database engineers are San Jose, CA, Scottsdale, AZ, and San Francisco, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for database engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for database engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a database engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for database engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for database engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a database engineer. While the absolute best city for database engineers is San Jose, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for database engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a database engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for database engineers in 2026
1. San Jose, CA
Total database engineer jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $145,286 Lowest 10 percent warn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location quotient: 15.06 2. Scottsdale, AZ
Total database engineer jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $107,269 Lowest 10 percent warn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location quotient: 27.45 3. San Francisco, CA
Total database engineer jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $146,782 Lowest 10 percent warn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $215,000 Location quotient: 7.88 4. Seattle, WA
Total database engineer jobs: 140 Average annual salary: $129,077 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location quotient: 11.27 5. Las Vegas, NV
Total database engineer jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $120,174 Lowest 10 percent warn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 5.48 6. Fremont, CA
Total database engineer jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $145,843 Lowest 10 percent warn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location quotient: 5.41 7. Gilbert, AZ
Total database engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $106,411 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 8.43 8. Oakland, CA
Total database engineer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $146,537 Lowest 10 percent warn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location quotient: 4.98 9. Riverside, CA
Total database engineer jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $124,328 Lowest 10 percent warn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 11.36 10. Chandler, AZ
Total database engineer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $106,480 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 5.48
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Best cities for database engineers
- San Jose, CA
- Scottsdale, AZ
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Fremont, CA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Oakland, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Chandler, AZ
- (157 database engineer jobs)
- (42 database engineer jobs)
- (116 database engineer jobs)
- (140 database engineer jobs)
- (19 database engineer jobs)
- (16 database engineer jobs)
- (3 database engineer jobs)
- (7 database engineer jobs)
- (10 database engineer jobs)
- (8 database engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a database engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $145,286 | $98,000 | 1,025,350 | 157 |
| 2 | Scottsdale, AZ | $107,269 | $73,000 | 246,645 | 42 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $146,782 | $100,000 | 870,887 | 116 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $129,077 | $89,000 | 704,352 | 140 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $120,174 | $81,000 | 632,912 | 19 |
| 6 | Fremont, CA | $145,843 | $99,000 | 233,136 | 16 |
| 7 | Gilbert, AZ | $106,411 | $72,000 | 237,133 | 3 |
| 8 | Oakland, CA | $146,537 | $99,000 | 420,005 | 7 |
| 9 | Riverside, CA | $124,328 | $84,000 | 324,722 | 10 |
| 10 | Chandler, AZ | $106,480 | $72,000 | 247,477 | 8 |
| 11 | Fort Worth, TX | $98,577 | $67,000 | 854,113 | 16 |
| 12 | Reno, NV | $133,442 | $90,000 | 245,255 | 3 |
| 13 | Mesa, AZ | $106,578 | $72,000 | 484,587 | 3 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $93,080 | $64,000 | 860,090 | 44 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $107,246 | $73,000 | 1,615,017 | 38 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $97,397 | $66,000 | 947,890 | 125 |
| 17 | Sacramento, CA | $146,640 | $99,000 | 495,234 | 8 |
| 18 | Plano, TX | $98,460 | $67,000 | 286,057 | 21 |
| 19 | Irving, TX | $98,492 | $67,000 | 238,289 | 25 |
| 20 | Dallas, TX | $98,410 | $67,000 | 1,317,929 | 39 |
| 21 | Detroit, MI | $89,894 | $61,000 | 672,795 | 31 |
| 22 | San Diego, CA | $121,098 | $82,000 | 1,406,630 | 45 |
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | $125,767 | $85,000 | 3,976,322 | 35 |
| 24 | Anaheim, CA | $124,609 | $84,000 | 351,043 | 2 |
| 25 | Colorado Springs, CO | $100,701 | $69,000 | 465,101 | 24 |
| 26 | North Las Vegas, NV | $120,118 | $81,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 27 | Durham, NC | $88,107 | $60,000 | 263,016 | 14 |
| 28 | Raleigh, NC | $88,028 | $60,000 | 458,880 | 23 |
| 29 | Henderson, NV | $118,623 | $80,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 30 | Stockton, CA | $145,807 | $99,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 31 | Anchorage, AK | $99,313 | $73,000 | 298,192 | 4 |
| 32 | Irvine, CA | $124,038 | $84,000 | 266,122 | 9 |
| 33 | Lexington, KY | $98,594 | $68,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 34 | Louisville, KY | $97,922 | $68,000 | 597,337 | 2 |
| 35 | Cleveland, OH | $96,019 | $65,000 | 385,809 | 3 |
| 36 | Milwaukee, WI | $95,936 | $67,000 | 595,047 | 6 |
| 37 | Aurora, CO | $99,084 | $68,000 | 361,710 | 10 |
| 38 | Fresno, CA | $141,197 | $95,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 39 | Bakersfield, CA | $133,123 | $90,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 40 | Glendale, AZ | $107,262 | $73,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 41 | Chicago, IL | $97,730 | $68,000 | 2,704,958 | 62 |
| 42 | Toledo, OH | $94,957 | $65,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 43 | Long Beach, CA | $124,730 | $84,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 44 | Tucson, AZ | $103,470 | $71,000 | 530,706 | 1 |
| 45 | New York, NY | $101,255 | $68,000 | 8,537,673 | 221 |
| 46 | Wichita, KS | $96,004 | $67,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 47 | Lubbock, TX | $100,858 | $69,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 48 | San Antonio, TX | $96,912 | $66,000 | 1,492,510 | 9 |
| 49 | Santa Ana, CA | $124,311 | $84,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 50 | Portland, OR | $105,570 | $72,000 | 639,863 | 10 |
Highest paying cities for database engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. database engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $146,782 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $129,077 |
| 3 | Scottsdale, AZ | $107,269 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $101,255 |
| 5 | Highlands Ranch, CO | $99,468 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $99,264 |
| 7 | Irving, TX | $98,492 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $97,730 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $94,856 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $93,080 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $90,997 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $89,894 |
| 13 | OFallon, MO | $89,482 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $89,405 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $88,029 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $86,947 |
| 17 | Boston, MA | $86,570 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $85,312 |
| 19 | Tampa, FL | $83,542 |
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Updated January 8, 2025