How to hire a database manager

How to hire a database manager, step by step

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

What does a database manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The database manager 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

   A database manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, database managers 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.

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

   Type of Database Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Database Manager	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.	$30-73
   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
   Business Intelligence Developer	A business intelligence developer is primarily responsible for organizing and developing systems that will inform the company of essential data and solutions as a basis for decision-making. They are also responsible for coordinating with stakeholders and other high-ranking personnel to determine specific goals, develop models, conduct research and analysis, and gather data through various processes, ensuring accuracy and productivity... Show more	$33-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Management
   • Data Entry
   • SQL Server
   • Project Management
   • Data Integrity
   • Data Analysis
   • Windows
   • Database Design
   • Database Systems
   • Financial Reports
   • PL/SQL
   • Management System
   • Troubleshoot
   • Data Collection

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and observe a windows base relational database which are used to manage court case files and plaintiff and defendant information.
   • Manage user profiles, communication lines and devices connect to the IBM AS400.
   • Lead interactive discussions with DBA teams to identify a base of proactive monitoring standard metrics.
   • Manage the process of gathering GIS data, analyzing spatial data, representing results as Geo.
   • Lead effort within corporate database group to implement 12c OEM for enterprise to replace existing 11g OEM.
   • Manage change control and risk management procedures according the ITIL model to ensure operational continuity relate to RDBMS.

   More database manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the database manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A database manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a database manager in Kentucky may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level database manager. Additionally, a database manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average database manager salary

   $99,621yearly

   $47.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level database manager salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average database manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$131,145	$63
   2	Washington	$123,793	$60
   3	Nevada	$119,155	$57
   4	New Jersey	$115,932	$56
   5	Connecticut	$115,207	$55
   6	Delaware	$114,962	$55
   7	Massachusetts	$113,936	$55
   8	District of Columbia	$113,545	$55
   9	Ohio	$110,200	$53
   10	Pennsylvania	$107,879	$52
   11	Virginia	$103,515	$50
   12	Georgia	$97,456	$47
   13	Minnesota	$93,507	$45
   14	Illinois	$93,206	$45
   15	Maryland	$91,298	$44
   16	Utah	$91,170	$44
   17	Indiana	$89,984	$43
   18	Oklahoma	$88,752	$43
   19	North Carolina	$88,528	$43
   20	New Mexico	$87,645	$42

   Average database manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$172,303	$82.84
   2	Amazon	$143,454	$68.97	11
   3	Fred Hutch	$137,209	$65.97
   4	Salesforce	$132,789	$63.84
   5	Daiichi Sankyo	$127,570	$61.33
   6	Summit Health Oregon	$125,967	$60.56
   7	University of Massachusetts Medical School	$124,790	$60.00
   8	Eisai	$124,544	$59.88
   9	Ziff Davis	$124,380	$59.80
   10	AIG	$124,110	$59.67
   11	Cleveland Clinic	$123,684	$59.46
   12	Parexel International	$121,423	$58.38
   13	Alliance Data	$120,273	$57.82
   14	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$120,183	$57.78	14
   15	The SSI Group	$119,604	$57.50
   16	Mastech Digital	$118,630	$57.03	2
   17	Massachusetts General Hospital	$118,082	$56.77
   18	General Motors	$116,903	$56.20	6
   19	Weyerhaeuser International, Inc	$116,083	$55.81
   20	HSBC Bank	$115,845	$55.69

4. Writing a database manager job description

   A database manager 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 manager job description:

   Database manager job description example

   Rush University's Department of Academic Affairs is seeking a detail-oriented and dynamic individual who will provide ownership and support of the database across all four colleges.
   
   This position is responsible for the day to day management of the Faculty Management Database System (FMS) including implementation, upgrades, data integrity and user support. He or she will compile faculty member information, verifying data accuracy, and assist with the entry of information. Responsible for testing, analyzing and reporting of technical specifications to the third-party database vendor.
   
   Oversees data input to ensure timely and accurate data capture. Data may be input using keyboard or optical scanner according to screen format.
   
   Audits data input and resolves discrepancies using standard procedures or returns incomplete documents for resolution.
   Works with the Colleges to update faculty status changes and capture new and departing faculty. Administers system access and security: assigns permissions, resolves access issues, adds and removes users. Maintains and updates FMS policies and procedures detailing front and back-end use of the faculty management system. Creates and maintains system training manuals and provides one on one or group FMS training. Interfaces with third party vendor on system functionality, upgrades, and testing. Liaison with Information Systems and vendor to test technical specifications. Troubleshoots/resolves simple system or user error issues. Performs first line testing of new tools and repairs in the quality assurance database before changes go live. Analyzes data and prepares reports as requested by accrediting agencies and various University departments. May work with users/user groups to solicit system enhancement requests and facilitates system upgrades. Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential. Creates and distributes FMS user updates, announcements and other communication materials.
   
   Position Qualifications:
   
   Bachelor's degree required, with business management, healthcare or information systems exposure. Three or more years' experience in database management, trouble shooting and/or implementation of new software systems; familiarity with SQL preferred. Strong written and verbal communication skills required. Strong computer software skills required: Advance Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access and Power Point), Survey Monkey, Databases, technical specifications writing. Understanding of relational databases highly preferred. Knowledge of higher education accrediting bodies guidelines/requirements preferred Project management and organizational skills preferred.
   
   Company Highlights:
   
   Rush University is known for its high-quality health care education, supportive learning environment, engagement with the urban community and forward-looking education approach. Rush University is ranked 22nd on the Times Higher Education's 2016 list of the world's top 150 universities under 50 years of age. Rush is an academic health system comprising Rush University Medical Center, Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital.
   
   Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find database managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your database manager job on Zippia to find and recruit database manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit database managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview database manager candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 manager

   Once you've found the database manager 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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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How much does it cost to hire a database manager?