How to hire a database programmer

How to hire a database programmer, step by step

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

What does a database programmer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a database programmer, 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 programmer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, database programmers 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of database programmers.

   Type of Database Programmer	Description	Hourly rate
   Database Programmer	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.	$26-51
   Systems Developer	A Systems Developer is responsible for designing and creating software applications and server programs to support business requirements and client specifications. System Developers run multiple diagnostic tests to the systems to ensure performance and stability and revise scripts for optimization as needed... Show more	$35-62
   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:

   • PL/SQL
   • Access Database
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • SAS
   • Data Entry
   • HTML
   • Database Design
   • Java
   • ETL
   • VBA
   • XML
   • Clinical Trials
   • Data Structures
   • CSS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work as designer, senior programmer, project manager, business solution analysts, DBA to achieve business requirements.
   • Implement and automate existing manual process, to create CRF by creating new database objects in SQL and macro in excel.
   • Created/Modify HTML pages for better graphical and functional standpoint.
   • Use VBA to develop reports and SQL to update client information.
   • Initiate database setup and testing / QA steps for multiple shows.
   • Work on developing HTML access to ISIS-PL database via ISIS-PL programming language.

   More database programmer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, database programmers' average salary in colorado is 41% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level database programmers earn 48% less than senior-level database programmers.
   • Certifications. A database programmer 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 programmer's salary.

   Average database programmer salary

   $78,390yearly

   $37.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level database programmer salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 2, 2026

   Average database programmer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$93,173	$45
   2	Massachusetts	$92,940	$45
   3	Delaware	$92,680	$45
   4	Pennsylvania	$91,631	$44
   5	Maryland	$85,672	$41
   6	Illinois	$84,543	$41
   7	North Carolina	$84,368	$41
   8	Washington	$83,444	$40
   9	New Jersey	$78,879	$38
   10	Virginia	$78,377	$38
   11	New York	$76,726	$37
   12	Nevada	$76,058	$37
   13	Texas	$74,474	$36
   14	Georgia	$73,336	$35
   15	District of Columbia	$73,200	$35
   16	South Carolina	$71,617	$34
   17	Wisconsin	$69,387	$33
   18	Ohio	$68,276	$33
   19	Missouri	$67,486	$32
   20	Tennessee	$64,943	$31

   Average database programmer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Edwards Lifesciences	$120,446	$57.91
   2	Parexel International	$109,472	$52.63	2
   3	Incyte	$106,867	$51.38
   4	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$102,122	$49.10	2
   5	Farmers Insurance	$96,127	$46.21
   6	Covance	$94,336	$45.35
   7	Unum	$94,205	$45.29	5
   8	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan	$93,685	$45.04
   9	AW North Carolina	$93,565	$44.98
   10	AGDATA	$90,846	$43.68
   11	Boeing	$88,523	$42.56	19
   12	AtriCure	$87,306	$41.97
   13	Computer Packages	$84,426	$40.59
   14	Netsmartz	$84,394	$40.57
   15	Pharmaceutical Product Development	$83,730	$40.25
   16	Lockheed Martin	$83,001	$39.90	93
   17	AdroIT Software & Consulting	$81,622	$39.24
   18	Mount Sinai Health System	$81,528	$39.20
   19	AMI International	$81,329	$39.10
   20	Maganti IT Resources	$81,201	$39.04	8

4. Writing a database programmer job description

   A good database programmer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a database programmer job description:

   Database programmer job description example

   For more than 25 years, Veristat has built a reputation as a thoughtful partner in the clinical development and regulatory submission process. We have done so by hiring talented people who align to our core values and share a common passion for our mission driven work.
   
   Do you value a collaborative work environment and the opportunity to truly make a difference? If so, you will feel right at home here. At Veristat, you can grow both personally and professionally, with opportunities to discuss your achievements and advance your career through quarterly feedback conversations and meaningful work.
   We do things differently than large CROs and would love to have you join our Veristat team!
   
   The Clinical Database Programmer II, CDP II will work under the supervision of Senior CDP or above but may work independently as project lead. Working closely with members of Data Management, Statistics, Information Technology (IT), and Quality Control (QC) Departments, the CDP II is responsible for the design and the development of electronic or paper Case Report Forms and performs set-up of study EDC databases using company's clinical data management systems. The CDP II creates, revises and/or approves all applicable supporting documents per quality processes, and maintains and develops processes that support team, department, and group activities.
   
   Develops reports and data validation outputs (listings) to support data management cleaning activities, and also data import programs based on data transfer specifications. Executes activities and assignments within scope, budget, and timelines, and adheres to ICH guidelines for Good Clinical Practice and other national and international standards and legislation (as required), and company procedures.
   
   As a Clinical Database Programmer II You Will...
   Perform the design and the development of eCRFs/CRFs. Review protocol, and/or synopsis, and other information provided to prepare and design the eCRF/CRF. Undertake review of, and contribute feedback towards, development of specifications for CDMS components as required by process. Undertake peer review of peer's work as required by process. Ensure eCRF/CRF Designs and Study Set-Up tasks are in compliance with existing industry regulations & guidelines, Company SOPs processes, company guidance. Develop Database Validations (Edit checks) to accompany eCRFs for studies. Attend project & client meetings as required by project scope and budget. Liaise and communicate with sponsor representatives as appropriate to ensure process, timelines and budget adherence. Prioritize tasks in conjunction with key milestones, providing regular feedback on progress to Project & Data Managers. Contribute to and maintain processes, SOPS, manuals, technical documentation and guidance on processes and systems. Liaise with relevant internal functions or client representatives to ensure process adherence. Support helpdesk activities for proprietary CDMS. Liaise with relevant internal functions and sponsor representatives to ensure timelines agreement and adherence. Input into timeline creation. Liaise with relevant internal functions and sponsor representatives to ensure budget adherence. Input into amendment costing estimates. Raise any out of scopes to Project Manager and lead DM. Complete assigned training on time. Contribute to identification of training requirements & support creation and delivery of training as required. Support group initiatives as appropriate to improve process, systems, technical capabilities and group knowledge. Lead group initiatives as appropriate to improve process, systems, technical capabilities and group knowledge. Provide ad-hoc technical support for CDMS as required. Contribute to SME groups for CDMS and/or specific CDMS tools and add-ons. Develop data validation outputs using required programming languages (e.g. SAS). Enhance efficiency of Design and compliance to industry standard data models by adhering to use of standards where possible. Define and develop import programs as necessary to inject vendor data files into company clinical data repositories and/or other related systems and databases, or data files of a standardized format (for example SAS datasets). Run and manage ad-hoc or planned EDC study reports. May support DM activities such as DB cleaning, external reconciliation and EDC roles and sites admin. Assist with User Acceptance Testing. Participate in bid defenses. Develop and review the EDC library. URL and study team Admin. Participate in ad hoc tasks as required per project or management. Experience & Minimum Requirements:
   Bachelor's degree or equivalent (preferred in science) or equivalent work experience. 3 years of industry and sector experience in eCRF design and development with commercially available CDMS, for example Medidata Rave, Oracle InForm/ Central Designer, Veeva, DataLabs, Medrio, IBM Clinical required. 2 years of experience leading projects required. Prior experienced in clinical research setting strongly preferred. General knowledge of International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines preferred. Familiar and proficient in use of computer software such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, with the ability to learn new applications.
   Under the supervision of Senior CDP or above, but may work independently as project lead.
   Leads complex studies.
   Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem solving and organizational skills with the ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
   
   #LIRemote Automated Decision Making: All applicants are reviewed by a member of the Veristat Talent Acquisition team; Veristat does not utilize an automated decision making process.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find database programmers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any database programmers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level database programmers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit database programmers, 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with database programmer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you 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 programmer

   Once you've decided on a perfect database programmer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 programmer. 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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How much does it cost to hire a database programmer?