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The average salary for a Database Specialist is $77,642 annually, which is about $37 per hour. The salary can vary significantly based on experience, location, and industry. For instance, professionals in metropolitan areas often earn more due to the higher demand for tech expertise.
Experience plays a critical role in determining salary levels. Entry-level positions may start around $55,000, while seasoned specialists can command over $100,000. Additionally, specific industries, such as finance and healthcare, typically offer higher compensation.
States like California and New York lead in salary averages, often exceeding $90,000 due to the concentration of tech firms. Understanding these aspects can guide potential candidates toward lucrative opportunities in the field of data management.
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The average database specialist salary in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average database specialist salary states are Arizona, Oklahoma, and Idaho.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $92,124 | $44.29 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $91,853 | $44.16 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $82,803 | $39.81 |
| 4 | Oregon | $85,047 | $40.89 |
| 5 | Nevada | $82,950 | $39.88 |
| 6 | Virginia | $81,558 | $39.21 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $82,651 | $39.74 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $87,555 | $42.09 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $88,184 | $42.40 |
| 10 | Delaware | $80,099 | $38.51 |
| 11 | California | $90,243 | $43.39 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $83,930 | $40.35 |
| 13 | Kansas | $79,411 | $38.18 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $78,975 | $37.97 |
| 15 | Iowa | $74,889 | $36.00 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $78,557 | $37.77 |
| 17 | Georgia | $78,991 | $37.98 |
| 18 | New York | $81,819 | $39.34 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $72,625 | $34.92 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $79,681 | $38.31 |
| 21 | Michigan | $75,588 | $36.34 |
| 22 | Illinois | $77,136 | $37.08 |
| 23 | Texas | $73,419 | $35.30 |
| 24 | Ohio | $73,827 | $35.49 |
| 25 | Maryland | $72,159 | $34.69 |
| 26 | Vermont | $70,758 | $34.02 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $73,727 | $35.45 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $72,357 | $34.79 |
| 29 | Montana | $68,937 | $33.14 |
| 30 | Florida | $68,512 | $32.94 |
| 31 | Alaska | $69,239 | $33.29 |
| 32 | Utah | $67,675 | $32.54 |
| 33 | Washington | $73,057 | $35.12 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $71,138 | $34.20 |
| 35 | Missouri | $70,176 | $33.74 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $67,535 | $32.47 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $65,440 | $31.46 |
| 38 | Alabama | $69,253 | $33.29 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $70,789 | $34.03 |
| 40 | Maine | $70,335 | $33.81 |
| 41 | Colorado | $69,773 | $33.54 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $67,666 | $32.53 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $60,259 | $28.97 |
| 44 | Arizona | $64,769 | $31.14 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $58,237 | $28.00 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $66,611 | $32.02 |
| 47 | Idaho | $63,184 | $30.38 |
| 48 | Indiana | $64,883 | $31.19 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $64,912 | $31.21 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $59,920 | $28.81 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $63,777 | $30.66 |
The highest-paying cities for database specialists are Sacramento, CA, Natick, MA, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $102,148 | $49.11 |
| 2 | Natick, MA | $92,271 | $44.36 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $91,972 | $44.22 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $88,733 | $42.66 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $87,603 | $42.12 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | $83,795 | $40.29 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $82,163 | $39.50 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $82,024 | $39.43 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $81,259 | $39.07 |
| 10 | Lawrenceville, GA | $79,502 | $38.22 |
| 11 | Milwaukee, WI | $79,212 | $38.08 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $77,521 | $37.27 |
| 13 | Grand Rapids, MI | $74,993 | $36.05 |
| 14 | Columbia, SC | $74,207 | $35.68 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $74,196 | $35.67 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $73,772 | $35.47 |
| 17 | Dayton, OH | $73,173 | $35.18 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $72,284 | $34.75 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs, CO | $70,299 | $33.80 |
| 20 | Little Rock, AR | $67,659 | $32.53 |
A database specialist's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $111,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $111,000 | $9,250 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| Average | $77,642 | $6,470 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
The highest paying types of database specialists are senior database administrator, lead database administrator, and senior support specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Administrator | $80,072 | $6,673 | $38.50 | 124,537 |
| Lead Database Administrator | $114,426 | $9,535 | $55.01 | 58,263 |
| Database Manager | $99,621 | $8,302 | $47.89 | 11,126 |
| SQL Database Administrator | $89,648 | $7,471 | $43.10 | 57,645 |
| Database Developer | $90,837 | $7,570 | $43.67 | 91,069 |
| Database Administrator | $81,960 | $6,830 | $39.40 | 56,992 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for database specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring database specialists now:
Database specialist salaries at Meta and MUFG EMEA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average database specialist salary at companies like Barclays and Citi are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $147,116 | $70.73 |
| 2 | MUFG EMEA | $128,372 | $61.72 |
| 3 | Barclays | $123,780 | $59.51 |
| 4 | Citi | $115,931 | $55.74 |
| 5 | Publicis Sapient | $115,611 | $55.58 |
| 6 | Thomson Reuters | $107,821 | $51.84 |
| 7 | Amazon | $107,527 | $51.70 |
| 8 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $106,411 | $51.16 |
| 9 | Five9 | $105,929 | $50.93 |
| 10 | NACCHO | $101,288 | $48.70 |
| 11 | VTech | $100,867 | $48.49 |
| 12 | Amdocs | $99,453 | $47.81 |
| 13 | Cedars-Sinai | $97,934 | $47.08 |
| 14 | Uline | $94,902 | $45.63 |
| 15 | ING USA Holding Corporation | $94,348 | $45.36 |
| 16 | Level One Bank | $93,151 | $44.78 |
| 17 | American Girl | $93,143 | $44.78 |
| 18 | HCSC | $90,707 | $43.61 |
| 19 | The TJX Companies | $90,668 | $43.59 |
| 20 | Amyx | $89,886 | $43.21 |
The average database specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $95,518 | $45.92 |
| 2 | Retail | $87,349 | $41.99 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $82,308 | $39.57 |
| 4 | Technology | $81,617 | $39.24 |
| 5 | Media | $76,986 | $37.01 |
| 6 | Professional | $74,454 | $35.80 |
| 7 | Transportation | $73,314 | $35.25 |
| 8 | Health Care | $72,547 | $34.88 |
| 9 | Education | $66,516 | $31.98 |
The average database specialist salary has risen by $16,382 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average database specialist earned $61,260 annually, but today, they earn $77,642 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for database specialists over the last decade.
Compare database specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare database specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,600 | $37.33 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $75,100 | $36.10 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $73,400 | $35.28 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $70,900 | $34.09 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | $69,200 | $33.28 | +3.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hancock | Consultant Database Specialist | Boston, MA | 06/30/2025 | $71,550 |
| Get It-Professional Services | Remote Database Management Specialist-Remote | WFH | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $75,132 |
| Suny Cortland | Donor Database Specialist | Cortland, NY | 06/28/2025 | $36,000 |
| System One | Senior Postgresql Database Management Specialist | Baltimore, MD | 06/27/2025 | $135,655 |
| University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore Washington | Database Specialist RN, Heart Institute, EP | Towson, MD | 06/27/2025 | $90,555 |
| Community College of Rhode Island | Database Specialist | Rhode Island | 06/27/2025 | $30,000 |
| Acrt, Inc. | Database Management Specialist | Denver, CO | 06/26/2025 | $62,610 |
| Akin | Donor & Philanthropy Database Specialist | Seattle, WA | 06/26/2025 | $63,570 |
| Manulife | Consultant Database Specialist | Boston, MA | 06/26/2025 | $71,550 |
| Servicenow | Database Specialist-Jdbc Query Tuning-Mariadb Postgres-Federal | Santa Clara, CA | 06/25/2025 | $125,300 |
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