How to hire a senior database architect

How to hire a senior database architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior database architect hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior database architect job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior database architect
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior database architect, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior database architect 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 senior database architect that fits the bill.

   This list presents senior database architect salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Database Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Database Architect	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.	$41-74
   Development Administrator	A community development administrator is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing a community's social, physical, and economic growth. Your duties typically include supervising the construction of public infrastructures such as roads and schools, providing assistance to both private and public developers, and managing public projects, including parks and hospitals... Show more	$31-60
   Salesforce Administrator	A salesforce administrator is considered the gatekeeper for the marketing data and sales of their employer. The administrators create each user account and identify the proper data access level based on the role of the employees within the company... Show more	$31-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • AWS
   • Python
   • ETL
   • Azure
   • NoSQL
   • Database Architecture
   • Data Warehouse
   • SR
   • Linux
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • Java
   • Windows
   • Data Analysis
   • BI

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create PHP page for loan officers to add to their contact list for leads which interact with the MySQL database.
   • Create ETL packages using Microsoft SSIS to transform and integrate several database structures into a single integrate data warehouse.
   • Design, create complex clinical research reports using SSRS.
   • Develop stored procedures and database code TSQL, SQL, SSIS.
   • Analyze queries, develop and implement index strategies for OLTP systems.
   • Design, develop, modify, test, and implement SSIS projects.

   More senior database architect duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior database architect job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A senior database architect salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a senior database architect in North Dakota may be lower than in California, and an entry-level senior database architect usually earns less than a senior-level senior database architect. Additionally, a senior database architect with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average senior database architect salary

   $116,172yearly

   $55.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior database architect salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average senior database architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$162,878	$78
   2	Washington	$146,474	$70
   3	Oregon	$137,562	$66
   4	Massachusetts	$135,377	$65
   5	New York	$134,388	$65
   6	Illinois	$120,279	$58
   7	New Jersey	$118,407	$57
   8	Pennsylvania	$117,341	$56
   9	Arizona	$116,872	$56
   10	Virginia	$116,185	$56
   11	Utah	$112,222	$54
   12	Connecticut	$111,861	$54
   13	North Carolina	$110,731	$53
   14	District of Columbia	$110,164	$53
   15	Texas	$109,792	$53
   16	Ohio	$108,342	$52
   17	Michigan	$106,772	$51
   18	Minnesota	$105,683	$51
   19	Georgia	$105,229	$51
   20	Iowa	$98,691	$47

   Average senior database architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$154,875	$74.46	4
   2	Atlassian	$149,054	$71.66	1
   3	Intuitive Surgical	$144,372	$69.41	1
   4	Microsoft	$142,647	$68.58	115
   5	Rubrik	$139,424	$67.03	58
   6	Backblaze	$135,195	$65.00
   7	Amazon	$134,472	$64.65	287
   8	Sephora	$134,027	$64.44
   9	Novo Nordisk	$132,314	$63.61
   10	Adobe	$131,869	$63.40	45
   11	ServiceNow	$130,818	$62.89	97
   12	Interactive Brokers	$130,660	$62.82
   13	Electric Reliability Council of Texas	$126,670	$60.90	3
   14	Belk	$123,866	$59.55
   15	Tyco International	$116,568	$56.04
   16	Louis Vuitton	$116,306	$55.92
   17	Real Soft Inc	$116,299	$55.91
   18	Equator	$116,198	$55.86
   19	Guidehouse	$114,890	$55.24	213
   20	Cincinnati Bell	$114,584	$55.09	1

4. Writing a senior database architect job description

   A good senior database architect 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 senior database architect job description:

   Senior database architect job description example

   • Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years of experience designing and developing large-scale data engineering projects in AWS cloud platform.
   • Experience in developing complex conceptual and logical data models (along with physical implementations of the logical models)
   • Experience with OLTP(Postgres, AWS RDS/Aurora, SQL Server), OLAP(Redshift, Athena, Snowflake), NoSQL(DynamoDB, MongoDB), Search(ElasticSearch, Solr), Messaging/Streaming(Kinesis, Kafka, SQS, SNS)
   • Proficient in Analytical SQL window functions.
   • Experience with native AWS technologies such as AWS Glue, Lambda, EMR, SageMaker, CloudWatch, Lake Formation, KMS etc.
   • Experience in application development using Graphql APIs, RESTful APIs etc. and distributed data processing platforms is a plus.
   • Working experience in Python is a plus.
   • AWS Certification is a plus.

   Benefits

   • 15 paid-time-off days, 13 company paid holidays, 1-day marking personal observance, 1 day for volunteer efforts

   • 401K match program
   • Access to premier healthcare at affordable rates
   • Inclusive work environment
   • Flexible Hybrid Hours
   • Employee Assistance Program
   • Pet Insurance & Eldercare
   • Wellness Offerings

   
   

   We believe in building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible company, where people from all backgrounds feel valued, safe, and respected. Home is where everyone deserves to feel safe, secure, and free to be their truest self.

   Home Partners of America and Pathlight Property Management are Equal Opportunity Employers and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, or sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability status, genetic information, veteran, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations in which we operate.

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior database architects 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 senior database architect job on Zippia to find and recruit senior database architect 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

   Your first interview with senior database architect candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview senior database architect 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 senior database architect

   Once you've selected the best senior database architect 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior database architect. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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