How to hire a senior database engineer

How to hire a senior database engineer, step by step

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

What does a senior database engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior database engineer, 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 engineer 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 engineer that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Senior Database Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Database Engineer	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.	$45-76
   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
   Consultant Database Administrator	Consultant database administrators maintain and monitor the health and security of the database systems used in different applications utilized by international offices. They create database management procedures including, backup programs, server maintenance, and program updates... Show more	$36-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • AWS
   • Java
   • ETL
   • Linux
   • Database Design
   • Troubleshoot
   • RDBMS
   • Database Administration
   • Production Environment
   • Performance Issues
   • Perl
   • Unix
   • Oracle Sql
   • Debugging

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead multiple infrastructure planning and implementation including instance strategy, technical platform selection, architecture design, backup and recovery strategy.
   • Develop scripts in PL/SQL, UNIX shell scripts to facilitate database management.
   • Design and code PL/SQL packages to extract data from CDW/CDM repository and update database objects.
   • Develop many Java script functions for database administration.
   • Analyze and design Linux applications and MySQL databases host on Linux servers.
   • Develop bash, perl and python scripts as monitoring and maintenance tools.

   More senior database engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior database engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior database engineer 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 senior database engineer in West Virginia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior database engineer. Additionally, a senior database engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior database engineer salary

   $123,540yearly

   $59.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior database engineer salary

   $95,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average senior database engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$153,809	$74
   2	Washington	$146,047	$70
   3	Arizona	$124,679	$60
   4	New York	$120,257	$58
   5	Massachusetts	$118,954	$57
   6	District of Columbia	$114,906	$55
   7	Texas	$114,470	$55
   8	Virginia	$111,982	$54
   9	Rhode Island	$111,518	$54
   10	North Carolina	$110,119	$53
   11	Wisconsin	$109,963	$53
   12	Maryland	$109,791	$53
   13	Illinois	$108,020	$52
   14	Georgia	$107,567	$52
   15	Michigan	$107,155	$52
   16	Ohio	$106,829	$51
   17	Minnesota	$106,770	$51
   18	Florida	$106,322	$51
   19	Missouri	$104,299	$50
   20	Colorado	$103,154	$50

   Average senior database engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Twitter	$169,216	$81.35	1
   2	eBay	$166,687	$80.14	20
   3	Credit Karma	$163,473	$78.59
   4	Netflix	$160,534	$77.18
   5	PayPal	$159,950	$76.90	16
   6	Walmart	$159,601	$76.73	284
   7	Apple	$154,549	$74.30	138
   8	NeoGenomics Laboratories	$154,010	$74.04
   9	Chewy	$153,412	$73.76	2
   10	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$151,071	$72.63	5
   11	OpenTable	$149,731	$71.99
   12	Box	$149,364	$71.81	2
   13	RingCentral	$149,179	$71.72
   14	Amazon	$148,872	$71.57	177
   15	LinkedIn	$148,715	$71.50	12
   16	OneLogin	$146,178	$70.28
   17	BlackLine	$145,018	$69.72	2
   18	Bloomberg	$144,989	$69.71	168
   19	Expedia Group	$144,869	$69.65	32
   20	Infinera	$144,753	$69.59

4. Writing a senior database engineer job description

   A senior database engineer 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior database engineer job description:

   Senior database engineer job description example

   Job Title
   Oracle Database Engineer, Sr
   
   Job Purpose
   The Senior Database Engineer provides database administration and system support for existing production database environments to include performance of the following related tasks: software installation, patch installation, upgrades, query writing, configuration, database creation, security, system monitoring and tuning, disaster recovery planning, implementation and backup and recovery.Essential Job Responsibilities:
   Lead efforts to guide team to best practices for database usage, high availability and business continuity.Create and support databases across internal and end-user applications.Analyze existing database applications to migrate into or improve the functioning on the platform.Maintain databases, including all production, backup and development files.Administer database security across all database environments.Provide guidance to other database administrators to expand the role and capabilities of the database environment.Prepare periodic reports regarding unit's activities and goal attainment.Maintain a state-of-the-art knowledge of existing best practices in database administration.Mentor/train lower level database administrators.Coordinate larger-sized projects through assignment of tasks and managing the workload of staff.Support application deployment and provisioning of database systems during business and non-operating hours
   Required Qualifications:
   Minimum 7 years of database related experience.Prior experience with the following is preferred:All successful candidates will have hands on professional experience as an Oracle Database Administrator. this expect candidates to be versed those specific technologies if not hands-on. BS or MS degree or equivalent experience relevant to functional area.2 to 6 years of professional experience administering Oracle DatabasesExperience using Oracle Data Guard / Fast Start FailoverKnowledge or experience with Oracle Multitenant (CDB/PDB) Knowledge or experience with Oracle GoldenGateExcellent written and verbal communication skills to work effectively across multiple business lines, external technology partners and fellow team members.Proven ability to manage projects.Excellent analytical and design skills at multiple product level.Excellent research, analysis, project planning and implementation skills.Aware of business issues as they impact overall project plans.Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or equivalent.
   
   Learn more about Fiserv: Life moves fast. And as it does, we know most people aren't thinking about “financial services” But we are. We help people and businesses move money and information every minute of every day. Our solutions connect financial institutions, corporations, merchants and consumers to one another, millions of times a day, behind the scenes, reliably and securely. We're Fiserv, a global leader in Fintech and payments enabling innovative financial services experiences that are in step with the way people live and work today. The company's approximately 44,000 associates proudly serve clients in more than 100 countries, so their customers, members and consumers can move money when and where they need it, at the point of thought. Our Aspiration is to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a FORTUNE™ 500 company and one of FORTUNE Magazine World's Most Admired Companies for the sixth consecutive year, we are committed to excellence and purposeful innovation. Explore the possibilities of a career with Fiserv and Find Your Forward with us.
   We welcome and encourage diversity in our workforce. Fiserv is an equal opportunity employer/disability/vet
   
   This role is not eligible to be performed in Colorado.
   
   Please note that salary ranges provided for this role on external job boards are salary estimates made by outside parties and may not be accurate.
   
   Thank you for considering employment with Fiserv. Please:
   
   Apply using your legal name Complete the step-by-step profile and attach your resume (either is acceptable, both are preferable).
   
   Fiserv is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and it is the Company's policy to make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability (as long as the individual is able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation), and any other characteristic protected by Law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior database engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior database engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior database engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior database engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality senior database engineer candidates.
   • Use niche 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 engineer 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.

   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 senior database engineer 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 senior database engineer

   Once you've found the senior database engineer 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior database engineer. 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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