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The differences between senior database engineers and senior database administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior database engineer and a senior database administrator. Additionally, a senior database engineer has an average salary of $123,540, which is higher than the $114,969 average annual salary of a senior database administrator.
The top three skills for a senior database engineer include AWS, java and ETL. The most important skills for a senior database administrator are linux, DBA, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Database Engineer | Senior Database Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $123,540 | $114,969 |
| Hourly rate | $59.39 | $55.27 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 110,265 | 56,932 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior database engineer specializes in designing and developing databases for a company. Among their responsibilities include identifying and understanding the company's needs, creating and maintaining database projects and programs, writing scripts, troubleshooting errors, fixing bugs, and performing upgrades. They must also provide technical support to employees, addressing and resolving issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a senior engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A senior database administrator is in charge of maintaining and managing a database, ensuring its efficiency and security. Their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the performance of databases, identifying any problems or inconsistencies, performing corrective measures, and devising security measures to keep data safe from any cyber-attacks. They are also responsible for responding to any inquiries or concerns, resolving them promptly. Furthermore, as a senior in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage the junior administrators, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior database engineers and senior database administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Database Engineer | Senior Database Administrator | |
| Average salary | $123,540 | $114,969 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $159,000 | Between $88,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior database engineer and a senior database administrator in terms of educational background:
| Senior Database Engineer | Senior Database Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior database engineers' and senior database administrators' demographics:
| Senior Database Engineer | Senior Database Administrator | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4% | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 23.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 25.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |