Database Architects
Information TechnologyO*NET 15-1243.00United States
Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. Set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security.
- Median annual earnings
- $138,502
- Projected change
- +12.3%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 68.45K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
80.9% of the workforce
Growing to 76.84K by 2035
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The work
What database architects do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Develop and document database architectures.
- Collaborate with system architects, software architects, design analysts, and others to understand business or industry requirements.
- Develop database architectural strategies at the modeling, design and implementation stages to address business or industry requirements.
- Design databases to support business applications, ensuring system scalability, security, performance, and reliability.
- Develop data models for applications, metadata tables, views or related database structures.
- Design database applications, such as interfaces, data transfer mechanisms, global temporary tables, data partitions, and function-based indexes to enable efficient access of the generic database structure.
- Develop methods for integrating different products so they work properly together, such as customizing commercial databases to fit specific needs.
- Create and enforce database development standards.
- Develop data model describing data elements and their use, following procedures and using pen, template or computer software.
- Document and communicate database schemas, using accepted notations.
- Work as part of a project team to coordinate database development and determine project scope and limitations.
- Identify and evaluate industry trends in database systems to serve as a source of information and advice for upper management.
- Set up database clusters, backup, or recovery processes.
- Demonstrate database technical functionality, such as performance, security and reliability.
- Plan and install upgrades of database management system software to enhance database performance.
- Develop load-balancing processes to eliminate down time for backup processes.
- Identify, evaluate and recommend hardware or software technologies to achieve desired database performance.
- Test programs or databases, correct errors, and make necessary modifications.
- Identify and correct deviations from database development standards.
- Review project requests describing database user needs to estimate time and cost required to accomplish project.
- Write and code logical and physical database descriptions, and specify identifiers of database to management system or direct others in coding descriptions.
- Develop or maintain archived procedures, procedural codes, or queries for applications.
- Provide technical support to junior staff or clients.
- Establish and calculate optimum values for database parameters, using manuals and calculators.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $84,791
- 25th percentile
- $107,835
- 50th percentile
- $138,502
- 75th percentile
- $168,828
- 90th percentile
- $204,471
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $138,502 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+12.3%faster than average
202568,447 jobs
2035 projected76,843 jobs
8,396 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 80.9%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 14.3%
- Certificate
- 4.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Data Architects4,042 postings
- 02Data Governance Managers1,567 postings
- 03Data Center Managers1,509 postings
- 04Manager/Data Engineers1,213 postings
- 05Data Product Managers1,102 postings
- 06Infrastructure Architects1,101 postings
- 07Data Managers863 postings
- 08Database Developers696 postings
- 09Data Analytics Managers663 postings
- 10Database Engineers654 postings
- 11Cloud Infrastructure Architects604 postings
- 12Database Architects587 postings
- 13Data Coordinators570 postings
- 14Directors of Data Engineering567 postings
- 15Principal Architects522 postings
- 16Data Center Architects456 postings
- 17Data Platform Engineers430 postings
- 18Lead Data Architects425 postings
- 19Data Solutions Architects422 postings
- 20Data Center Operations Managers419 postings
Top employers
- 01PricewaterhouseCoopers1,433 postings
- 02Capital One1,079 postings
- 03Accenture885 postings
- 04Amazon736 postings
- 05Google727 postings
- 06KPMG705 postings
- 07Cardinal Health545 postings
- 08JPMorgan Chase501 postings
- 09Jacobs Solutions430 postings
- 10CVS Health406 postings
- 11GovCIO394 postings
- 12Oracle380 postings
- 13Bausch Health378 postings
- 14Ernst & Young376 postings
- 15Insight Global348 postings
- 16Meta344 postings
- 17Datavant327 postings
- 18Robert Half315 postings
- 19Shi International Ltd275 postings
- 20TriWest Healthcare Alliance270 postings
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