Database developer salary and responsibilities

In today’s job market, creating a favorable offering is crucial. A competitive salary attracts top talent and lowers employee turnover, and a database developer salary is no different. We’ve created a roundup of everything you need to know.

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This article will cover the following topics:

• What does a database developer do?
• Database developer job vs. database administrator job
• How much does a database developer make?
• Average database developer salary NYC, California, Florida, and Washington
• Core and advanced data developer skills

What does a database developer do?

In a nutshell, a database developer is responsible for the design, programming, construction, and implementation of computer databases. They modify existing databases for platform updates and changes. Determining the best database management system, testing for efficiency and performance, troubleshooting and correcting problems, all fall within the responsibility of database developers.

Summarising and organizing a company’s information needs, a database developer translates those needs into efficient and effective programming code. Therefore, a knowledge of database software providers such as Oracle, IBM, or Microsoft is necessary. Proficiency in programming languages, such as SQL and ETL, is used to design and develop a customized database program.

To maximize output, when the database is live, the database developer’s role is to analyze and adjust it accordingly. Marketing, management, or the client may also request optimizations that database developers must introduce to the database.

Source

The US Bureau of Labour Statistics report predicts that software developer positions will grow by 17% for the 2014 to 2024 period. As the need for a secure database to store company data grows, so will the need for database developers.

The growing demand puts prospective database developers in a favorable position. It also means that the job market may become competitive. Recruiters and HR specialists will be searching for highly skilled database developers. Only top talent database developers will secure positions at top companies.

One way to identify the most competent candidate is by the courses completed on their CV. As reported by Zippia, the top database developer certifications in 2022 are:

• Oracle Certified Associate – Oracle 9i Database Administrator (OCA)
• Oracle Certified Professional – Oracle 9i Database Administrator (OCP)
• Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)
• Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC)

Database developer job vs. database administrator job

Database developers are responsible for the creation of new, and the maintenance of existing databases, and database administrators manage and maintain database programs.

Administrators, as the title indicates, administer the database on a day-to-day basis. They grant access to the database whenever needed and safeguard it from unauthorized access. They oversee everyday technical aspects of database administration, including securing organizational data, restoring lost data, creating new user permissions, testing modifications, and merging old databases.

Both jobs fulfil business requirements, however, their assigned responsibilities vary depending on the size of the company and its needs. If your company is a mid to large organization that relies on information storage and data mining operations then the chances are you will need both a database developer and an administrator.

However, if you are a smaller organization, the chances are your business needs are not as demanding. To reduce costs, you can combine the two functions into one hybrid position.

How much does a database developer make?

Let us talk salary. Db developer salaries depend on many factors, including years of experience, skills, and company location.

The national average database developer salary range across all sources comes to $96,679, but the difference between the data available is significant.

ZipRecruiter estimates the highest average base salary, $96,679 per year. This estimate is similar to Zippia’s estimations, $92,000 per year.

Glassdoor estimates the national db developer’s average base salary as $79,049 per year and an average of $24,109 additional pay. Additional pay includes cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit-sharing. According to Glassdoor, a database developer will make, on average, $104,255.

The lowest salary for a database developer is reported by PayScale – $78,401 per year.

What is the database developer salary entry range?

ZipRecruiter reports the highest database developer entry-level salary – $64,284 per year. Although slightly less, PayScale reports that database developers at an entry-level position can expect $61,000 per year.

Let’s break this down to average hourly pay. On average a Db developer is expected to work between 35 to 40 hours a week, and there are 52 weeks in a year. The average total base salary as reported above is $62,642, which works out to $32.55 an hour (roughly).

Jr developer database salary

As reported by PayScale and Glassdoor the national average salary range for Jr Db developers is between $69,551 – $80,566 per year. In addition, Glassdoor reports a Jr Db developer can also expect an additional payment of $21,101.

Senior database developers’ income

Senior database developers can expect a base pay of $109,154 per year and additional pay of $14,683, as reported by Glassdoor. Their average salary estimates amount to $123,370.

ZipRecruiter reports a slightly lower national average, $114,661, to be exact.

PayScale breaks down the national average by experience level. Database developers with 10-19 years of experience can expect an average salary of $96,989, and 20 years of experience will see the senior database developer income rise to $100,725. This estimate is still lower than what is reported by Glassdoor.

From the above analysis, it becomes clear that years of experience play a significant role in determining how much a database developer makes. On average, there is a $40k difference between the national average base salary of an entry and senior-level database developer.

Average database developer salary NYC, California, Florida and Washington

When looking at influential factors, location plays a significant role in determining the salary for a database Db. Below you will find how database developer income compares across specific geographical locations:

• Database developers in Washington can expect to take home around $117,022 per year
• Database developer income in NYC on average amounts to $106,224 per year
• Database developer salary in California is the national highest amounting to $99,081
• Database developer salary in Florida, on average, comes up to $82,725

From the above, we can see that the highest-paying locations are Washington, followed by NYC and California whereas the salary for a Db developer in Florida is one of the lowest in the USA.

In terms of highest paying cities, Seattle, WA takes first place ($117,846), followed by San Francisco, CA ($104,928), and New York, NY ($96,585).

Core and advanced data developer skills

Some employers may require an undergraduate degree or higher education, but this is changing. We are seeing more employers focus on prospective employees’ experience, and their core and advanced data developer skills. Experience with specific database frameworks varies depending on what the system employer uses.

As a recruiter or HR specialist, look for candidates with strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills. As database developers collaborate with the wider team and clients, they must possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Database developers must also demonstrate the ability to work independently and within a team.

Let us now look at the core and advanced data developer experience required by HR specialists or recruiters.

Core Skills

• Technical design and development abilities are needed for the creation of database programs
  
• Analysis of existing database and data needs of clients to develop appropriate systems
  
• Knowledge of specific programming languages and codes
  
• Ability to follow implementation process for new databases
  
• Troubleshooting and resolving bugs in new database applications
  
• Knoweldge of ETL and BI tools
  

Advanced data developer skills

• Keeping up to date with the latest trends and technologies
• Advanced SQL skills and ability to write complex SQL queries
• Experience in training and mentoring new developers
• Previous experience in project management will also be beneficial

The above skills are the baseline every potential candidate should demonstrate. However, there are also additional certifications database developers can obtain that will positively impact their salaries. As a recruiter or HR specialist, you should accommodate this in your offering

• Database developers with Oracle 11g skills will earn $104,964 per year. A whopping 34% pay increase in database developer salaries.
• Database developers with Informatica skills will earn $100,299 per year. This is 28% more than the Db developer.
• Database developer with database administration skills salary ranges from $58,000 to $114,000 per year. The knowledge to create and manage databases increases the average salary by 19%.
• Database developers with PL/SQL skills will earn $88,263 per year. This is 13% more than the Db developer.

Concluding remarks

To conclude, the following factors influence database developer salary: years of experience, skills obtained, courses completed, and company location. When creating a job post or an offering to potential employees keep these factors in mind. This will help create job openings that will guarantee to attract top talent. A cherry on top is to think about the career options your company can offer additional incentives, such as custom career paths.