What a database administrator really does
You keep a company's data fast, safe and correct, and you decide who gets to touch it.
FieldTech and design
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Considerable preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for database administrators, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Make changes to database structure, or review changes developers want to make.
- Decide who gets access to which data and at what level, and clean up access that is too broad.
- Find out why a query or report is slow and fix it without breaking anything else.
- Test changes on a copy of the database before they reach production.
- Plan and schedule database software upgrades and patches around the business calendar.
- Answer questions from analysts and developers and help junior staff.
- Keep standards for protecting sensitive data up to date.
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You have real authority over your systems and make a lot of your own calls. Freedom to make decisions: 56% a lot of freedom, 38% some freedom (O*NET Work Context)
- Compared with many tech jobs the schedule is steady and predictable. Work schedules: 93% regular; Duration of typical work week: 68% 40 hours (O*NET Work Context)
- It is not a hide in the server room job; you are dealing with people most of the day. Contact with others: 71% most of the time, 23% constant contact; E-Mail: 92% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- The core of the work is changing live databases carefully, not building new ones from scratch. Top task: 'Modify existing databases and database management systems or direct programmers and analysts to make changes', importance 75, Core, rank 1 (O*NET Tasks)
- Some of those people will be frustrated with you, usually because you said no or something is slow. Deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people: 13% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
Job Zone 4. In O*NET's survey 89% of respondents say a bachelor's degree is required for new hires, usually in computer science, information systems or a related field. Many database administrators start as developers, data analysts or system administrators and move into the role after gaining experience with a specific database system.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at Brightwater Freight, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial runs SQL against a small simulated database with prepared query plans, not a real production server with millions of rows. It cannot show late night maintenance windows or on call pages if your company has them, the slow work of monitoring and backup checks over months, vendor support calls, or the stress of a real data loss. Performance numbers are illustrative.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 15-1242.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.