Database management is an excellent profession. As we are now clearly living in the 'information age', someone has to manage all that information for individuals, companies, and governments. This information is organized and stored in huge computer software databases. This is where someone with a degree in database management keeps all that information together. In today's world, databases are used to keep track of every kind of information imaginable like library information, medical records, financial information, scholastic information, sales information, and even flight plans for airlines. Database management is also called database administration.
Great Salaries of Database Management
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Robert Half Technologies, individuals in database management or administration can enjoy starting salaries between $67,000 and going as high a $95,000 annually, depending on degree type and experience. According to a survey based on data collected from thousands of employers by Salary.com, a database administrator in the United States has a median salary over $85,000 annually.
Strong Job Outlook for Database Managers/Administrators
The job outlook for database administrators is excellent. It is projected that this field will increase by 23 percent between now and the year 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. While many fields will experience low or no job growth, this is a field where jobs where jobs will continue to be created and new employees will be needed through the coming decade. This is especially good news considering the very complicated and often negative job prospective for so many careers in the United States at this time.
Course of Study for Database Management Programs
A course of study for database management often entails 4 years of study to obtain a bachelor's degree. Generally courses emphasize some mathematics, database administration and management, network administration and hardware, computer systems, and some software courses. Generally, students will also take some basic science and also technical writing courses. Some schools also offer associate degrees and certification programs online in database management.
Database Management Online Course Availability
Those pursuing a career in database management actually have more options than before. Many colleges and universities now offer online programs that allow students to take their database management courses online. In fact, students can actually take all their courses online. This makes attending college so much easier, as one can fit courses into their schedule, rather than having to adjust their schedule to attend courses on a campus in person. Keep in mind, many colleges and universities also offer the traditional route, where students can attend a campus and go to classes in person.
In today's environment, IS [information systems] components are business critical, and the key part of every process is data.
--Robert Omerza, president of the International DB2 Users Group and a longtime database administrator for a major courier service
If you choose to pursue a career in Database Management you can expect to spend your days processing and dealing with data. For some, that might seem boring; but for others it’s a challenging and rewarding career. You probably couldn’t choose a more secure job field than database administration. The demand for skilled database administrators and managers is expected to continue. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 66% growth in database administration jobs through the year 2010. Only seven other occupations in all job categories will have a greater growth rate.
As company databases continue to grow, there is a huge need for individuals to maintain, manage, and help develop new ways to organize this information. Typically a database administrator is responsible for various aspects of databases such as initial set up/design, setting parameters to maximize performance, and troubleshooting problems.
At some companies, the typical responsibilities of a database administrator are divided among several positions. At other companies, typically smaller ones, one individual plays all of these roles. Examples of some of these positions include:
Database Administrators--Work with business areas to set up and maintain their databases. They are concerned with database objects like tables, indexes, tablespaces, stored procedures, etc.
Database Systems Administrators-- Responsible for supporting the database system itself. These individuals are concerned with the actual code that runs the database and how that integrates with the platforms on which it runs and the applications trying to access data from a database.
Database Designers--Help business areas design their databases. They determine which tables are needed and how those tables should relate to one another.
As with any career, sometimes you wear many hats. Your training and education will improve your ability to adapt to different work environments and job responsibilities. The type of company that employs you determines how you will use your skills and at what capacity.
A day in the life of a Database Manager/Administrator
To get a glimpse of what a typical day might be like and how you would use your degree and the skills you have learned, two database professionals were interviewed and asked what their typical day entails.
Phil Mcmillan-IT Database Administration
Database Systems Administrator for a major insurance company
Q. What is the biggest challenge regarding your job? A. In our area, we deal with a lot of different areas, networking, scripters, etc. That can become difficult as various areas use different terminology and have different perspectives.
Q. What are your daily tasks like? A. There are two distinct aspects to my job. One is the service aspect. That would be dealing with problems as they arise. Here I would be troubleshooting problems, talking to business areas experiencing problems, and discussing issues with IBM. The second aspect pertains to project work. This involves working on future upgrades of the DB2 database system, helping business areas improve current functionality, and build new functionality. So a typical day would involve a blend of those activities. Some days are more oriented toward project work. On other days, I’m entirely involved in dealing with current issues and problems.
Q. What skills do you use at work? A. I use both technical skills and people skills. I must be able to troubleshoot complex problems and build new solutions for business problems; those things require technical skills. I also must work with various areas in and out of IT. This requires people skills.
Q. What percentage of your day do you spend working independently or in a group? A. In my position, I spend approximately 60% of my time working independently and 40% of my time working collaboratively.
Q. What is one thing you didn’t know about your field before getting into it that you wish you had known? A. I think in IT, generally, you can never have too much technical knowledge. In my area, specifically, I wish had known more about how applications interact with DB2. We spend a lot of time dealing with application errors that are encountered when accessing the databases.
Ryan Austin-IT Database Administration
Database Administrator/Database Developer for Tribune Media Services
Q. What is the most enjoyable thing about your job? A. Solving problems and making things better. Discovering new technology that replaces/fixes previous, troublesome bugs that required workarounds.
Q. What is the biggest challenge regarding your job? A. Keeping up with the ever-changing technology.
Q. What are your daily tasks like? A. Monitor production database server logs and status email. Create and test new implementations. Coordinate with development teams for database access. In some cases code as part of the development team. Create software solutions to make maintenance easier.
Q. What skills do you use at work? A. Communication, Research, Programming Language(s) Coding and Scripting. (Java, SQL, Perl, C, XML), Software installation and configuration, Email
Q. What percentage of your day do you spend working independently or in a group? A. 75% solo, 25% team
Q. What is one thing you didn’t know about your field before getting into it that you wish you had known? A. Experience is very valuable. Learn/try lots of programming languages. Linux is important, learn to use it.
Looking at the daily lives of professionals will give you a good idea as to what a career in database administration and/or database management involves. If these tasks appeal to you, a career viewing and analyzing data could solidify your future.
Database Management incorporates three separate degree pursuits: Database Management, Database Development and Database Administration. Each degree and ensuing career path carries varying salary expectations based on education, experience and geographic location.
Database Management
The average Database Management salaries for job postings nationwide are 2% higher than average salaries for all job postings nationwide. The average salary as of July 2011 was $75,000 taking into account experience, certifications and geographic location. Salaries in this field have been steadily climbing since April of 2010, reaching close to $100,000 depending on geographic location and experience.
Database Management encompasses varying career paths from Database Administrator to Financial Analyst to Executive Assistant. Following are some median salary listings with varying degrees of database management by job designation:
Oracle Database Administrator
$86,786
Geographic Information Systems Analyst
$42,909
Financial Analyst
$50,414
Administrative Assistant
$34,157
Paralegal
$41,217
Office Manager
$35,608
Executive Assistant
$30,537
Industries employing those with Database Management degrees include the U.S. Government, Computer Corporations, and Colleges and Universities.
Payscale.com offers additional data on salaries, geographic saturations, and job postings for Database Management and you can view some charts and graphs related to this position at Indeed.com.
Database Development
The average Database Developer salaries for job postings nationwide are 24% higher than average salaries for all job postings. The average salary as of July 2011 was $77,627 taking into account experience, certifications and geographic location. Salaries in this field have been steadily climbing since April of 2010, reaching upwards of $100,000.Median annual wages of database developers were $77,627 in July 2011. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,176, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $108,078.
Jobs and salaries related to Database Development
Database Developer
$84,000
SQL Database Developer
$86,000
SQL Server Database Developer
$90,000
Senior Database Developer
$98,000
Popular industries employing Database Developers and expected salary ranges
IT Services
$44,818-$100,594
Insurance and Financial Services
$47,453-101,855
Financial Services
$46,563-$101,536
Software Applications
$46,649-$101,084
Healthcare
$47,069-$102,251
Payscale.com offers additional data on salaries, geographic saturations, and job postings for Database Developers and you can view some charts and graphs related to this position at Indeed.com.
Database Administration
According to the latest job statistics gathered in 2008, there were 120,400 employed as Data Administrators. Employment of database administrators is expected to grow by 20 percent in the next ten years. Demand for these workers is expected to increase as organizations need to store, organize, and analyze increasing amounts of data. In addition, as more databases are connected to the Internet, and as data security becomes increasingly important, a growing number of these workers will be needed to protect databases from attack.
Database administrators should continue to enjoy excellent job prospects. In general, applicants with a college degree and certification will have the best opportunities. However, for some of these occupations, opportunities will be available for applicants with related work experience. Job openings in these occupations will be the result of strong employment growth, as well as the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
Median annual wages of database administrators were $75,730 in May 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $54,250 and $95,170. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,570, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $115,660.
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are as follows:
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
$84,280
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$78,420
Insurance Carriers
$80,880
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
$66,440
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
The Associate of Arts with a concentration in Information Technology/Database Development offers course work covering the installation and programming of database applications in the business environment. The development of queries and reports from a database are addressed in this program as well as the backup, recovery and security of databases.
The Database Administration concentration focuses on the installation, development and administration of database applications in the business environment. The administration and development of database applications is examined from desktop databases to the enterprise level application of database technology.
The principal objective of the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems program is to teach students state-of-the-art computer concepts. This will prepare them for programmer/analyst, database management, Web development, networking, internetworking and security positions.
This course of study focuses on the acquisition of computer information systems knowledge and skills. The program is designed for individuals seeking computer skills to increase their job opportunities in their current careers or to pursue new careers. The diploma program also is advantageous to students desiring early entry into the job market, preparing students for entry-level computer positions. Students enrolled in the diploma program are required to take twelve information systems courses.
As information systems evolve, continuing education remains a critical part of technology. It is essential for information technology professionals to enhance their efficiency and capability by gaining skills in areas such as programming, database technology, database administration, Web development, networking, security administration, and computer security. Strayer University's Undergraduate Certificate prepares today's information technology professionals for these challenges by imparting these and other relevant skills. Students enrolled in the certificate program are required to take six information systems courses.
As information systems evolve, continuing education remains a critical part of technology. It is essential for information technology professionals to enhance their efficiency and capability by gaining skills in areas such as programming, database technology, database administration, Web development, networking, security administration, and computer security. Strayer University's Undergraduate Certificate prepares today's information technology professionals for these challenges by imparting these and other relevant skills. Students enrolled in the certificate program are required to take six information systems courses.
Walden's B.S. in Information Technology program can help you gain the combined technical, managerial, and organizational skills that information technology employers seek. Study the information systems essential to virtually all organizations, participate in activities that encourage collaboration and problem-solving, and take the opportunity to learn to use resources to satisfy current and anticipated IT needs.
Concentrations
Application Development, Testing, and Quality Assurance
Database Administration and Data Center Operations
With Database Administration training from Rasmussen College, you will be ready
to take on the challenges of storing, organizing, and managing data for any
organization. This includes creating data backups and testing their
effectiveness, verifying the integrity of data, and ensuring security of
sensitive information within the databases. In addition, you will be able to
provide vital support to your organization by helping Programmers and Engineers
efficiently utilize databases and access information in a timely and proficient
manner. Strong growth in Database Administration jobs combined with a limited
supply of qualified workers will result in excellent employment prospects and a
high demand for their skills.
Information technology is a rapidly growing field, and skilled IT workers are at a premium. Become a part of this expanding market by enrolling in the South University Bachelor of Science Information Technology online program. You will have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills you need to understand the theoretical and applied uses of information technology in various business applications.
Post University offers a valuable and relevant Computer Information Systems degree that prepares students for real-world development, management, and administration of IT for companies, non-profit organizations, and civil/government agencies. The program provides you with core knowledge of programming and system design that are in high demand in the workplace. Students have a choice of two programs: Database and Software Development Management. These concentrations develop specific knowledge focused on knowledge and skills that are in high demand in the marketplace.Database ProgramDatabases account for a large majority of development, application, and administration in IT organizations. This track has been designed to maximize the student's capabilities to fit a large number of roles within an IT organization. This program of study gives the student hands-on learning for DB design, application, prototyping, and administration. In addition, the student will learn Object Oriented programming, and Human Computer Interaction, to build front-end user interfaces for applications and the web.