Career Profile for Database Administrators

Picture this: You’re the guardian of an organization’s most asset – its data. Every time someone accesses customer information, processes a transaction, or generates a report, you’ve ensured that data is available, secure, and performing optimally.

Think about when you use your banking app – behind every transaction is a complex database system maintained by DBAs who ensure your financial data is accurate, accessible, and protected. 

Database Administrators are the architects and custodians of these critical data environments.

Total employment: 80,500 (2023)

Common Names for Database Administrators

• Database Administration Manager
• Database Administrator (DBA)
• Database Analyst
• Database Coordinator
• Database Engineer
• Database Manager
• Systems Administrator (Systems Admin)

What Database Administrators Do

Database Administrators are responsible for the performance, integrity, and security of databases. Their core responsibilities include:

• Data Security: Develops and implements database security measures, including access controls, encryption, and authentication protocols to protect sensitive information and ensure data privacy compliance.
• Database Performance: Monitors and optimizes database performance through regular maintenance, tuning, and troubleshooting to ensure systems operate efficiently and meet user needs.
• Backup and Recovery: Establishes and maintains backup procedures and disaster recovery plans to prevent data loss and ensure business continuity in case of system failures or emergencies.
• Data Storage Management: Plans and manages database storage capacity, implementing efficient data organization strategies to accommodate growth while maintaining system performance.
• User Access Control: Manages user permissions and access rights, creating and maintaining user accounts to ensure appropriate data access while maintaining security protocols.
• Database Design: Develops and maintains database structures that effectively organize data, ensuring efficient storage and retrieval while meeting business requirements.
• System Integration: Coordinates database integration with other business systems and applications to ensure smooth data flow across the organization’s technology infrastructure.
• Documentation Management: Maintains comprehensive documentation of database structures, procedures, and changes to support system maintenance and compliance requirements.