Technology
A database administrator installs, secures, tunes and backs up the databases that store a company’s critical information. The role matters because slow, unavailable or corrupted data systems can halt operations and put records at risk.
Ways to hire
4options
contract, contract-to-hire, full-time and executive search
The role
Companies hire one when databases are slow or unstable, a migration or upgrade is planned, or backup and recovery practices have never been properly tested.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
Typically 3 to 8 years administering production databases, with a degree in IT or computer science and vendor certifications.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
Straight answers to the questions employers and candidates ask about this role.
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A database administrator installs, secures, tunes and backs up the databases that store a company’s critical information. The role matters because slow, unavailable or corrupted data systems can halt operations and put records at risk. Typical responsibilities include: install, configure and patch database servers and instances; tune queries, indexes and settings to improve performance; set up and test backup, restore and disaster recovery plans.
Look for SQL, performance tuning, backup and recovery, high availability, database security and replication. Experience with SQL Server, Oracle Database, PostgreSQL, MySQL and AWS RDS is common in this role.
Yes. Employers hire a database administrator on contract for projects, peak periods and cover, and contract-to-hire is a good way to confirm fit before a permanent offer. For long-term needs, most choose full-time placement.
Managed services such as RDS or Azure SQL handle patching and backups, but not schema design, query tuning, access control or cost. Many companies still need a database specialist, often part time or on contract, to keep performance and security on track.
Yes, for production work. SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL and MySQL differ in tooling, tuning and licensing. Core concepts carry over, but an administrator familiar with your platform will diagnose problems faster and make fewer risky changes.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
