A database administrator stores, organizes, manages, and secures databases. Learning the path to becoming a database administrator can help you decide whether this career suits your interests and skill set. We extracted the information from the job portal Indeed.
Education
Succeeding as a database administrator involves understanding how databases work. Navigating these data collections typically requires learning query languages, which define how to retrieve information from a database. Structured Query Language (SQL) is one of the most common database languages for database administrators. It’s also essential to learn about database management systems (DBMS) and software programs for defining, managing, and retrieving data. MySQL and Oracle are the typical DBMS that database administrators use at work.
Completing a university or college program can help you learn database administration fundamentals and comprehensively understand the role. You can expect to take courses in database systems, distributed systems, data structures and mining, database management systems, web page applications, and data communications.
Work experience
As managing an organization’s database involves handling extensive, confidential records, you typically need work experience before getting a job in database administration. You can work in related information technology (IT) roles, such as database analyst, data modeller, developer, or systems administrator. Consider opportunities to gain practical experiences, such as internships, volunteer opportunities, and boot camps.
Several specializations of database administration include system database administrator, performance database administrator, and application database administrator.
Certifications
Earning certifications can position you as a more competitive candidate for database administrator roles. It can also help validate your knowledge and learn the best practices for managing databases. You can become certified in specific database software, such as SQL Server or SAP. Many software corporations offer certifications, and you may have the option of receiving training online. For example, you can become an IBM certified database administrator by passing two knowledge and skills-based exams online. Evaluate the certification’s relevance and the certifying organization’s reputation to determine how to proceed.
What does a database administrator do?
One of the database administrator’s jobs is to evaluate database software. Other database administrator tasks include:
- ensure data security and database availability
- identify user needs and use this information to create user accounts on databases
- configure database models according to the organization’s requirements
- resolve database issues relating to accessibility and performance
- inform users about database changes, perform pre-implementation tasks, such as capacity planning and installation
- develop and test database modifications whenever required
- migrate data from text files and spreadsheets to databases
- monitor database performances and database servers
Database administrator salary
The national average salary for a database administrator is $83,687 per year. Depending on your expertise in database administration, you can negotiate higher pay with potential employers. As a salaried, you may also receive benefits, such as paid vacations and health insurance.
The job outlook for a database administrator
According to the Canadian Occupational Projections System (COPS), you can expect 18,000 new jobs for database analysts and data administrators between 2019 and 2028. Only 16,700 candidates would be available to fill these open positions, making database administration an in-demand career path. Over the next three years, the CCOPS projects that British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan would have good job prospects for database administrators.
Enroll in Diploma in Database Administration & Big Data Predictive Analytics at Canadian College for Higher Studies. Learn all the essential skills and applications, including Linux & Unix Essentials, SQL and PL/SQL Fundamentals, SAP Business Objects, SAP HANA Modeling and Predictive Analytics, Big Data and Hadoop Developer, UI5 and SAP Fiori, and much more. Better Jobs Ontario could be your funding option to upgrade your skills if you have been unemployed.