Home / Occupation profile / Database Administrators
Print Print

Database Administrators

ANZSCO ID 262111

Find Vacancies Opens in a new window

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
6,200
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
84%
Female Share
37%
Average age
42
About this data

Summary

Database Administrators plan, develop, configure, maintain and support an organisation's database management system in accordance with user requirements, ensuring optimal database integrity, security, backup, reliability and performance.

Also known as: Database Operator, Specialist, or Support, or DBA.

Specialisations: Database Analyst.

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as database design and development) is usually needed to work as a Database Administrator. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. There are also a wide range of vendor and industry certifications available that may substitute for formal qualifications.

Tasks

  • Designs and maintains database architecture, data structures, tables, dictionaries and names conventions to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all data master files.

  • Performs the operational establishment and preventive maintenance of backups, recovery procedures, and enforcing security and integrity controls.

  • Implements and administers database documentation, guidelines, policies and procedures.

  • Tests database systems and upgrades, such as debugging, tracking, reproduction, logging and resolving all identified problems, according to approved quality test scripts, procedures and processes.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2621 Database & Systems Administrators & ICT Security
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Database & Systems Administrators & ICT Security, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 84% of people employed as Database Administrators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 18 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
21.2%
2
Public Administration and Safety
14.5%
3
Financial and Insurance Services
10.3%
4
Education and Training
9.5%
5
Other industries
42.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

29.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.9% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

6.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Database Administrators All Jobs Average
NSW 33.6 31.6
VIC 29.2 25.6
QLD 14.0 20.0
SA 5.9 7.0
WA 9.0 10.8
TAS 1.4 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 6.3 1.9


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
37%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Database Administrators is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 37% of the workforce. This is 11 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Database Administrators All Jobs Average
15-19 0.6 5.0
20-24 3.6 9.3
25-34 21.3 22.9
35-44 31.0 22.0
45-54 27.0 21.6
55-59 9.4 9.0
60-64 5.0 6.0
65 and Over 2.2 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as database design and development) is usually needed to work as a Database Administrator. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. There are also a wide range of vendor and industry certifications available that may substitute for formal qualifications.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Information and Communications Technology VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Database Administrators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 21.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 42.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 11.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 6.8 21.1
Year 12 12.5 18.1
Year 11 2.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.7 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Database & Systems Administrators & ICT Security who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong computer literacy.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 59%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 57%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 57%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 55%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 50%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 50%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 48%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 48%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 41%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 74%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 56%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 55%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 54%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 52%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 50%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 47%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 46%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 46%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 43%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 40%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 39%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 39%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 36%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 33%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 32%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 32%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 28%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 24%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 18%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 59%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 59%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 54%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Speed of recognition

    Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 43%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 77%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 76%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 73%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 73%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 72%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 71%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 71%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 69%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 68%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 64%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 62%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 58%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 56%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 55%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 51%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 48%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 48%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 47%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 42%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 76%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 52%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 48%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 99%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 91%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 91%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 86%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 85%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 80%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 72%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 70%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 70%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 68%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 68%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 67%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 66%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 64%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 63%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 61%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 60%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1141.00 - Database Administrators.

Links and downloads

Back to top