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Career Advice on How to Become a Database Administrator

General Career Information
The first step towards becoming a database administrator is to set aside or, better yet, crush all of one’s childhood hopes and dreams. Once you have removed most of the joy from your heart, you are ready for the completely not exciting world of the database administrator. Too harsh? No, sadly, it is not really too harsh. 
 
Database administrators have the pleasure of working with databases. Yes, the air growths thick with excitement just mentioning the word, “database.” If you decide to put the career of database administrator at the top of your job search or career planning list, there are a few facts you might wish to consider. The database administrator work within a company or organization to determine storage and network needs.
 

Career Facts:

Once a database administrator has set up an exciting database of information, they then enter the equally exciting phase of database management and integration, (again, not as fun as it sounds.) This may also involve security related issues as in today’s interconnected world many databases are available online. This, of course means that database administrators thus must also be somewhat versed in Internet security. You would think that all of this would combine to help the database administrator “score with all the chicks,” but alas it does not.
 

Career Opportunities and Job Outlook-Excellent:
Like most soul crushing careers, the job outlook for database administrator is pretty darn good. Current estimates are that by 2016, the United States will seek to employ an additional 34,000 database administrator zombies, which translates to a twenty-nine percent increase. 
 
Those who are interested in this field and really want an easy time finding a job, may wish to consider the really sexy position of network systems and data communication analyst, which is expected to enjoy a whopping fifty-three percent increase by 2016. This fun career centers on designing and evaluating local area networks and other communication systems.
 
Job Outlook is Excellent
 

A Day in The Life:
After crying into their coffee, database administrators stuff their 925-calorie breakfast pizza burrito down their throat before heading into the office to offer up another piece of their soul to the database god they serve. Once a database has been set up and is working properly, much of the work of a database administrator is to make certain that the database is up and running.
 
No one really thinks too much about the database administrator until there is a problem. At that point, the database administrator is likely to have a pretty unpleasant day.
 

Average Salary:
The average pay for a database administrator is about $65,000, and the top ten percent can expect to earn about $103,000 per year.

$65k - $100k
 

Career Training and Qualifications:
The job of database administrator does not technically require a degree, but most employers usually look for at least some evidence of formal training. Most jobs will require a Bachelor’s Degree, but some jobs will accept an Associate’s Degree as an alternative.
 
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