Database Architects Salary 2025: $106,424 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$106,424 per year is the national median annual wage for database architects (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $51/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $83,870 to $217,830. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 15-1242.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $106,424
- Median hourly wage
- $51/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $115,080
- Total US employment
- 45,010
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($138,620)
- BLS SOC code
- 15-1242
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for database architects (BLS SOC 15-1242) is $106,424 per year — about $51/hour — across 45,010 workers in 68 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $115,080 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $63,648 while the 90th earns $165,343 — a 2.6× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most database architects land in the $83,394–$139,179 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $138,620, versus $76,820 in Buffalo, NY, NY — a 80% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Tulsa, OK delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($130,668 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
As a Technology occupation, database architect pay carries a national-market premium: remote-friendly hiring lets high-paying coastal employers compete for talent anywhere, widening the geographic spread beyond what most fields show. OEWS reports base wage only — the equity and bonuses common in tech sit on top.
Database Architects Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what database architects earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $63,648 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $83,394 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $113,015 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $139,179 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $165,343 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Database Architects salaries range from $76,820 to $138,620 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Database Architects Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $83,870 | $105,770 | $138,620 | $178,225 | $217,830 | $70,797 | 580 |
| Seattle, WA | $71,080 | $95,920 | $133,180 | $157,350 | $181,520 | $89,143 | 1,010 |
| Boston, MA | $72,510 | $96,454 | $132,370 | $154,470 | $176,570 | $87,028 | 1,910 |
| San Francisco, CA | $66,750 | $91,154 | $127,760 | $169,285 | $210,810 | $71,136 | 1,470 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $65,560 | $89,640 | $125,760 | $143,495 | $161,230 | $91,462 | 200 |
| Tampa, FL | $57,850 | $84,534 | $124,560 | $140,705 | $156,850 | $125,060 | 670 |
| Nashville, TN | $61,580 | $86,516 | $123,920 | $143,760 | $163,600 | $123,549 | 750 |
| Austin, TX | $62,550 | $87,062 | $123,830 | $143,315 | $162,800 | $120,223 | 1,110 |
| Baltimore, MD | $75,570 | $94,834 | $123,730 | $147,290 | $170,850 | $108,345 | 1,190 |
| Raleigh, NC | $76,360 | $94,996 | $122,950 | $143,250 | $163,550 | $123,196 | 510 |
| Dallas, TX | $65,300 | $88,136 | $122,390 | $142,855 | $163,320 | $117,570 | 2,430 |
| New York, NY | $70,890 | $91,154 | $121,550 | $153,475 | $185,400 | $64,931 | 3,630 |
| Anchorage, AK | $71,560 | $91,440 | $121,260 | $125,205 | $129,150 | $95,480 | 50 |
| Sacramento, CA | $62,410 | $85,646 | $120,500 | $142,920 | $165,340 | $96,632 | 410 |
| Denver, CO | $67,040 | $88,272 | $120,120 | $142,655 | $165,190 | $106,489 | 800 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $56,770 | $81,330 | $118,170 | $142,870 | $167,570 | $113,081 | 110 |
| Houston, TX | $60,730 | $82,850 | $116,030 | $137,960 | $159,890 | $120,238 | 1,090 |
| Orlando, FL | $54,560 | $78,776 | $115,100 | $138,930 | $162,760 | $111,639 | 580 |
| Charlotte, NC | $64,770 | $84,418 | $113,890 | $139,055 | $164,220 | $117,777 | 550 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $63,310 | $83,386 | $113,500 | $141,650 | $169,800 | $119,348 | 300 |
| Tulsa, OK | $60,210 | $81,494 | $113,420 | $131,980 | $150,540 | $130,668 | 140 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $60,900 | $81,556 | $112,540 | $140,295 | $168,050 | $67,795 | 2,280 |
| Atlanta, GA | $52,580 | $75,928 | $110,950 | $137,190 | $163,430 | $111,845 | 1,780 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $69,330 | $85,894 | $110,740 | $129,050 | $147,360 | $101,596 | 270 |
| Detroit, MI | $63,450 | $82,134 | $110,160 | $131,935 | $153,710 | $115,836 | 510 |
| Des Moines, IA | $61,420 | $80,752 | $109,750 | $133,550 | $157,350 | $117,631 | 130 |
| Chicago, IL | $60,150 | $79,962 | $109,680 | $136,865 | $164,050 | $102,218 | 1,870 |
| Washington, DC | $66,560 | $83,436 | $108,750 | $139,960 | $171,170 | $71,171 | 3,730 |
| Hartford, CT | $65,790 | $82,782 | $108,270 | $132,810 | $157,350 | $96,155 | 310 |
| San Antonio, TX | $68,050 | $83,794 | $107,410 | $129,530 | $151,650 | $117,388 | 390 |
| Reno, NV | $59,990 | $78,902 | $107,270 | $130,595 | $153,920 | $100,723 | 50 |
| San Diego, CA | $59,300 | $78,308 | $106,820 | $138,970 | $171,120 | $66,679 | 730 |
| Omaha, NE | $66,230 | $82,246 | $106,270 | $131,405 | $156,540 | $115,763 | 350 |
| Madison, WI | $67,470 | $82,754 | $105,680 | $119,295 | $132,910 | $101,811 | 410 |
| Miami, FL | $53,880 | $74,564 | $105,590 | $135,010 | $164,430 | $85,776 | 860 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $65,150 | $81,062 | $104,930 | $135,945 | $166,960 | $88,623 | 1,580 |
| St. Louis, MO | $62,320 | $79,252 | $104,650 | $129,465 | $154,280 | $116,278 | 550 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $59,900 | $77,652 | $104,280 | $131,605 | $158,930 | $103,555 | 810 |
| Kansas City, MO | $62,200 | $78,776 | $103,640 | $129,810 | $155,980 | $108,637 | 440 |
| Portland, OR | $62,400 | $78,684 | $103,110 | $121,960 | $140,810 | $79,254 | 730 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $57,790 | $75,618 | $102,360 | $129,565 | $156,770 | $112,237 | 400 |
| Providence, RI | $58,600 | $76,084 | $102,310 | $130,380 | $158,450 | $85,687 | 320 |
| Albany, NY | $58,940 | $76,228 | $102,160 | $116,520 | $130,880 | $101,450 | 400 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $58,340 | $75,832 | $102,070 | $133,660 | $165,250 | $110,585 | 470 |
| Birmingham, AL | $61,220 | $77,472 | $101,850 | $119,310 | $136,770 | $112,666 | 540 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $61,600 | $77,604 | $101,610 | $126,600 | $151,590 | $95,678 | 790 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $58,170 | $75,506 | $101,510 | $129,295 | $157,080 | $104,220 | 310 |
| Columbus, OH | $52,980 | $72,368 | $101,450 | $122,940 | $144,430 | $108,969 | 430 |
| Tucson, AZ | $66,690 | $80,330 | $100,790 | $115,855 | $130,920 | $105,650 | 130 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $58,970 | $75,378 | $99,990 | $126,425 | $152,860 | $110,977 | 430 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $56,950 | $74,118 | $99,870 | $126,150 | $152,430 | $81,593 | 370 |
| Richmond, VA | $55,690 | $73,290 | $99,690 | $128,925 | $158,160 | $97,640 | 600 |
| Spokane, WA | $61,730 | $76,694 | $99,140 | $124,460 | $149,780 | $101,786 | 70 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $65,700 | $78,800 | $98,450 | $120,015 | $141,580 | $104,734 | 240 |
| Louisville, KY | $52,070 | $69,982 | $96,850 | $118,940 | $141,030 | $107,373 | 190 |
| Memphis, TN | $47,270 | $65,434 | $92,680 | $117,390 | $142,100 | $110,333 | 250 |
| Greensboro, NC | $54,750 | $69,850 | $92,500 | $113,410 | $134,320 | $101,314 | 70 |
| Fresno, CA | $54,140 | $68,828 | $90,860 | $122,215 | $153,570 | $86,123 | 100 |
| Little Rock, AR | $63,330 | $73,994 | $89,990 | $110,415 | $130,840 | $102,029 | 210 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $52,760 | $67,284 | $89,070 | $112,960 | $136,850 | $88,539 | 90 |
| Lexington, KY | $47,670 | $63,998 | $88,490 | $107,995 | $127,500 | $96,922 | 110 |
| Greenville, SC | $53,190 | $66,634 | $86,800 | $110,090 | $133,380 | $96,337 | 180 |
| Wichita, KS | $52,860 | $65,420 | $84,260 | $110,725 | $137,190 | $100,310 | 70 |
| Boise, ID | $50,460 | $63,324 | $82,620 | $111,305 | $139,990 | $80,921 | 120 |
| Rochester, NY | $49,570 | $62,338 | $81,490 | $109,780 | $138,070 | $87,718 | 130 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $57,580 | $66,976 | $81,070 | $107,555 | $134,040 | $93,723 | 440 |
| New Orleans, LA | $52,940 | $62,560 | $76,990 | $108,855 | $140,720 | $80,282 | 70 |
| Buffalo, NY | $52,610 | $62,294 | $76,820 | $109,120 | $141,420 | $83,049 | 210 |
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Database Architect & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Database Architect, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Database Architect prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Database Architect is $106,424 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $115,080. Salaries range from $76,820 to $138,620 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level database architects (10th percentile) earn about $63,648 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $106,424, $139,179 at the 75th percentile, and $165,343 for the top 10% of earners.
The median database architect earns about $51/hour, based on the $106,424 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Database Architect at $138,620, well above the national median of $106,424. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 45,010 Database Architect positions in the US across 68 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile database architect earns $165,343 — about 2.6× the $63,648 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.