Best degree programs for Database Architects, ranked by enrollment
14 college programs and 2,247 schools train Database Architects. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $139,500 median wage, 67,140 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
14 college programs at 2,247 schools train database architects, graduating 335,877 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Computer Science. The job pays a median of $139,500 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About database architects
Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks. Set standards for database operations, programming, query processes, and security. Model, design, and construct large relational databases or data warehouses. Create and optimize data models for warehouse infrastructure and workflow. Integrate new systems with existing warehouse structure and refine system performance and functionality.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
14 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701 | 88,326 | 26.3% | 1,033 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0101 | 73,454 | 21.9% | 879 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0103 | 48,440 | 14.4% | 671 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 4 | CIP 11.1003 | 48,110 | 14.3% | 905 | $48,185 | $25,250 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0401 | 23,083 | 6.9% | 369 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 6 | CIP 14.0901 | 13,854 | 4.1% | 303 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 7 | CIP 30.7001 | 11,020 | 3.3% | 297 | — | — |
| 8 | CIP 52.1201 | 9,946 | 3.0% | 278 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 9 | CIP 14.0903 | 6,640 | 2.0% | 142 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 10 | CIP 14.2701 | 4,481 | 1.3% | 93 | $79,942 | $20,500 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0802 | 3,825 | 1.1% | 115 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0501 | 2,995 | 0.9% | 81 | $51,805 | $46,000 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0902 | 1,612 | 0.5% | 61 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 14 | CIP 30.7099 | 91 | 0.0% | 13 | — | — |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What database architects earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $170,160 | 6,210 | 0.79× | 202 | 32,071 |
| Texas | $151,370 | 8,270 | 1.36× | 126 | 26,716 |
| New York | $141,350 | 3,850 | 0.92× | 131 | 20,860 |
| Florida | $138,320 | 1,810 | 0.42× | 92 | 17,780 |
| Illinois | $142,500 | 1,590 | 0.60× | 86 | 15,871 |
| Utah | $131,740 | 630 | 0.84× | 15 | 15,638 |
| Maryland | $132,940 | 1,370 | 1.14× | 43 | 14,511 |
| Georgia | $139,500 | 2,590 | 1.23× | 62 | 13,456 |
| Massachusetts | $161,650 | 2,690 | 1.71× | 61 | 13,249 |
| North Carolina | $134,630 | 4,070 | 1.91× | 98 | 12,174 |
| Pennsylvania | — | 2,840 | 1.09× | 123 | 12,126 |
| Virginia | $160,360 | 5,260 | 2.96× | 70 | 12,061 |
| Arizona | $156,100 | 1,200 | 0.86× | 34 | 11,118 |
| Indiana | $132,830 | 500 | 0.36× | 44 | 10,171 |
| Kentucky | $125,400 | 350 | 0.40× | 36 | 8,272 |
| Missouri | $110,570 | 1,410 | 1.11× | 43 | 8,044 |
| New Jersey | $120,790 | 3,090 | 1.67× | 51 | 7,937 |
| Ohio | $132,910 | 1,820 | 0.76× | 74 | 7,848 |
| Michigan | $131,000 | 1,390 | 0.73× | 59 | 7,562 |
| New Hampshire | $139,990 | 120 | 0.40× | 16 | 6,400 |
| Colorado | $154,560 | 1,950 | 1.57× | 30 | 6,043 |
| Alabama | $105,450 | 270 | 0.29× | 46 | 4,768 |
| Wisconsin | $137,810 | 520 | 0.41× | 44 | 4,644 |
| Washington | $128,760 | 2,990 | 1.95× | 49 | 4,597 |
| Minnesota | $133,050 | 1,240 | 0.98× | 53 | 3,699 |
| Tennessee | $115,170 | 650 | 0.46× | 51 | 3,597 |
| Connecticut | $144,460 | 1,140 | 1.55× | 21 | 2,894 |
| Oregon | $138,250 | 730 | 0.86× | 28 | 2,718 |
| Oklahoma | $110,110 | 860 | 1.17× | 44 | 2,471 |
| Arkansas | $104,070 | 360 | 0.63× | 41 | 2,257 |
| Nebraska | $134,320 | 610 | 1.39× | 20 | 2,174 |
| South Carolina | $130,000 | 1,160 | 1.16× | 40 | 1,961 |
| District of Columbia | $150,010 | 790 | 2.61× | 11 | 1,912 |
| Delaware | $147,800 | — | — | 6 | 1,772 |
| Iowa | $124,040 | 240 | 0.36× | 30 | 1,704 |
| West Virginia | — | 120 | 0.40× | 27 | 1,645 |
| Idaho | $121,380 | 260 | 0.69× | 11 | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $129,990 | 360 | 0.57× | 23 | 1,289 |
| Mississippi | $98,420 | 100 | 0.20× | 24 | 1,287 |
| Nevada | $140,200 | 420 | 0.63× | 7 | 1,121 |
| Rhode Island | $140,320 | 160 | 0.72× | 10 | 961 |
| New Mexico | $117,950 | 120 | 0.32× | 16 | 871 |
| South Dakota | $136,540 | 40 | 0.20× | 11 | 768 |
| Hawaii | $134,040 | 60 | 0.22× | 8 | 584 |
| North Dakota | $109,430 | 60 | 0.30× | 12 | 403 |
| Maine | $133,120 | 190 | 0.69× | 15 | 392 |
| Montana | $109,990 | — | — | 12 | 357 |
| Wyoming | — | 160 | 1.35× | 6 | 165 |
| Alaskamoderate | $112,500 | 70 | 0.53× | 4 | 70 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Develop and document database architectures.
- Collaborate with system architects, software architects, design analysts, and others to understand business or industry requirements.
- Develop database architectural strategies at the modeling, design and implementation stages to address business or industry requirements.
- Design databases to support business applications, ensuring system scalability, security, performance, and reliability.
- Develop data models for applications, metadata tables, views or related database structures.
- Design database applications, such as interfaces, data transfer mechanisms, global temporary tables, data partitions, and function-based indexes to enable efficient access of the generic database structure.
- Develop methods for integrating different products so they work properly together, such as customizing commercial databases to fit specific needs.
- Create and enforce database development standards.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.4
- Writing3.2
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Mathematics3.0
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.3
- Mathematics3.5
- Engineering and Technology3.4
- Design3.4
- English Language3.2
- Administration and Management2.7
Abilities
- Written Comprehension3.9
- Oral Comprehension3.8
- Information Ordering3.8
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
- Inductive Reasoning3.8
- Oral Expression3.6
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.9
- Analyzing Data or Information4.6
- Processing Information4.4
- Getting Information4.4
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.2
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.1
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Database Architect
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 14 majors mapped to Database Architects14 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0401Information Science/Studies
- 11.0501Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0802Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 11.1003Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
- 14.0901Computer Engineering, General
- 14.0903Computer Software Engineering
- 14.2701Systems Engineering
- 30.7001Data Science, General
- 30.7099Data Science, Other
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Database Architect?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 88,326 degrees in 2024-25, 26.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Database Architect?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, Information Science/Studies, plus 7 more. Together they graduate about 335,877 people a year.
How much do database architects earn?+
The median is $139,500 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $86,240 at the 10th percentile to $204,000 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for database architects growing?+
BLS projects a +8.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 4,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
2,247 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 14 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do database architects work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Database Analyst, Database Developer, Database Programmer, Information Architect, Data Warehouse Analyst, Data Warehouse Solution Architect among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1243.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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