IOUG 2008 Oracle & Microsoft SQL Server DBA Salary Survey is Out

A few months ago I did an Blog Entry called Jerry Maguire and Database Administration Salaries.As I did research for that article I as really disappointed in the poor quality of DBA Salary Survey information out there. The Database Administrator is such a critical role in a company; I was surprised at just how little information I could find on how much to pay a DBA. I kept thinking, SHOW ME THE MONEY. The problem is to be competitive, you have to know HOW MUCH MONEY. At the same time, I have a business that runs, that want to be competitive, but also smart with its offers. 

Many companies rely on the Head Hunters (Recruiters) to help them decide how much to pay their DBA’s. Given that they make a percentage of the offer, there is just too much incentive for them to try and raise the offer. Like Jerry Maguire, the more he can convince his clients to pay, the more money Jerry Maguire makes. So relying on Head Hunter's is a very expensive way to obtain DBA's.  

I was approached by Tom Wilson of Unisphere Media. They produce the publication Database Trends and Applications. www.DBTA.com The DBTA webside now contains past articles. Its a good source of information. Database Trends and Applications is a wonderful publication I recommend that you take the time to subscribe too.

Unisphere Media working  with the Independent Oracle Users GroupI they decided to do a Salary Survey focused on the DBA (Database Administrator). Ntirety – The Database Administration Experts www.ntirety.com decided to sponsor this DBA Salary Survey. The survey goes well beyond just DBA's. It was clear to me this was research that was very much needed and the IOUG (Independent Oracle Users Group) is in a unique position to provide it.

Here is a sample of the Survey..

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

How well are Oracle database professionals and managers being paid in the market? Does certification make a difference? How large is the gap between smaller businesses and large organizations? A new survey among members of the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) tracked the salaries of key categories of data professionals and managers, and found that size, location, and certification can make a difference.

In July 2008, Unisphere Research conducted a study for the IOUG to measure the changes impacting the jobs of data managers and professionals. The survey was conducted in cooperation with Ntirety, a leading provider of remote database administration services for Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. The survey was announced via an email notification to the IOUG membership list, which directed participants to a Web-based survey instrument. A total of 503 responses were collected by the survey deadline.

Of the 503 respondents to the survey, 50 percent are database administrators, 16 percent are analysts or developers, 10 percent are IT managers, and the remaining 24 percent hold a variety of titles, including consultants, architects, and project managers. A majority, 58 percent, have more than a decade of experience at their jobs, while 10 percent are relatively new with less than five years' experience. About half hold some form of certification.

Respondents come from a fairly even split among company sizes. About a third, 32 percent, come from large organizations with more than 10,000 employees, and another third represent employers with 1,000 to 10,000 employees. In addition, 33 percent are with smaller to medium-size firms with 1,000 or fewer people. By industry, 16 percent come from the IT services and consulting sector, and 12 percent represent government organizations. Nine percent are with healthcare organizations and another nine percent are with
manufacturers. (For more information on the demographics of this survey, see Figures 20 through 23 at the end of this report.)

The survey covered the salary trends of the three main groups - DBAs, developers and analysts, and IT managers. Salaries reported were base salaries only, not including bonuses, incentives, benefits, or stock options. All figures were requested in U.S. dollars.

Key findings include the following:

•    Close to three out of 10 DBAs - who oversee the operational aspects of database sites - now receive six-figure incomes for their work. The largest segment, 47 percent, reported making base salaries of between $80,000 and $100,000.

•    Developer and analyst salaries typically fall around the $75,000 range.

•    IT managers' salaries are close to $100,000, and more than a third have topped this level. However, managers wereless likely to have seen increases over the past year.

What kinds of skills are "hot" these days, for which employers are willing to pay a premium? Many respondents pointed to business related skills, in which data professionals interact closer with the rest of the organization to map out their data requirements. "Skills have moved from totally database-centric to business-centric," said one respondent. "Technology for technology’s sake is no longer important. Technology that has a positive business impact is important and the DBA is relied upon to understand it if it's database related."

Another respondent observed that data professionals and managers "need to understand the entire stack being used within the organization for production applications. In the past, each person was specialized in a specific area (only vertical). Now we need to wear multiple hats to support the needs of the organization and the production applications."

To obtain a copy of this survey…….

 2008 IOUG Salary Survey Now Available 

I just found another decent tool for DBA Salarys. I prefer the Independent Oracle Users Group Salary Survey. The computerworld tool was very quick and easy to use.

Smart Salary Tool At Computerworld 

Follow the link to Computerworlds site to try it:

 Smart Salary Tool 

Posted by Michael Corey

www.ntirety.com

In the movie Jerry Maguire which was directed Cameron Crowe. With such stars as Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Renée Zellweger. There are a number of quotes I will never forget...

Jerry Maguire: I am out here for you. You don't know what it's like to be ME out here for YOU. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, ok?

Dicky Fox: The key to this business is personal relationships.

Bob Sugar: It's not "show friends." It's show *business*

Laurel: Don't cry at the beginning of a date. Cry at the end, like I do.

Rod Tidwell: I got a shelf life of ten years, tops. My next contract's gotta bring me the dollars that'll last me and mine a long time. Shit, I'm out of this sport in 5 years. What's my family gonna live on? Huh?

Marcee Tidwell: [upon seeing the fax] 1.5 million? Man, we owe more than that!

Jerry Maguire: I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game *featuring you*, while singing your own song in a new commercial, *starring you*, broadcast during the Superbowl, in a game that you are winning, and I will not *sleep* until that happens. I'll give you fifteen minutes to call me back.

[Rod has just told Jerry he will keep him as his agent]
Jerry Maguire: That's that's great. I'm really... happy.
Rod Tidwell: Are you listenin'?
Jerry Maguire: Yes!
Rod Tidwell: This is what I'm gonna do for you: God bless you, Jerry. But this is what you gonna do for me, Jerry?
Jerry Maguire: Yeah, what can I do for you, Rod? You just tell me what can I do for you?
Rod Tidwell: It's something very personal, a very important thing. Hell! It's a family motto. Are you ready Jerry? I wanna make sure you're ready, brother. Here it is: Show me the money. SHOW! ME! THE! MONEY! Jerry, it is such a pleasure to say that! Say it with me one time, Jerry.
Jerry Maguire: Show you the money.
Rod Tidwell: No, no. You can do better than that! I want you to say it brother with meaning! Hey, I got Bob Sugar on the other line I bet you he can say it!
Jerry Maguire: Ye, ye, no, no, no. Show you the money.
Rod Tidwell: No! Not show you! Show me the money!
Jerry Maguire: Show me the money!
Rod Tidwell: Yeah! Louder!
Jerry Maguire: Show me the money!
Rod Tidwell: I need to feel you Jerry!
Jerry Maguire: Show me the money! Show me the money

Jerry Maguire is one of those movies, that has great line after great line. My favorite is show me the money. Show what does Jerry Maguire have to do with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server databases. Directly not a lot. Though in the making of the movie, I am sure databases played a huge role behind the scenes. The line “Show me the Money” makes me think what is the Medium Salary of a database administrator across the United stated. So I did a little searching and came upon a number of sites that had a lot of useful information.

One Site www.payscale had some interesting data. That caught my attention. Here is a chart that they says is representive of the Medium DBA salary across the united states.

One of the things I liked about the site www.payscale.com was that you could slice the data by company size, industry, etc. In my search for this data, there were quite a few sources I located.

Anyone who has had success in hiring and retaining good technical people realize that salary is just one of many factors you need to consider. Other things to consider:

• Quality of life
• Technical challenges
• Flexible work Hours
• Benefits
• Peer Group
• Commitment to education
• Company Vision
• Being Part of Something bigger

There are so many other factors that effect your ability to hire and retain people. So when I think back to the movie Jerry Maguire and how it relates to database administration. I think of the line “Show Me The Money”. That is just one of many factors to consider when your attempt to hire database administrators.. It not all about the money. It about the total package. What is clear you do need to have a sense of what fair compensation is. There are a number of great resources on the Internet to help with that.

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If you found this of interest, then you should read my newest blog entry on DBA Salary's. Ntirety joined forces with the IOUG Independent Oracle Users Group to commision a DBA Salary Survey. Follow this link and you will taken to a place where you can download the Salary Survey....

Posted Michael Corey, Ntirety

www.ntirety.com