Database administrators (DBAs) use specialized software to store and organize data.^[1] The role may include capacity planning, installation, configuration, database design, migration, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well as backup and data recovery.^[2]

Skills

Some common and useful skills for database administrators are:^[3][4][5]

• Knowledge of database queries
• Knowledge of database theory
• Knowledge of database design
• Knowledge about the RDBMS itself, e.g. Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL
• Knowledge of SQL, e.g. SQL/PSM or Transact-SQL
• General understanding of distributed computing architectures, e.g. Client–server model
• General understanding of operating system, e.g. Windows or Linux
• General understanding of storage technologies and networking
• General understanding of routine maintenance, recovery, and handling failover of a database

Database administrators benefit from a bachelor's degree or master's degree in computer science. An associate degree or a certificate may be sufficient with work experience.^[6]

Certification

There are many certifications available for becoming a certified database administrator. Many of these certifications are offered by database vendors themselves. Database administrator certifications may be earned by passing a series of tests and sometimes other requirements. Schools offering Database Administration degrees can also be found.^[7]

For example:

• IBM Certified Advanced Database Administrator – DB2 10.1 for Linux, Unix and Windows^[8]
• IBM Certified Database Administrator – DB2 10.1 for Linux, Unix, and Windows^[8]
• Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Professional^[9]
• Oracle MySQL 5.6 Database Administrator Certified Professional^[10]
• MCSA SQL Server 2012^[11]
• MCSE Data Platform Solutions Expert^[12]