Career comparison
Database Administrator vs. Software Developer
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Software developers earn more at the median ($135,980 vs. $104,620), while software developers usually get to work faster (4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio of training). Database administrators keep databases fast, secure, backed up and available. Software developers design, build and improve the apps and systems people use every day.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Database Administrator | Software Developer | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $104,620 ($50.30/hr) | $135,980 ($65.38/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $60,230 – $163,320 | $82,460 – $214,670 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -0.1% (little or no change) | +10.2% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 3,300 | 95,300 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years plus experience | 4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio |
| Key credential | Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate | AWS Certified Developer – Associate |
| Work setting | DBAs work in offices or remotely, at computers, with some after-hours work for maintenance and emergencies.. | Developers work in offices or remotely, mostly at computers, collaborating through chat, video and code review tools.. |
What each job does
Database Administrator
- Install, configure and upgrade databases
- Plan and test backups and recovery
- Monitor and tune performance
- Manage user access and security
- Apply patches and updates
Software Developer
- Gather requirements and design software features
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Write and run automated tests
- Debug and fix defects
- Review code and collaborate in version control
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, desk work, problem-solving, and working independently. Both are part of the technology field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose database administrator if…
- I like organizing data
- I’m careful and detail-oriented
- I enjoy troubleshooting performance
Choose software developer if…
- I love solving puzzles
- I enjoy building things with code
- I can focus for long periods
Still torn? Take the Database Administrator fit quiz and the Software Developer fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, database administrator or software developer?
Software Developers earn more at the median: $135,980 versus $104,620 for database administrators, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Software Developers typically train faster (4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio) than database administrators (4 years plus experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects software developers to grow +10.2% from 2025–35, compared with -0.1% for database administrators.