How to Become a Database Manager in Idaho

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What is Database Management?

In recent years, the speed of technology adoption has increased, leading to increased demand for database administration experts all around the United States. Idaho is no exception, especially since the state has seen a very rapid pace of population growth within the last decade. According to the U.S. Census in 2020, in the last ten years Idaho’s total population has grown by 17.3%. This makes Idaho the second-fastest growing state in the country, which means that more and more workers are considering Idaho to be a desirable place to live and build careers. This means that, over time, more businesses and organizations will be looking for talent, including database administrators, leading to a positive atmosphere for job demand. Additionally, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the database administration field is projected to grow by 8% between 2020-2030, which is as fast as average in the economy. This makes database administration an attractive field to build a long-term career.

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Database Management Education in Idaho

Every state has its own set of leading industries, and Idaho is no exception. However, database administration is transferable across many industries and sectors, and individuals with these types of skills are in high demand across the board. Given Idaho’s particular business environment, workers seeking employment in the state will have many opportunities to work within the real estate and rental and leasing, which is Idaho’s largest industry at around $10.7 billion in annual revenue. In particular, database administrators in the real estate industry may see their day-to-day work focused on helping to manage data on properties, rents, taxes, credit scores, and a variety of other metrics.

Furthermore, those with data administration skills may also be interested in joining Idaho’s manufacturing industry, which is the state’s second-largest business sector, bringing in around $8.6 billion per year in revenue across the state. Data administration and management are particularly important to the manufacturing sector in the modern era. This is because many factories have increasingly incorporated more mechanization, and professional information technology workers can be especially valuable to management teams looking to use data-driven analysis to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their current operating systems. Database administrators may also have the important job of communicating data trends to their superiors, which can facilitate relationships between manufacturers, suppliers, and wholesalers. They may even contribute to improving the overall health of the Idaho manufacturing industry’s supply chains, an area that has become increasingly data driven.

Students who graduate with a database administration degree may also find themselves employed in the professional and business services industry, helping a broad base of organizational and individual clients with their data needs. The professional and business services industry in Idaho brings in around $8 billion in revenue per year, meaning there are plenty of jobs in this area for data-minded graduates. This is also a great area for students who enjoy working with data and numbers but are interested in learning more about how businesses function. Working as a database administrator for a private company can be the best of both worlds, particularly for those who may not wish to specifically study business administration while in school.

Associate Degree in Database Management (AS)

The IT industry is notoriously cutthroat, with high demands for its workforce in terms of both educational background and work experience. Database administration is no exception, which means that obtaining an associate degree in the field is often only the first step required for someone looking to pursue a long-term career in this field. While completing an associate degree, a student studying database administration will gain many basic tools in query languages, configuring server platforms, networking concepts, Java, and C++ programming. These foundational skills can help students become eligible to compete for entry-level positions as database analysts. These positions will often hold titles like entry-level database architect, junior systems administrator, entry-level database specialist, entry-level SQL database administrator, and even entry-level business analyst.

However, it’s important to note that many bachelor’s degree holders will also be competing for the same entry-level positions, so associate degree holders will often need to obtain more work experience to gain an advantage. According to Career Karma, graduates with an associate degree in database administration can expect to earn between $51,444-$68,876 depending on the specific job function. Given that most associate degrees are 60-credit programs that take around two years, studying database administration can lead to quite a lucrative career and return on investment.

Bachelor’s Degree in Database Management (BS)

The majority of graduates who have studied database administration will graduate with a bachelor’s degree. First, this is the most commonly earned degree in the US and most employers will be looking for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree for their entry-level positions and even many more senior-level positions. As such, students who are interested in building careers in the database administration field should seriously consider attending a four-year college or university to obtain their bachelor’s degree in the field before seeking employment in the field.

Studying database administration over four years will provide students with ample opportunity to dive into a variety of electives within the field and gain important theoretical knowledge. Many colleges will also provide students with the opportunity to pursue internships and other hands-on projects, which will provide students with much-needed work experience that can be leveraged to find jobs upon graduation. Students with a bachelor’s degree in database administration will often apply for entry-level positions with job titles including, database administrator, database coordinator, programmer analyst, and database analyst.

Much like their counterparts with associate degrees, many employers will prefer to hire candidates with some work experience. According to Payscale, those who graduate with a Bachelor of Technology in Database Administration can expect to earn a base pay of $70,000 a year. Many firms may also offer other incentives, like stock options, making this career path quite lucrative.

Master’s Degree in Database Management (MS or MC)

Many students who graduate with their bachelor’s degree in database administration will also seek to continue their education by obtaining a master’s degree in the field, whether directly after college or after working for a few years. This is because master’s degrees in database administration can provide students with a deeper and more specialized education in the field, which can open the opportunity for more demanding and higher-paying roles.

Given the nature of the database administration field, professionals in this field may work with highly sensitive data regularly, particularly in areas like cyber security or positions that require more complex data migration strategies. Typically, a bachelor’s program will not provide enough in-depth electives to achieve the level of mastery needed to take on more complex database administration positions, whereas students can specialize even further when they undertake a master’s program.

Graduates with a master’s degree in the field can expect to attain more specialized job titles including MYSQL database administrator, Senior SQL database administrator, Oracle database administrator, cloud database administrator, and SQL database administrator with Terraform. According to Payscale, graduates with a Master of Information Science in Database Administration can expect to earn an average base salary of $84,000 per year, a significant boost in lifetime earnings over only attaining a bachelor’s or associate degree.

PhD/Doctorate Degree in Database Management (PhD)

Given the highly technical nature of the database administration and IT field in general, some students may choose to pursue a doctorate to receive further training in a specialized language or research topic. At the moment, it’s unlikely that you will find a PhD specifically in database administration, but students can apply to related doctorate programs in computer science or statistics and propose thesis topics that focus on areas of database management.

As such, while employers are often not be seeking out candidates with a doctorate in database management, having a doctorate in computer science and deep mastery of important database management languages like SQL can help a candidate stand out for highly specialized data jobs. Those with a doctorate in a related computer science field can also pursue careers as professors who teach principles of data administration and management at colleges or other institutions of higher education. According to Payscale, the average person holding a PhD in computer science will earn around $128,000 per year in base salary.

Become a Database Manager in Idaho

Becoming a database administration professional in Idaho is not much different from the path that is to be taken in other states. First, students interested in the field should further their education by pursuing a degree through computer science, data administration, data science, or data management programs at the associate or bachelor’s degree level. While in school, students can pursue internships or other work opportunities to further their mastery of different database languages and better understand their applications. Students pursuing associate programs may consider applying for distance learning programs, which usually have more flexibility in terms of when students can attend class. This will provide associate students with the opportunity to either study part-time or work during the day and study at night, which can provide invaluable experience that can impress employers upon graduation.

Although students should explore the different types of data-related careers available to them by taking electives and working on different types of coding projects, students in bachelor’s programs should begin to focus on specific areas of data management while in their third or fourth year of college. For instance, students interested in analyzing data in business-related applications may choose to supplement their coding courses with ones focused on business administration skills. Those who are interested in building careers in the cyber security space should seek out courses in the field and even work with professors on related research projects if that becomes an option.

Besides gaining a broad mastery of SQL, Oracle, and other important database languages, students who show employers that they have taken on projects or gained work experience related to the position to which they are applying will often see a strong advantage over those who are without those experiences.

Employers looking for database administrators in Idaho will, more often than not, welcome workers who have attained their education in any U.S. state. Many will even sponsor international candidates that they find to be exceptionally good fits for the positions they are hiring for. Certifications are usually not a prerequisite for landing a database administration position in Idaho. However, obtaining certifications can help advance an employee’s future career by helping them keep abreast of the most recent developments in database languages. Some popular database administration certifications that employees tend to obtain while on the job include the Microsoft SQL Server Database Certification, Oracle Certified Professional, and IBM Certified Database Administrator.

Careers for Database Management Graduates

  • Payroll Administrator:
    A payroll administrator is in charge of collecting and reviewing an organization’s timekeeping information. They play a critical role in ensuring that employees are compensated correctly for their time worked. Typical functions performed include wage garnishments, monitoring voluntary contributions to benefits programs, and creating paychecks.
  • Data Analyst:
    A data analyst works with important operational and financial numbers to help an organization’s leaders identify key market trends. Day-to-day work can include analyzing sales numbers, conducting market research, streamlining logistics, and producing charts and graphs that easily communicate key findings.
  • Data Processor:
    Most modern businesses churn through thousands of pieces of data during a short period. A data processor’s job is to help the business effectively collect and manage these pieces of data by translating analog documents into digital format. Other parts of the job include verifying that data has been correctly transcribed into documents and reports.
  • Account Coordinator:
    An account coordinator is in charge of maintaining client accounts. Daily tasks include communicating with clients, liaising with internal sales and marketing teams, addressing requests and complaints, and helping to manage account budgets.
  • Quality Manager:
    Quality managers play an important role in ensuring that goods and services are produced in line with business standards. They will typically work to help businesses develop repeatable quality control tests that can be used to inspect products along the various stages of production and document any issues in the pipeline.
  • Database Security Manager:
    One of the largest threats that modern businesses face is hackers and unscrupulous individuals accessing their internal data. A database security manager’s job is to help develop and manage the cyber security processes of an organization, which include day-to-day database protection, software developments, and updates, compliance with industry norms and laws, as well as disaster recovery plans.

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