Pay on the Rise for Data Professionals?
So I got to thinking: Is this a recent turn-around? Have we crossed some chasm where organizations now understand the importance of data. And are they doling out higher paychecks to those of us who can tame and control it?
Or are things going along the same as always? By this I mean: Is the regular complaining I hear about sliding pay rates and tough to find jobs just the grumbling of those who are too "fat and happy" to realize that they have it better than most?
To tell you the truth, I'm not sure, but I have my sneaking suspicions. Most interesting to me is the paragraph in the article that outlines the most sought after positions and their hourly wages. Topping the list is database architect at $60.53 an hour. Third on that list, right after embedded developer, is Oracle DBA at $54.73 an hour. Now that is very, very interesting to me. These are the very same folks I hear complaining the loudest. Whether it is "There are no good Oracle DBA jobs out there" or "My rates are going down faster than Bush's job approval rating" the bulk of the wage problems I hear about come from those who call themselves Oracle DBAs. But according to Information Week, you guys are in the cat bird's seat. How can we explain this?
Also in the list of highly sought skills is what Information Week calls a SQL DBA at $45.56 an hour.
Now to be a bit more skeptical of the Information Week piece, the actual titles in this article give me pause. I don't know anyone who calls themselves a SQL DBA. Could they have meant a SQL Server DBA? Or maybe they meant an application DBA (who deals mostly with building and tuning SQL)? Both of these, I know, exist. So is it one, or the other? Or did they lump them all together?
Also interesting is the title at the top of the heap: Database Architect. Yes, I've known a few of these. More common is data architect - the person who deals with metadata, definitions and data models in the organization. What exactly is a database architect, though? Could be the title used for DBA at some companies. Or maybe it is the title used for data architects at a smaller company where they can't afford to separate the business (data) from the technical (database) aspects of development. At any rate, I question their titles and what they map to exactly in the real world.
And let's examine those hourly rates for a moment to see how good/bad they actually are. If we start with the assumption that people work 8 hours a day with two weeks off a year for vacation we get the following equation to come up with an annual salary:
40 (hr/week) x 50 (wks/year) x hourly rate
I know that some of these assumptions are somewhat arbitrary and not always correct. For example, many IT folks work much more than 40 hours per week (on average). Furthermore, independent consultants are not going to be booked solidly 50 weeks out of the year (at least not most of them). And the vacation assumption is probably wrong, too: consultants don't always get to take time off and full-time employees are likely to get three weeks off per year (but they are paid a salary, not an hourly rate). So what; let's look at the results anyway, just for chuckles.
The database architect, at $60.53 an hour, would earn an annual salary of $121,060. Not bad - I reckon many of you toiling away out there is database-land would be happy with such a salary.
And what of our poor, maligned Oracle DBAs? At $54.73 per hour our estimation equation still nets them a six-figure salary at $109,460 per year. How many of you Oracle DBAs are earning that kind of coin? I'd figure not many. Consultants, yes, but I'd venture a guess that few full-time employee Oracle DBAs pull down such a salary.
What do you think? Is the Information Week data accurate? Have we turned the bend toward better salaries and more jobs? Or is your experience different? Let me know...
Hourly Pay Rates for IT Pros (DB Architects)
Good News
Depending on the region you live in, in the USA at least, pay seems to be finally coming back to a level where you can take a position or project and tell the recruiters thanks but I'm already on a good project. It's a good project because management finally realizes that they get what they pay for. Some of the calls I get actually expect me to cover my travel costs with a billing rate of $45/hr "all-inclusive" like it's a vacation travel package.
In my 20 years in the "IT" industry I have never seen a database get smaller--with the exception of SQL-Server's "shrink database" command. I've never seen a database project get less complex, and then you throw in a CRM program or SAP module into the mix, and suddenly management has a problem too big to ignore, or relegate to inexperienced, willing-to-take-less-money individuals. It may also be the pent-up frustration of management who had to hold off projects in the past couple of years simply because they couldn't or wouldn't spend the money, thinking they could get junior people or off-shore people to do the work. But no company worth mentioning is going to offshore their database work unless they have management who just doesn't have a clue, or they are a big international firm to begin with. ( Motorola was a pioneer at off-shoring ) Those that thought off-shoring their projects learned a lot from that, and now the buzz on the street is that off-shoring is not as glamorous as the greedy thought it would be. The mess left behind is actually what is creating new work! :-) If you find more of these articles please mention them, as I use them to show clients documented proof what the going rates are, and should be at the minimum.
Interesting to note, the majority of the recruiters I hear from have an Indian accent, and the phone call sounds like it's a radio transmission right from India. Might be interesting to hear from recruiters to hear what they have to say on this subject.
Responsible for database strategies at a corporate level, reporting directly to Giant Eagle’s Senior Architect. Act as the focal point for all issues involving database technologies to insure the required assistance and/or support services are provided. Provide technical consultation, direction and deployment strategies to Giant Eagle development teams. Maintain continuing research and evaluation efforts involving ‘leading edge’ database technologies to insure Giant Eagle is employing and benefiting from the ‘best in class’ practices and products available.
I also was the Database and Hardware Server architect at Alcoa. At Alcoa, I was responsible for helping to lash complex database applications together. Most DBAs perform architecture work on a daily basis. But architecture design and forecasting future database trends usually isn't their main responsibility. These activities are a large part of my current position. But at Giant Eagle, I divide my time between architecture activities and being the manager of the database group. At Alcoa, I spent 100% of my time performing architecture-related activities. We were such a large company, I had EVERY hardware server and database vendor throwing products and services at me. I was paid to spend dedicated time "thinking" about database technologies. I thought about who was going to win the big database war going on at the time, which hardware severs made the best database servers, tiered applications, database and hardware server sizing, showing the front-line DB units how to take advantage of advanced database features (RAC, multi-master replication, standby database, messaging)...
I like the balance much better here at Giant Eagle. I am able to continue to work deep in the bowels of Oracle while also performing architecture-related activities.
What I can say is that I haven't been paid nearly as much as either of those salaries in the article. I'm beginning to think that I am grossly underpaid and am ready to storm into my bosses office for a little "contract renegotiation." After he throws me out of the office and I pick myself up off the floor, I'll let you know how it went.
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