Home Database Administrator Salary
Database Administrator salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a database administrator is $128,000 per annum, before tax, up $26,800 since 2018.
- Pay moves with the platform you specialise in and the sector you work in, with financial services, large government departments and technology firms generally paying above the middle of the range.
- On-call arrangements, which many database roles include, usually carry a rostered allowance on top of base pay, and contractors brought in for migrations or upgrades charge daily rates rather than a salary.
- Vendor certifications and cloud platform skills tend to lift pay faster than another general IT qualification.
The median salary rose by $26,800 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than database administrator
The largest typical pay rise is $44,100 a year, moving into IT Project Manager.
- IT Project Manager+$44,100/yr
- Business Analyst+$12,200/yr
- DevOps Engineer+$3,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher database administrator salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time database administrator salary is $128,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Cloud infrastructure tend to command a premium over general database administrator experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. IT Project Manager pays a typical $44,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Database Administrator salary questions
How much do database administrators earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a database administrator is $128,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is database administrator pay rising or falling?
The median database administrator salary is up $26,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than database administrator?
IT Project Manager pays a typical $44,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to database administrator.
Related salaries
- Systems Administrator salary
- Business Analyst salary
- Cyber Security Analyst salary
- DevOps Engineer salary
- IT Project Manager salary
- IT Support Officer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.