Side by side
Data Engineer vs Database Administrator
Data Engineer pays more: a median of $140,500 against $134,000. There is 1.5× more demand for Data Engineer. Database Administrator is the more remote-friendly of the two, by 6.0%. Listings for Database Administrator move faster — median age 50 days against 55.
Comparison
Side by side
| Measure | Data Engineer | Database Administrator | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open postings | 28,245 | 18,708 | +9,537 |
| Posted this week | 2,126 | 1,110 | |
| Median salary | $140,500 | $134,000 | +$6.5k |
| 25th percentile | $111k | $106k | |
| 75th percentile | $174k | $166k | |
| Salary disclosed | 5.4% | 3.4% | |
| Remote share | 6.8% | 12.8% | -6.0pp |
| Median age of posting | 55d | 50d | |
| Open over 60 days | 49.3% | 38.1% | |
| Visa sponsorship | 24.3% | 10.7% |
Pay
Pay distribution
Data Engineer
$63k$243k
Database Administrator
$60k$232k
Freshness
How old the listings are
Data Engineer
just posted55d median90d+
Database Administrator
just posted50d median90d+
Demand
What each side asks for
Data Engineer — technologies
Database Administrator — technologies
Data Engineer — employers
Database Administrator — employers
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Both sides are counted the same way on the same day, so the gap is comparable even where the
absolute numbers move. Salary figures use only postings that publish a range — the disclosure
rate is in the table because a median over 20% of a cohort is a weaker number than one over 70%.