Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Database administrator
- Thread starter jwolf6589
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
they may use Windows or Linux
Client software may be on any platform and may vary if it's SQL or NoSQL or other types of db
Why do you ask?
Client software may be on any platform and may vary if it's SQL or NoSQL or other types of db
Why do you ask?
Actual Database Admins? No, they use much more powerful tools than Access. So, I’m not an Admin, but I use Alteryx, SQL Assistant, PowerBI, some Access on a daily basis. But, yes, many of them use Windows. I’ve seen some use Macs. I’ve used MySQL for Mac and Sequel Pro on the Mac. But, I’d say Access would be the last resource for them.
Our DB admins(including myself sometimes) are needing to access Oracle and Postgres databases, usually from a Mac so they still have access to MS Teams and Outlook, but some are on Linux and have a second Windows machine just for Teams and Outlook.
MS Access is not what we would consider a viable database, certainly not something that would require a specifically trained DB admin.
MS Access is not what we would consider a viable database, certainly not something that would require a specifically trained DB admin.
It all depends on what certifications you hold, your experience, location, field, etc. There's no way to say for sure just because of the number of variables. If you're interested in doing this, I recommend looking into taking some classes and getting certified.
I was a DBA back in the SQL Server 6.5/7 days. Between 2000 and 2002. Today, most DBAs I've been aroujnd are typically SQL Server, Oracle, or MySql (owned by Oracle). Now I am an application developer so I work with DBAs. Typically, the experienced DBAs can get over $100k. But I don't think most DBAs start out as DBAs. They usually work on servers or other IT areas and work there way into the DBA world. When I was a DBA, I was really just a server admin who could spell S-Q-L. But I learned on the job and got pretty good at it before moving to development.
But if you want to set your sites on big DBA money.....cloud based data warehousing is where you want to go. Cloud anything really, but data warehousing experience is in big demand, especially in government sectors.
But if you want to set your sites on big DBA money.....cloud based data warehousing is where you want to go. Cloud anything really, but data warehousing experience is in big demand, especially in government sectors.
This entire post made me smile. Thank you.
DB Admins can, but are not 'obviously' on Windows.
They can, but most often do not use MSAccess.
DB Admin's is a very broad category ranging from MSAccess to NASA Aerospace 6NF ( 6th Normal Form ) for spacecraft / lander missions ( I doubt they use this today ). Still, that range puts far too much of a constraint on what a DBA can do. They most often know SQL, but this base requirement has been shifting for the last 5 years or so to more linear DB models as the world moves from 'big data' to 'fast data', with mobile pushing the paradigm shift. They have experience with Oracle, MS SQL and more currently NoSQL databases. Most importantly, they have mastered the 'magic' of creating a database scheme from a requirements document.
I have not written an SQL backend in the last 6 years or so. Everything has been NoSQL.
The pay can range from $20k/US per year to $20k/US per month depending on expertise.
Terrific answer! Fun read!
I'd say I do quite a bit of DBA type work, by way of overall system architecture, development, data science/analytics, as part of an entire system design and implementation. I'm __reasonably__ proficient with MS-SQL, Oracle, Postgres, no-SQL (document modeled like Mongo, and KVPs like Couch), that includes data modeling, optimization, in-DB coding like T-SQL/PL-SQL, but again, all that's just to develop backend stores, etc., for a whole system, because I do the front/middle tier coding as well.
While you might run a single, small organization (like a church) on Access, with maybe some Excel sheets for simplified data entry/export (for external manipulation), when we talk of a DBA, it's more of a large scale, dedicated role with expertise as outlined by the post above.
In modern dev shops, talking service companies who design/build/develop for other organizations, there tends not to be dedicated DBA type role, it's more like me, high proficiency in designing what's needed for the entire scope of the project. Dedicated DBA roles tend to be more in the enterprise space, and/or where there's a very specialized role.
Hahaha, though in that enterprise type capacity, some of the formal DBAs (because, wow, they like to put certs in their sigs ...) I deal with at the Federal level, I wouldn't hire, even if it meant closing shop, and bagging groceries.
I guess I'd ask this: are you looking to fill an existing role? Looking for a new opportunity to capitalize on an existing skill set? Looking to learn and trying to understand the market viability of those skills?
BTW, I do all my development on a Mac, some on the same Mac though a Win10 VM (Parallels).
