isworthit

Is Database Administration a Good Career in North Dakota?

North Dakota · 2026 BLS salary data

Database Administration pay in North Dakota

The median wage is $78,730/yr — 25% below the national median. Among U.S. states, North Dakotaone of the lowest-paying states (#49 of 51).

The numbers in North Dakota

Real BLS state-level figures for Database Administration.

Median salary
$78,730/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$63,260 – $96,120
National median
$104,620/yr
Employed in North Dakota
80

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in North Dakota

Salary alone can mislead — North Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
89
Nominal median
$78,730
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $88,461
State income tax
Up to 2.5%

Because North Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #46 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #49 on raw salary.

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Database Administration nationally — North Dakota pay is 25% below the national median. See the full Database Administration career guide →

The verdict

Mixed — database administration pays well and remains important, but BLS projects roughly flat-to-declining demand as managed cloud databases reduce traditional DBA work. Worth it if you evolve toward cloud data platforms, data engineering, or analytics.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Strong pay for the role
  • Deep, valuable data-systems expertise
  • Foundation for data engineering and analytics
  • Demand for data skills overall is rising
  • Certifications and experience over degrees

Cons

  • BLS projects flat-to-declining demand
  • Managed cloud databases reduce classic DBA work
  • On-call for critical data systems
  • Requires re-skilling toward cloud platforms
  • High responsibility for data integrity

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • People who'll move toward cloud/data engineering
  • Those who like data systems and performance tuning
  • Anyone building broad data expertise

✗ Probably not if…

  • People expecting the classic DBA role to grow
  • Those unwilling to adopt cloud data platforms

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Database Administration is worth it — titles link to the original threads.