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Database Administration Salary in Tennessee: Is It a Good Career?

Tennessee · 2026 BLS salary data

Database Administration pay in Tennessee

The median wage is $115,500/yr — 10% above the national median. Among U.S. states, Tennesseeranks #8 of 51 states by median pay.

The numbers in Tennessee

Real BLS state-level figures for Database Administration.

Median salary
$115,500/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$74,570 – $135,720
National median
$104,620/yr
Employed in Tennessee
2,020

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

What that pay is really worth in Tennessee

Salary alone can mislead — Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
91.9
Nominal median
$115,500
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $125,680
State income tax
None

Because Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #2 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #8 on raw salary.

Tennessee levies no state income tax, so more of that pay stays in your pocket than in high-tax states.

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.

FAQ

How much do database administration professionals make in Tennessee?

The median annual wage is $115,500 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $74,570 and $135,720. That's 10% above the national median.

Is Tennessee a good state for database administration?

By raw pay, Tennessee ranks #8 of 51 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $125,680. Because Tennessee costs 8% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #2 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #8 on raw salary. And with no state income tax, more of that pay stays in your pocket.

Are database administration professionals in demand in Tennessee?

About 2,020 people work in this field in Tennessee (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects -0.7% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Database Administration nationally — Tennessee pay is 10% above 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.