Database Administration Salary in Vermont: Is It a Good Career?
Vermont · 2026 BLS salary data
Database Administration pay in Vermont
The median wage is $104,230/yr — about the same as the national median. Among U.S. states, Vermontranks #20 of 51 states by median pay.
The numbers in Vermont
Real BLS state-level figures for Database Administration.
- Median salary
- $104,230/yr
- Pay range (25th–75th)
- $85,350 – $121,660
- National median
- $104,620/yr
- Employed in Vermont
- 120
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.
What that pay is really worth in Vermont
Salary alone can mislead — Vermont costs 2% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).
- Cost of living (US=100)
- 98
- Nominal median
- $104,230
- Adjusted for cost of living
- ≈ $106,357
- State income tax
- Up to 8.75%
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 Vermont?
The median annual wage is $104,230 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $85,350 and $121,660. That's about the same as the national median.
Is Vermont a good state for database administration?
By raw pay, Vermont ranks #20 of 51 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (Vermont costs 2% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $106,357.
Are database administration professionals in demand in Vermont?
About 120 people work in this field in Vermont (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects -0.7% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.
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.
- Worth it If you'll evolve toward cloud data platforms or data engineering
- It depends If you like working deeply with data systems and performance
- Not worth it If you expect the classic on-prem DBA role to keep growing
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.
- “SQL DBA still a good career?”r/SQLServerquestioning
- “Do you recommend DBA as a career to someone who likes ...”r/SQLpositive/pro
- “Is it advisable to work as a DBA now and in the future?”r/SQLquestioning
- “Can you have good career in Database management? Is ...”r/cscareerquestionsmixed
- “Database Administrator Career Path”r/Databasemixed
- “Is Database Administration still a good career?”r/PinoyProgrammerquestioning
- “Is being a Database Administrator that bad?”r/ITCareerQuestionsquestioning