Introduction to Career In Oracle DBA
In this topic, we will learn about Career in Oracle DBA. If you have experience or have just taken the responsibility of a DBA, this blog is just for you. Being a DBA, it’s hard and crucial to know the exact skillsets, job prospects, and salary standards in the industry. Regarding job responsibilities, a DBA covers a vast and complex area and often touches other IT segments.
Do not panic, as this blog will outline the essentials to start your DBA journey; we will try to cover all the aspects and sort things out for easy understanding – as a reader, you need to hone yourself. Although learning is a continuous and never-ending task, some ways can create market value, help you gain more information, and be helpful in your long-running Career.
Our overall suggestion is rooted in having a 360-degree view of databases and related subsystems like OS, networks, firewalls, servers, hardware, and storage, to name a few.
With saying this, let’s move and explore the ORACLE DBA in detail, but first, let’s see some fun facts about it.
Fun Facts
- Developer – Oracle Corp.
- Stable release – 18.1 (as of 16th Feb 2018)
- Written in – Assembly Language, C, C++
- Type – Multi-model database type
Let’s see a general approach to explain ORACLE DBA; it’s a multi-model database management system that most of us know. Taking this explanation one step ahead for easy understanding and to make our readers aware of what will happen once they start working as ORACLE DBA.
“DBA is an administration job where DBA personnel has to take care of database functioning so that others using it can use it swiftly without any hindrance.”
Real-life scenario: Assume that you have a car and you have become a database user. Now you want to have a service of your car for which you took it to a service center. Here the mechanic became the DBA personnel (remember who handles the database system). You contact the car manufacturers if you need any warranty issues; in this case, the ORACLE becomes the company (which provides assurance) if the DBA does not resolve the issue.
Let’s see some other relevant details.
Education Required for Career In Oracle DBA
Again, a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (C. Sc) or Information Technology (IT) is most relevant for a DBA career. Besides, Bachelor’s and master’s in computer education (BCA and MCA) are also practical and helpful. The basic underline statement for a student in terms of education is to have at least a Bachelor’s degree.
Let’s see some educational resources for a DBA education –
- Walden University
- Liberty University
- Colorado Technical University
In India, several educational programs are offered online, and no regular degree program is offered.
Let’s see some more helpful ways to be in a safer position to start your Career in the field of DBA.
- Installing and configurational understanding is first to have
- Essential monitoring and tuning functionalities
- Database recovery and backup creation activities
- Basic knowledge of database security
- Database Designing
- Good understanding of DBMS
- Good command over SQL and PL/SQL is must have
- Command line understanding of Wizard and GUI
When you go for certification to boost your profile, these topics (mentioned above) are covered per the experience level. The following section will cover the certification details (i.e., Career). Let’s move on to it.
Career Path in Oracle DBA
We will cover the certification path and the hierarchy along with it.
There are 6 sections for the Oracle database career path, categorized per experience level.
- Junior Associate (OJA) – oracle certified junior associate
- Associate (OCA) – Oracle certified associate
- Professional (OCP) – Oracle Certified Professional
- Master (OCM) – Oracle-certified Master
- Specialist (OCE) – Oracle certified expert
- Expert (OCS) – Oracle certified specialist
These certifications are spread across 9 disciplines or technology areas, which are further broken down into a category of the product family and product grouping. These certifications validate the candidate’s skills and expertise. Oracle certifications have been sought to be one of the most respectful in the market for a long time.
Job Positions or Application Areas for a Career In Oracle DBA
Application areas are nothing but where the skills of the knowledge areas can be applied. I hope you understand this statement; let’s see a practical example. If you are an IoT expert, the application areas would be anything where this technology already plays or can play a crucial role. In the same reference, there is wide applicability for the Oracle databases. Let’s see them –
One can easily figure out that databases store the data (in any form). So, they apply to several things; let’s see them.
- Online television streaming
- Gaming industry
- Cloud Storage
- Finance
- Government organizations
- eCommerce
- Healthcare
- Weather
If you need storage, then directly or indirectly, you need a database system and, in return, a DBA to allow it proper function. ORACLE is the market leader in this segment. Let’s see some facts on why Oracle is the market leader and why Career in Oracle DBA people are best paid in the industry.
Salary
One of the best-paid industries in the IT sector or any other sector. Data is crucial, and people working for it benefit from high-packed salaries. Let’s see some stats –
The average salary for an Oracle DBA is around 493k/year in India.
Canada has a different pay scale for DBA positions; the average salary is $100,000/year or $51.28 per hour. The entry-level starts at $61,100 annually, while the experienced folks earn up to $170,000 annually.
Talking of the US, the salary for a DBA professional is at a national average of $94,536.
Career Outlook in Oracle DBA
Oracle DBA is always in demand in any company. Whether it is a mid-cap or any MNC (large scale), they all need DBA to operate and manage their databases. Bigger companies have separate domains or sections to handle the database and related issues. Oracle is the pioneer in the database segment and is trusted among many companies. A career in Oracle DBA will always get this benefit as steam has enormous demand.
Conclusion
As an ORACLE DBA, you are never out of the market. All the professionals and people planning to have a Career in Oracle DBA must look for enhancements throughout their Career. These enhancements can be anything from a bigger and more complex project to earning certifications at different levels. The bottom line is the ORALE DBA work was and will be in demand. Learning attitude must not stop for all the folks (experienced or freshers).
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This has been a guide to Career in Oracle DBA. Here we have discussed the education required, job position, career path in Oracle DBA, salary, & career outlook. You may also look at the following articles to learn more –