Database Administrators Salary
The median pay for a database administrators in Reading, PA is $84,290/year ($40.53/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $149K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $86,843 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,575/month, or 29% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $84K actually covers in Reading, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About database administrators
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What this looks like in Reading
Pay for database administrators in Reading runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $105K. Rent runs $1,575/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for database administrators in metros near Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $105K | $102K |
| Pittsburgh | $102K | $108K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $100K | $101K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $83K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level database administrators (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $149K or more, a $89K spread from bottom to top.
Database Administrators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Database Administrators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | $136K | +30% | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $129K | +24% | 2,310 |
| New Jersey | $126K | +20% | 1,810 |
| Maryland | $124K | +19% | 2,300 |
| District of Columbia | $119K | +13% | 560 |
| Colorado | $118K | +13% | 1,220 |
| Washington | $118K | +13% | 1,730 |
| Tennessee | $116K | +10% | 2,020 |
| Texas | $114K | +9% | 6,430 |
| North Carolina | $114K | +9% | 1,920 |
| California | $113K | +8% | 7,240 |
| Nevada | $110K | +5% | 380 |
| Alaska | $109K | +4% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $108K | +3% | 810 |
| Georgia | $107K | +2% | 2,460 |
| Rhode Island | $106K | +1% | 280 |
| New York | $106K | +1% | 3,590 |
| Illinois | $105K | +0% | 2,340 |
| Arizona | $104K | -0% | 1,120 |
| Vermont | $104K | -0% | 120 |
| Florida | $104K | -0% | 3,810 |
| Iowa | $101K | -3% | 360 |
| Delaware | $101K | -4% | 670 |
| Minnesota | $101K | -4% | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $100K | -4% | 1,140 |
| Oregon | $100K | -4% | 1,060 |
| Kansas | $100K | -4% | 440 |
| Pennsylvania | $100K | -4% | 2,450 |
| Nebraska | $100K | -4% | 610 |
| Wisconsin | $100K | -4% | 1,220 |
| Michigan | $100K | -5% | 1,150 |
| New Mexico | $98K | -6% | 570 |
| Louisiana | $98K | -6% | 290 |
| Ohio | $97K | -7% | 1,860 |
| Oklahoma | $95K | -9% | 790 |
| Alabama | $94K | -10% | 1,840 |
| South Carolina | $94K | -10% | 990 |
| Virginia | $93K | -11% | 5,940 |
| New Hampshire | $92K | -12% | 250 |
| Indiana | $90K | -14% | 930 |
| Mississippi | $88K | -16% | 200 |
| Kentucky | $87K | -16% | 650 |
| Idaho | $86K | -18% | 180 |
| Hawaii | $86K | -18% | 100 |
| Montana | $83K | -21% | 300 |
| South Dakota | $83K | -21% | 170 |
| Arkansas | $82K | -21% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $82K | -21% | 100 |
| North Dakota | $79K | -25% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -30% | 240 |
| Maine | $71K | -33% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track database administrators salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Reading numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a database administrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reading?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 29% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for database administrators in Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new database administrators typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,026/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is database administrator a high-paying job in Reading?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $84K here vs. $105K nationally.
How does Reading compare to the national average for database administrators?
Reading pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — below the national median.
How much do database administrators make in Reading, PA?
The median is $84,290 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,880, and experienced database administrators can clear $149,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,425/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 29% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a database administrators salary go in Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median database administrators salary is worth about $86,843 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do database administrators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
