Database Administrators Salary
The median pay for a database administrators in Tuscaloosa, AL is $85,800/year ($41.25/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.72), which stretches that salary to about $97,811 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,169/month, or 21.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $86K actually covers in Tuscaloosa, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tuscaloosa’s Regional Price Parity (87.72). 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 Tuscaloosa
Pay for database administrators in Tuscaloosa runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $105K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,169/month, 21.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Tuscaloosa can be a reasonable trade-off for database administratorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for database administrators in metros near Tuscaloosa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn-Opelika | $82K | $93K |
| Birmingham | $102K | $111K |
| Montgomery | $95K | $106K |
| Huntsville | $103K | $111K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tuscaloosa, AL
Entry-level database administrators (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $61K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa?
Yes — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 21.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,169/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for database administrators in Tuscaloosa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new database administrators typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,093/month. At HUD’s $1,169/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is database administrator a high-paying job in Tuscaloosa?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $86K here vs. $105K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tuscaloosa compare to the national average for database administrators?
Tuscaloosa pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — below the national median.
How much do database administrators make in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median is $85,800 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,260, and experienced database administrators can clear $123,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Tuscaloosa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,385/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,169/month, which eats 21.7% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has a Regional Price Parity of 87.72 (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 $97,811 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.