SQL, or Structured Query Language, ranks among the top 5 most important programming languages used by data professionals today. It is an important language that helps top professionals communicate with different databases. The demand for SQL developers has gone high and it has been projected that in the next 4-5 years, almost every industry and organization will rely on jobs that are based on SQL proficiency.
Hence, SQL developer salary is bound to skyrocket and provide people with the best package. So, if you are looking to enhance your career as an SQL developer, acquiring the right skills and enrolling in the best SQL course is a strategic move.
Who is an SQL Developer?
As the name suggests, an SQL developer is a master in his profession who can create, manage, and develop databases using SQL. This programming language helps technologically-savvy experts to query data from RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems). Just like you need a common language like English to communicate with people when traveling abroad, you need SQL to communicate with various databases, especially large ones.
Databases store information, so an SQL developer helps to maintain, develop, erase, update, or troubleshoot these databases. To clear the hiring process of SQL developers, you must have a strong profile, basic experience, appropriate skills, degrees, and certifications. SQL developers are in high demand in various parts of the world, and SQL developer salary is based on the company that is hiring you, the location of the job, and the skills you possess. Let us know more about SQL developer jobs salaries:
SQL Developer Salary in 2023
The average SQL developer jobs salary in the US is $81,446, and it can range from $55,338 - $119,871. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, SQL developers can earn an average salary of $98,860 every year, and the pay scale projects a growth of 9 percent between 2021 and 2030. The salary majorly depends on several factors like industry, company, location, experience, and education.
SQL Developer Salary: Based on Experience
Let us look into how the SQL developer pay scale varies in terms of experience:
According to PayScale, as a beginner, your SQL salary can be $63,000 per year. As a beginner, you will be required to understand databases and work on different applications, which includes retrieving, developing, and understanding data
In your mid-career as an SQL developer, you can earn $ 82,000 per year. As an intermediate, you will be involved in maintaining and overseeing data quality and data security.
If you have 10-20 years of work experience as an SQL developer, your salary can be $89,000. As an advanced SQL developer, you must have the skills to fix database-related issues, prepare documentation, create and restore backups, and develop best practices. You would also need to transfer data from one base to another. So as the difficulty in tasks increases, so will your pay package. Thus, it becomes imperative to upskill your SQL know-how, get certified in the latest courses and skills, and gain proficiency in resolving tedious SQL-related tasks.
SQL Developer Salary: Based on Location
Let us look at the various kinds of average SQL developer pay that is offered in different parts of the world. Here are also the top cities and companies in key countries, where the demand for SQL developers is skyrocketing:
1. India
India is the hub for Information financial companies, various industries, technology firms, and e-commerce retailers. The bigger the company, the larger will be the database. Thus, SQL developer jobs in India and the payscale mainly depend on the company that is hiring you and the city you are located in. The minimum salary that you can earn is Rs. 289,520. With some experience, you can earn up to Rs. 683,480, and with an advanced career in SQL, you can reach Rs. 1,125,821 per year.
The Top Companies in India that Hire SQL developers are:
Accenture – Rs. 533K – Rs. 576K
HCL Technologies – Rs. 390K – Rs. 418K
Hewlett-Packard – Rs. 562K – Rs. 611K
Bank of America – Rs. 948K – Rs. 1,029K
Flipkart – Rs. 790K – Rs. 857K
Top Cities in India that offer lucrative SQL developer salaries are:
Bangalore - Variation of +20%
Pune - Variation of +15%
Chennai - Variation of -2%
Mumbai – Variation of -3%
2. United States of America
The average SQL developer jobs salary in the USA is $90,497, and it can range from and it can range from $55,338 - $119,871, based on expertise, skill, and experience.
The Top Companies in the USA that Hire SQL developers are:
DISYS | $151,135 per year |
Vdart Inc | $145,656 per year |
Devcare Solutions | $142,594 per year |
Urban League | $133,472 per year |
Emergent Software | $129,143 per year |
Top Cities in the USA that offer lucrative SQL developer salaries are:
Charlotte, NC: $135,584
Arlington, VA: $107,724
Irving, TX: $97,775
New York, NY: $90,674
Chicago, IL: $94,121
Houston, TX: $85,683
Tampa, FL: $83,281
Denver, CO: $70,080
3. United Kingdom
The average SQL developer salary in the UK is £45,000 per year or £23.08 per hour. The minimum salary for an SQL developer starts at £35,990 per year and it can go up to £62,506 per year.
The Top Companies in the UK that Hire SQL developers are:
NHS | £43T - £47T (monthly salary) |
Barclays | £56T - £60T |
Capita | £60T - £65T |
Google | £69T - £75T |
Capgemini | £56T - £60T |
River Island Clothing | £58 - £63T |
Transport for London | £58T - £63T |
Top Cities in the UK that offer lucrative SQL developer salaries are:
Bromley - £65,124 per year
Romford - £62,347 per year
London - £54,729 per year
Wembley - £51,752 per year
East London - £49,493 per year
Croydon - £49,026 per year
Kingston upon Thames - £47,828 per year
Chiswick - £45,124 per year
West Drayton - £42,683 per year
4. Australia
The average annual SQL Developer salary in Australia ranges from AU $105,000 to AU $125,000. The average SQL developer pay in Australia is AU $56.41 per hour or AU $110,000 per year. Beginner salary starts at AU $100,000 per year, and for experienced professionals, it can go up to AU $162,588 per year.
The Top Companies in Australia that Hire SQL developers are:
eHealth NSW | AU $112263 per year |
MCS Consulting | AU $110404 per year |
Top Cities in Australia that offer lucrative SQL developer salaries are:
Canberra ACT – AU $199,150 per year
Brisbane QLD - AU $140,311 per year
Perth WA - AU $133,644 per year
Melbourne VIC - AU $130,808 per year
Sydney NSW - AU $122,592 per year
5.Canada
In Canada, the average SQL developer jobs salary is CA $111,644
The Top Companies in Canada that Hire SQL developers are:
eHealth NSW | AU $112263 per year |
MCS Consulting | AU $110404 per year |
Top Cities in Canada that offer lucrative SQL developer salaries are:
Toronto, ON - CA $168,150 per year
Greater Toronto Area, ON - CA $125,451 per year
St. John's, NL - CA $100,179 per year
Kitchener, ON - CA $91,782 per year
Montréal, QC - CA $86,577 per year
Mississauga, ON - CA $79,986 per year
Calgary, AB - CA $74,682 per year
Winnipeg, MB – CA $56,612 per year
6. Singapore
In Singapore, the average SQL developer salary is SD $6,806 per month
The Top Companies in Singapore that Hire SQL developers are:
Zenith Infotech | SD $6,040 per month |
U3 InfoTech Pte Ltd | SD $6,002 per month |
ITCAN Pte Ltd | SD $5,687 per month |
NTT DATA | SD $5,685 per month |
Jobline Resources Pte Ltd | SD $5,452 per month |
Top Cities in Singapore that offer a lucrative SQL developer salary are:
Bedok - SD $6,970 per month
Clementi - SD $6,955 per month
River Valley - SD $6,928 per month
Orchard - SD $6,841 per month
Singapore - SD $6,731 per month
Outram - SD $6,096 per month
Changi - SD $5,816 per month
Raffles - SD $5,540 per month
Geylang - SD $5,125 per month
Besides the above countries, Germany offers an SQL developer average salary of $59,160 a year. In Finland, it is $50,440, in Israel is $88,900, and in Ukraine, it is $18,000 on average.
Factors Affecting SQL Developer Salary
Let us look at different factors that influence the average SQL Developer salary:
1. Location
Location means the place, city, state, or country you live in. Various parts of the world offer different kinds of salaries. Within countries, also different states or areas offer different salaries to SQL developers based on the development and presence of MNCs and top-notch industries. Here is an overview of different SQL salaries offered by different countries:
USA | $87,000 - $91,000 |
UK | $71,560 - $73,000 |
Canada | $65,470 - $69,112 |
Australia | $73,950 - $75,000 |
Germany | $59,160 - $60,899 |
Finland | $50,440 - $52,113 |
Singapore | $55,660 - $61,550 |
Israel | $88,900 - $90,358 |
Ukraine | $18,000 - $20,000 |
India | $10,000 |
2. Industry / Employer / Company
The SQL developer average salary varies from industry to industry. For example, the healthcare industry pays an average salary of $93,938 per year, while the Finance industry pays $90,288. The insurance sector pays an average salary of $86,381.
Let us refer to this table, which highlights the average SQL developer salary and the average hourly rate in various industries:
Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
Health Care | $93,938 | $45.16 |
Finance | $90,288 | $43.41 |
Transportation | $88,053 | $42.33 |
Technology | $87,955 | $42.29 |
Manufacturing | $87,196 | $41.92 |
Insurance | $86,381 | $41.53 |
Here is a table, that highlights the SQL developer average salary and the average hourly rate in various companies:
Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
Meta | $124,608 | $59.91 |
HumanEdge | $105,673 | $50.80 |
Kelly Services | $104,804 | $50.39 |
SEI Investments | $104,094 | $50.05 |
Janney Montgomery Scott | $103,909 | $49.96 |
BMO Capital Markets | $103,811 | $49.91 |
TEKsystems | $102,656 | $49.35 |
The Carlyle Group | $101,442 | $48.77 |
Isthmus | $101,137 | $48.62 |
DaVita Kidney Care | $100,781 | $48.45 |
3. Experience
Experience is an SQL matter, and thus the pay scale also differs as per experience in the field. For example
Entry-level SQL Developer who has less than 1 year of experience can earn up to $53,435
Early-career SQL Developers or junior SQL developer salary with 1-4 years of experience can earn up to $65,501
Mid-career SQL Developers with 5-9 years of experience can earn up to $79,828
Experienced SQL Developers or sr SQL developer salary with an extensive 10-19 years of experience can earn up to $88,334
4. Demand and Supply
SQL is one of the top 5 languages that are used by technological experts across the globe. With top jobs depending on SQL, the demand is increasing day by day. Places, industries, and companies that demand the expertise of SQL developers are ready to pay a much higher pay scale. The current job market has several opportunities for skilled SQL programmers, which attracts the highest salary in SQL.
5. Credentials / Certifications
Getting accredited and adding certifications to your SQL developer profile by enrolling in an Online Database Course can increase your chances of earning a higher pay package. You must add certifications in Data Management and Analytics, Oracle PL/SQL Developer certifications, or Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) to gain a higher SQL jobs salary.
6. Skills
The kind of skills you have and learn, have an influential impact on your average salary. Different skills can affect your salary. Below are the most popular skills and their effect on salary. Let us look at how adding various skills to your portfolio can increase your average salary percentage
UNIX | +115% |
Database Management & Reporting | +69% |
ETL (Extract, transform, load) | +30% |
Microsoft Power BI | +26% |
Oracle SQL Developer | +13% |
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) | +10% |
PL/SQL | +9% |
Tableau Software | +8% |
Oracle 11g | +6% |
Transact SQL | +5% |
How to Improve SQL Developer Salary?
Here is what you can do to increase your SQL developer salary:
1. Skills
Upgrading and upscaling your skills and know-how will help you get a higher pay package. You must enhance your technical skills and learn about
Using different databases as a layered architecture with Proper knowledge of SQL to control and access databases
Knowledge of Transact-SQL, which is an extension to the SQL language that provides many more possible statements
Microsoft SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) which is an ETL tool from Microsoft
Soft skills such as analytical skills, communication skills, collaboration, team management, planning, decision-making, and supervision skills.
2. Certifications
Many jobs require certifications for SQL developer or Data Analyst jobs and if you don’t have one, it may adversely affect your SQL jobs salary.. Rely on reputed training and e-learning platforms and prepare for SQL certifications & courses. Completing your certifications will upgrade your skills and develop your SQL developer career run. You can go for certifications like:
SQL course
Online Database course
3. Degrees
Different candidates from various fields of education can apply for an SQL developer job. The preferred degree is a bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or a related field. You may have to enhance your degree to a master’s or Ph.D. level as your career advances, as this will allow you to earn a higher pay package.
4. Experience
Experience counts so gain as much job experience as you can as an SQL developer. An entry-level SQL developer's salary can be as high as $55,063. A mid-career SQL salary can get you $80,967. A senior SQL developer salary can get you $91,015, while a late-career can get you $100,409
Why are SQL Developers Paid so Much?
SQL developers are the technical experts who build, create and work on different databases of different sizes. They work and integrate with various technical administrators and application developers to resolve queries and maintain databases.
SQL developers are paid a higher salary because of their set-oriented thinking, working on scripts, procedures, and queries, and designing a database that is maintainable, effective, and upgradeable. A company's database is its lifeline, thus paying well for someone who will be responsible for this data, is normal.
Wrapping Up
Get ready to seize a golden opportunity in the world of SQL development! According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for SQL developers and related jobs is projected to surge by a staggering 22% by 2029. This means that the skyrocketing demand for SQL developer is not just a passing trend, but a long-term, lucrative career path that promises stability and growth for years to come.
An incredible 63% of industries and companies are looking for proficient SQL developers as the need for developing new applications, working on software, and managing databases continues to soar. To position yourself for success and secure a top-tier salary package, it's essential to enhance your experience, expertise, and skills, go for certifications like Knowledgehut SQL course and learn databse concepts, installation, management, security,, and more.