How to Become a Database Architect

Recently, we explained what you can do with a Master’s Degree in Data Analytics, what jobs you can get with the degree, and why you should consider getting your degree in this field.

Today, we’ll discuss how to start a career as a database architect, which is one of the best jobs for people with degrees in data analytics.

This guide will cover why you should consider a career in database science, including what you’d be expected to do on the job, why you should complete a related degree before attempting to apply for the job, and what you can do to improve your chances of success in the industry.

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about becoming a database scientist, please fill out our information request form to learn more about our online Master’s Degree in Data Analytics, which is the perfect program for aspiring database architects.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

What Is a Database Architect?

According to Indeed, a database architect designs and oversees the construction of databases, including ensuring that the data stored in their databases is accessible, consistent, secure, and accurate. 

Database architects work with both technical and business staff to understand the company’s data needs so that they can develop a database system that meets those specific needs.

The work database architects do is sometimes referred to as “database architectural science”, and some specific applications for their work include:

• Designing a new database or modifying an existing one.
• Ensuring data integrity and security.
• Optimizing the performance of the database system.
• Guiding big data initiatives.

As a result, you’ll find database architects employed in various settings, and in all sorts of industries, from banks and insurance companies to healthcare organizations and retail chains.

Is Database Architecture a Good Career Choice?

This is an excellent career path for anyone who enjoys working with data, especially database systems. 

As you’ll soon see there’s a great deal of demand for skilled database architects, especially thanks to modern technology allowing businesses and organizations to generate so much useful, valuable data about their operations, customers, and even their business performance.

Why would you want to consider becoming a database architect? Here are three compelling reasons to think about getting into the industry:

• Database architects are highly valued employees because they play a crucial role in improving business results, helping organizations collect, store, and utilize the data that’s become so important to modern businesses.
• Database architects are well-paid, earning a considerable income for the work that they do. According to BLS, database architects earn an average salary of $101,000.
• Demand for trained database architects is growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of database administrators and architects is expected to grow by 9% between 2021 and 2031.

Database architects can work in various settings, such as consulting firms, financial institutions, banking firms, educational institutions, healthcare providers, or any other industry with an extensive data infrastructure.

This is an excellent role for anyone who enjoys being challenged with complicated problems, like technological challenges and sophisticated data storage and retrieval concerns. 

If you’re not afraid of taking on new responsibilities, designing new solutions, and being creative, then you’re likely to find this work extremely rewarding, as database architects tend to have dynamic career paths that require them to constantly learn new technologies, processes, and systems.

Another benefit to becoming a data architect is that while you’ll need to stay within project scope and under budget requirements, you can expect to have a great deal of freedom to design sophisticated, complex databases that satisfy your organization’s needs for data collection, storage, retrieval, and analysis.

If you enjoy high-technology problems, solving complex puzzles, and designing efficient systems, then database architecture may be the perfect career field for you

What Are Some Common Job Titles for Database Architects?

Like any other complex field, database architects don’t always hold the job title of “Database Architect”, and may end up holding many other titles instead.

Here are some common job titles that may be held by database architects, or people working towards becoming database architects:

• Systems Analyst: This job title could include database architecture work, as systems analysts may be in charge of designing and implementing database systems themselves, or the systems that interface with databases. In general, this role entails understanding the company’s business needs and then translating those needs into a technical design, sometimes, for databases.

• Database Developer: A database developer is in charge of writing, modifying, and maintaining the database code. In some cases, the database developer may be a junior role to database architect, taking the architect’s plans and then putting them to work by actually building the database, with the architect overseeing the construction. However, some database developers may serve as database architects too, designing the system, then building it themselves instead of handing off the work to others.

• Database Manager: This professional is typically in charge of maintaining databases and may be responsible for just one, or several, or even many different databases. The database manager is likely to be in charge of implementing data management practices, monitoring database performance, helping other professionals extract and examine data, and ensuring that the database and the data it stores remain accurate, reliable, and available at all times.

• Data Analyst/Scientist: These individuals analyze large amounts of data to identify trends or specific patterns in the data which they can then use to guide business strategy. Data analysts and data scientists tend to collaborate with a group of other professionals, such as database administrators and developers, who can assist them in gaining access to the necessary information, which they then analyze for insights.

• Database Administrator: The database administrator is in charge of creating and managing database users, permissions, and security roles. Their job is to ensure that only authorized users have access to company data, and their primary role tends to be managing access to the information stored in the database.

• Data Engineer: This role is similar to that of a database developer, but data engineers specialize in big data technologies such as Hadoop or Apache Spark—programs designed to analyze very large volumes of data in real-time. The data engineer’s job is to collect, manage, and convert data into useful information used for powering data-driven business decisions.

• Data Modeler: The person in charge of creating the database’s conceptual, logical, and physical data models. A data modeler’s primary responsibility is to ensure that an organization’s data is being put to use properly and that it’s capable of being utilized to help inform important business decisions.

• Data Warehouse Engineer: This position is in charge of designing, constructing, and maintaining the data warehouse, which is a type of database that stores historical data that can be used for analytical purposes.

What Do Database Architects Actually Do?

According to TechRepublic, database architects are in charge of designing and supervising database construction. 

They collaborate with clients to determine their data storage, processing, and analysis needs, then they create a plan to meet those needs. 

Database architects often collaborate with developers to create complex, useful database systems, which means they must be technically proficient and have excellent communications and problem-solving abilities.

As a professional database architect, you may be tasked with responsibilities like:

• Designing and implementing databases: This is probably the most critical task for a database architect, who must understand the company’s business needs so that they can design a system that meets those needs as efficiently as possible. This includes choosing a database management system, optimizing the data model and queries to improve performance, designing indexes for speeding up lookups, etc.

• Consulting with clients to understand their needs: This involves understanding the business, its goals, and needs, as well as what data is needed to support those goals. Successful database architects gather information about business processes and activities to help guide their design philosophies, ensuring that the database they build will serve the company’s needs. 

• Developing a data model: A data model determines what information any given database will collect, how it will be stored, and how it is related to the organization’s various business units. It’s also like writing up a statement of purpose message for the organization, explaining the specific structure of the database under construction. You can think of a data model as being like a graphical representation of what data will be collected, and how the data will be stored, including the structure of tables, fields, indexes, etc.

• Designing queries: A query specifies which records should be included in the results and what operations (e.g., grouping, sorting) should be performed on those records during the retrieval process.

• Analyzing database performance: Database architects must monitor how well the database performs and identify any bottlenecks that might cause it to operate slowly or that could cause it to fail. They also need to make sure there is enough server memory available for processing queries quickly and that the data is being backed up properly.

• Creating and overseeing ETL processes: ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes are used to move data from one system to another. The architect needs to develop a process to extract the data from the source system, transform it into the correct format, and load it into the target system.

• Optimizing queries: Database architects need to be able to write efficient SQL queries that efficiently access the data, allowing anyone who needs access to the stored information to gain access to it and extract it so it can be processed or analyzed in some useful way.

• Creating reports: Architects may be required to create custom reports either on-demand or as part of a regular ETL process (Extract, Transform, and Load). This ensures that the data stored in the database is available and accessible for whatever organization purpose it’s been collected to satisfy.

• Troubleshooting and resolving database issues: Database architects are often asked to help resolve issues with the databases that they’ve constructed, including fixing a corrupted database, bringing one back online that has gone down, fixing problems accessing data, and optimizing performance.

In addition to these hard skills-based tasks, database architects are also likely to need important soft skills, like:

• Collaborating with other teams: Database architects should have good communication skills and work well in cross-functional teams. They need to be able to communicate effectively with other teams in the organization, including developers, product managers, and the organization’s executives.

• Train employees: While database architects typically don’t spend much time training new hires, they may do initial training for existing staff members when an important deadline is approaching or a major change needs to be made to the system. 

• Keeping up to date: Database architects also need to keep up with new technologies and changes in the industry, technology, platforms, and organizational requirements. This part of the process can be extremely time-consuming, as database technology can change both dramatically and rapidly.

• Documenting: As part of their job, database architects need to document all aspects of the system they design. This includes documenting the data model, describing how the system works, and creating user manuals and other documentation useful for anyone who will be interacting with their databases.

As you can see, being a database architect entails much more than just designing databases. 

To be successful in this field, you must have strong technical skills and excellent communication and problem-solving abilities. You must also be able to work well both independently and as part of a larger team. 

If you have these skills and you want to work in database architecture, the next step is to get the necessary education and training required to land a job in the industry.

What Skills & Abilities are Needed to Become a Successful Database Architect?

You must have strong technical skills to be a successful database architect, including a detailed understanding of the SQL language, data models, data normalization techniques, as well as principles and best practices for designing databases. 

Database architects need to develop a unique set of skills, including:

• Database programming skills
• Knowledge of data modeling principles and concepts
• Database management systems (DBMS)
• Relational algebra
• Entity-relationship model
• A strong understanding of data structures and algorithms
• Experience with multiple programming languages such as Java, C++, Python, and Ruby
• The ability to design SQL queries for complex datasets

Database architects may also consider specializing in a particular industry, such as healthcare or financial services, which can require learning to work under specific legal guidelines or data restrictions.

Do I Really Need a Degree to Become a Database Architect?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you will almost certainly need a bachelor’s degree to become a database architect.

Getting your degree in a related field is the best way to prepare yourself for the complex work that’s required in this industry.

While the education requirements for database architects may vary depending on the employer and industry, virtually all of them are going to want you to have at least a bachelor’s level degree in a related field. 

If you’re serious about becoming a database architect, then you should consider completing a degree program in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or Data Analytics, as all of these are excellent disciplines that will help develop your database skills and abilities.

How Will a Data Analytics Program Help Prepare Me to Become a Database Architect?

A data analytics program will help prepare you for a career in database architecture by teaching you the basics of data management, data analysis, and SQL. 

You will also learn how to use various software programs to manage and analyze data. 

In addition, many programs offer courses in big data technologies and Hadoop, which is important for building the skills you need to work with large datasets.

Studying data analytics will provide you with opportunities to learn about several topics critical for database architects, including:

• Data mining
• Statistical analysis
• Database management
• Systems design
• Business intelligence

These topics will assist you in developing the technical skills required for success as a database architect. 

Furthermore, data analytics programs frequently include project management and business administration courses, which will help by providing you with the soft skills required for success in this field.

To become a successful database architect, you’ll need to develop a strong foundation in the following areas:

• Data modeling
• SQL
• T-SQL
• ETL processes
• Performance tuning
• Report writing

CSU Global’s online Master’s Degree in Data Analytics is the perfect program for building all of these skills and abilities, with core courses in:

• The Fundamentals of Quantitative Analysis
• Foundations of Data Analytics
• Introduction to Business Intelligence
• Data Mining and Visualization
• Predictive Analytics
• Business Analytics

If you want to be a database architect, enrolling in a data analytics program is the best way to get started, as this will provide you with the chance to learn the fundamentals of data management and analysis and gain hands-on experience working with databases. 

What Can I Do to Increase My Chances of Success?

There are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting hired as a database architect, but the most important is to ensure that you have strong technical skills and knowledge of database design best practices. 

You should also be familiar with the principles of data modeling and you should have a great deal of experience using and working with the SQL language. 

Experience with data modeling and SQL is critical because databases are designed using data modeling principles, the SQL language is used to query and modify databases, and demonstrating your expertise in these areas will prove to employers that you have a strong foundation in database design.

Completing industry certifications could also be a valuable asset that you’ll want to consider adding to your resume. According to CIO.com, some of the best industry certifications for a career as a database architect include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Data Analytics – Specialty
• Cloudera Data Platform Generalist Certification
• Data Science Council of America (DASCA) Associate Big Data Engineer
• IBM Certified Solution Architect – Cloud Pak for Data v4.x
• IBM Certified Solution Architect – Data Warehouse V1
• SAS Certified Big Data Professional

Make sure to spend some time working on your verbal and written communication skills too, since these are necessary for collaborating with other team members, managers, and clients.

Finally, stay up to date on the latest technological trends and industry changes, as this will be important for staying ahead of the competition and convincing hiring managers that you’re up to speed on the latest developments in the field.

Should I Get My Degree Online?

Yes, you should pursue your education online. Most data analytics degrees are available in both traditional and online formats, and both can help you advance your career, but pursuing your degree online will give you far more freedom and flexibility.

This is a huge advantage for anyone whose time is limited due to work or family obligations since it would allow you to study and complete assignments wherever and whenever possible, instead of according to a set schedule.

If you choose to study online at CSU Global, you’ll be able to take advantage of several excellent benefits that our 100% online programs provide, such as:

• No requirements to show up at set times or in physical locations.
• Monthly class starts.
• Accelerated courses.

If you’re looking to get your degree, but you’ve already got a busy schedule, then you should certainly think about studying online with us at CSU Global.

Why Should I Choose CSU Global?

Our online M.S. in Data Analytics program is the perfect option for preparing to become a database architect, as it’s regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and widely respected by professionals in the field.

This program holds several impressive rankings, including:

• A #3 ranking for Best Online Degree in Data Analytics from Best Master Programs. 
• A #9 ranking for Best Online Master’s in Data Science Programs from Intelligent.

CSU Global itself is also widely regarded as an industry leader in higher education, having recently been awarded several prominent rankings, including:

• A #10 ranking for Best Online Colleges for ROI from OnlineU.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges & Schools in Colorado from Best Accredited Colleges.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges in Colorado from Best Colleges.

Finally, we offer our students affordable tuition rates and a tuition guarantee which ensures that your rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled as a student.

To learn more about our fully accredited online Data Analytics degree, please call (800) 462-7845 or fill out our Information Request Form. 

Are you ready to get started? Apply today!