Database Administrator Salary in Seattle, WA
Database Administrators in Seattle, WA earn a median of $119,000/year, ranging from $91,630 (25th percentile) to $190,400 (90th percentile). After Washington state taxes (0%) and cost-of-living adjustments (COL index 162), this is equivalent to $73,457 in purchasing power vs the US average.
On the ground in Seattle, WA
If you land a DBA role here, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google all run significant operations in the Seattle area, pulling talent toward cloud infrastructure and data engineering work. The lack of Washington state income tax is genuinely meaningful at this salary level - you keep more of what you earn compared to most tech hubs. That said, living costs bite hard. A one-bedroom in Capitol Hill or Ballard runs around $2,000 to $2,400 monthly, which eats into take-home faster than you'd expect. The metro skews car-dependent despite decent light rail coverage on the north-south I-5 corridor; getting to Redmond or Bellevue tech campuses means either a commute or choosing eastside housing. Seattle's gray, drizzly winters are real and shape work culture - lots of indoor focus, less outdoor distraction. The region's database-heavy finance and SaaS sectors mean DBAs here spend less time on legacy mainframes and more on cloud platforms and distributed systems.
1Salary Distribution in Seattle, WA
2Estimated Take-Home & Purchasing Power
* Estimates only. Does not include federal income tax, 401k, health insurance, or local taxes. Use the Salary Calculator for a detailed breakdown.
How Does Seattle, WA Compare?
| City | Median | COL Index | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA (current) | $119,000 | 162 | $73,457 |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,000 | 186 | $65,591 |
| New York, NY | $118,000 | 187 | $63,102 |
| Boston, MA | $108,000 | 162 | $66,667 |
| Austin, TX | $98,000 | 124 | $79,032 |
| Denver, CO | $95,000 | 128 | $74,219 |
4Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Database Administrator salary in Seattle, WA?
The median Database Administrator salary in Seattle, WA is $119,000 per year as of 2026 BLS OEWS data. The 25th percentile is $91,630 and the 90th percentile is $190,400.
Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a Database Administrator?
Seattle, WA has a cost of living index of 162 (US average = 100). After adjusting for cost of living, a $119,000 Database Administrator salary in Seattle, WA is equivalent to $73,457 in purchasing power compared to the US average.
What is the cost of living adjustment for Seattle, WA?
Seattle, WA has a cost of living index of 162, meaning it is 62% more expensive than the US average. The state income tax rate in Washington is approximately 0%.
What is the Database Administrator salary range in Seattle, WA?
In Seattle, WA, Database Administrators earn between $91,630 (25th percentile) and $190,400 (90th percentile), with a median of $119,000 per year.
How many Database Administrator jobs are there in Seattle, WA?
According to BLS OEWS data, there are approximately 46,400 Database Administrator positions in the Seattle, WA metropolitan area.
What do Database Administrators earn in Seattle, WA?
Based on BLS OEWS 2026 data, Database Administrators in Seattle, WA earn a median annual wage of $119,000. The middle 50% earn between $91,630 and $152,320. The top 10% earn more than $190,400. There are approximately 46,400 Database Administrators employed in the Seattle, WA metro area, with annual job growth estimated at 5.1%.
Is Seattle, WA a good place for a Database Administrator?
Seattle, WA has a cost of living index of 162 (US average = 100), making it 62% more expensive than the national average. After adjusting for cost of living, a Database Administrator in Seattle, WA earning $119,000has the equivalent purchasing power of $73,457 relative to the US median. Washington has no state income tax, which is a significant financial advantage.
What is the cost of living adjustment for Seattle, WA?
Seattle, WA's cost of living index is 162, based on composite data including housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and utilities. This means that $119,000 in Seattle, WAhas the same purchasing power as $73,457 in a city at exactly the US average cost of living. Housing is typically the largest driver of cost of living differences between metros.
Compare Seattle, WA with Another City
See a detailed side-by-side comparison of salary, taxes, and purchasing power.
5Should You Work as a Database Administrator in Seattle, WA?
The headline median of $119,000 is only part of the picture. Seattle, WA's cost of living index is 162 (US average = 100), meaning a dollar here buys roughly 62¢ of what it buys in an average US city. The $119,000 salary effectively purchases $73,457 worth of goods and services at national-average prices.
Housing is the single biggest driver of cost-of-living differences between metros. In Seattle, WA, the median household typically spends 35–45% of gross income on housing — significantly above the 28% "affordable" threshold most lenders use. For a $119,000 salary, that translates to roughly $47,600/year on housing alone.
State tax plays a meaningful but smaller role. Washington has no state income tax, which is typically worth 4–8% of gross salary versus a high-tax state. For this role, that's roughly $7,140 per year in additional take-home. After state tax and approximate federal FICA (~7.6%), the estimated take-home is $109,956. This excludes federal income tax, which varies by filing status and deductions.
For comparison, here are nearby alternatives: San Francisco, CA ($122,000 median, COL 186); New York, NY ($118,000 median, COL 187); Boston, MA ($108,000 median, COL 162). If you're optimizing for purchasing power, compare the COL-adjusted column in the table above and pick the highest number. If you're optimizing for career progression, weight total employment and yearly growth in the role — larger markets offer more lateral moves and promotion velocity, even when nominal pay is lower.
The 5.1% year-over-year growth rate for Database Administrators in Seattle, WA is a leading indicator of market health. Above-average hiring pace suggests strong negotiating leverage, frequent counter-offer opportunities, and a deep pipeline of open roles. For side-by-side comparisons, try the full city ranking for Database Administrators or the Washington state overview.
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Program. All figures are approximate annual estimates based on the most recent available BLS data. Actual salaries may vary based on experience, education, employer size, and specific role. Cost-of-living data represents composite indices from publicly available metropolitan area data.