SQL Developer Salary Guide: What to Expect in 2026

Key takeaways

• SQL developer salary data from Glassdoor reveals that SQL developers earn a median total salary of $130,000 per year [1].

• Glassdoor reports that an entry-level SQL developer's salary is a median total of $103,000 per year [1].

• The salary range of an SQL developer can be from an average of $84,291 to a median total of $130,000 per year, depending on the source [2, 1].

The salary of an SQL developer can vary depending on the industry in which you work, with several of the top-paying ones being financial services, health care, human resources, and telecommunications. Discover more about an SQL developer’s salary, including its range, factors that affect it, the outlook for this role, and different career paths.

If you’re ready to develop your SQL skill set, enroll in the Microsoft SQL Server Professional Certificate. In as little as three months, you can learn about database administration, database development, relational databases, Power BI, and more.

What does a SQL developer do?

A structured query language (SQL) developer is an information technology (IT) professional who designs, creates, and manages databases or applications using SQL programming language. SQL is a tool used to extract and organize large amounts of data (big data) that are stored in databases so that they can be analyzed. Just like you would use English or another language to speak to a friend or family member, SQL is the language that allows you to communicate with and perform functions on databases to extract the data you need.

To manage all the data and make it useful for businesses, SQL developers build and test databases that store the information, making sure they’re running correctly and troubleshooting whenever necessary. Developers update and delete data as needed by a particular application.

Typical projects for an SQL developer might include inventory management or hospital records management. You would be responsible for controlling the stock for products in an Amazon warehouse. For example, you’d need to manage inventory levels, reduce insurance costs, and keep reserve stock on hand, all by using SQL for database management.

Read more: 8 Popular Database Management Tools

Is SQL for me?

If you're an aspiring data professional, you'll need to know SQL to work in the field. But what if you're someone who just works with data occasionally rather than professionally?

Knowing SQL can be a valuable skill for almost any professional who handles data, even if you're not an analyst or data scientist. If you'd like to improve your overall data literacy and potential hireability, consider taking a beginner-friendly SQL course like IBM's SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases.

What is the salary range of an SQL developer?

According to multiple job listing sites, the average annual pay for an SQL developer ranges from $82,426 to $117,450. The following table lists the salary ranges provided by Payscale, Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [2, 3, 4, 1, 5]:

The Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay as of July 2026. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Factors impacting SQL developer salary

As an SQL developer, your salary might be affected by your geographical location, educational background, experience, and the industry you choose to work in. Learn how each of these factors can impact your yearly earnings.

SQL developer pay by location

Salaries can vary depending on where your company is located. Generally, cities with higher costs of living tend to pay higher salaries. However, with many tech companies prioritizing remote work, salaries may be determined by an employee’s location rather than the company’s. Below is a compilation of the highest-paying cities for SQL developers in the US, according to Indeed [4]:

• Jersey City, NJ: $146,996

• New York, NY: $140,481

• Washington, DC: $200,519

• Denver, CO: $82,605

• Pittsburgh, PA: $79,922

• Dallas, TX: $118,011

• Atlanta, GA: $103,516

• Chicago, IL: $91,499

• Houston, TX: $80,911

Education

While you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree to become an SQL developer, 72 percent of SQL developers have one, according to Zippia [6]. A bachelor’s degree allows for an annual income of $87,159, while a master’s degree yields $93,104 [6]. Opting for a doctorate offers an even higher income of $99,011 [6]. Often, SQL developers study computer science, information technology, engineering, or business.

If you obtain certifications, you may be able to negotiate a higher salary and gain access to organizations or industries that pay more. The following are a few notable certifications you can consider:

• Oracle Advanced PL/SQL Developer Certified Professionals: $84,000 [7]

• Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate: $112,000 [8]

Experience

As in many other jobs, the longer you work as an SQL developer, the more you can expect to earn. Senior SQL developers with five or more years of experience typically earn more, which can vary depending on your industry. The following list details the median total pay you can expect based on your number of years of experience, according to Glassdoor [1]:

• 0–1 year: $103,000

• 1–3 years: $108,000

• 4–6 years: $116,000

• 7–9 years: $119,000

• 10–14 years: $125,000

• 15 or more years: $135,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Industry

Industries with high demand for SQL developers often offer competitive salaries to attract and retain talent. As of July 2026, the top-paying industries for SQL developers are the following, according to Glassdoor [1]:

• Financial services: $122,345

• Health care: $119,073

• Human resources and staffing: $120,647

• Telecommunications: $126,182

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Meta, HumanEdge, Kelly Services, and SEI Investments are among the highest-paying companies for SQL developers, with salaries reported at $124,608, $105,673, $104,804, and $104,094, respectively [3].

Job outlook for SQL developers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 4 percent growth in job opportunities for database administrators and architects between 2024 and 2034 [5]. The projection translates to roughly 7,800 job openings per year.

Career path for a SQL developer

SQL developers who begin at an entry-level position may grow into senior SQL development positions. An SQL developer can also become a database administrator or business intelligence (BI) developer and grow into a manager, architect, or engineer. Outlined below are the median total salaries for a range of related titles, according to Glassdoor:

• Database administrator: $107,000

• Business intelligence developer: $133,000

• Database administration (DBA) manager: $207,000

• Information technology (IT) manager: $129,000

• Business intelligence architect: $164,000

• Database engineer: $147,000

• Database architect: $172,000

• Business intelligence analyst: $117,000

• Data scientist: $157,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Build your SQL skills

To become an SQL developer, you’ll need to be an expert in these skills:

• Relational database: Use the database to manage large amounts of data and design logical models of relational databases.

• SQL programming language: Use SQL to control and manipulate databases, enabling the creation of complex queries using tables and variables, and delivering dynamic reporting solutions.

• SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS): Use ETL (“extract, transform, load”) tools to integrate data from unique sources and save all the data in another platform so you can clean and manage it. Develop SSIS solutions that can be applied to business units across an organization.

• Analytical skills: SQL developers need analytical skills to understand the organization’s needs and requirements and then design software solutions that suit those needs.

Discover more about SQL with our free resources

Subscribe to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for industry insights, skill-building tips, and networking opportunities. Then, explore our free resources for learning more about SQL:

• Watch on YouTube: SQL Explained: Meaning, History, and Career Value

• Take a quiz: Which SQL Course Should You Take? Find Out in 1 Minute

• Bookmark for future study: SQL Glossary: Your Ultimate Guide to SQL Terms

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