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Even as SQL Server pros tackle the sweeping changes of SQL Server 2005, the profile of the database pro remains constant.
2005 has been a year of significant change for SQL Server professionals. Facing the launch of SQL Server 2005, which has been looming for most of this year, and the fundamental changes it brings to SQL Server, SQL Server professionals indicate that their salaries and careers are holding fairly steady, according to the results of SQL Server Magazine's 2005 salary and industry survey. This comprehensive survey gathered data from 775 respondents and examined the multifaceted work environment of the SQL Server professional.
Through hundreds of responses, the survey sought answers about how SQL Server professionals are paid; how factors such as gender, age, geography, job role, certification, and education affect salary differences; and how these issues compared with last year's results. For our detailed findings on how salaries stack up to expectations, see Jason Bovberg's article "How Much Cash Are You Raking In?" page 15.The survey was also designed to determine how satisfied you are with your job and how that satisfaction compares with last year's levels. Be sure to check out the results in Dawn Cyr's article "It's What You Make IT," page 23.
Who Is the SQL Server Professional?
Based on this year's survey, the face of the SQL Server professional is virtually unchanged from last year. The typical SQL Server professional is a thirty-something white male. He probably has the tide Database Administrator on his business card and an office on the East Coast where he spends an average of 44.8 hours a week.This IT professional holds a bachelor's degree, has 6 to 10 years of experience in database development or administration, and has been at his current job for an average of 5.7 years.
Although this year's survey shows a slight increase in the Asian ethnicity category (likely because of a 2 percent increase in responses from the Asia and Pacific regions), the overall survey population shows little change in gender or diversity from last year's survey. Women represent 13 percent of respondents. (For more information about survey participants' views about female database professionals, see the sidebar "IT Needs Women!" page 24, in "It's What You Make It.")...