Skills other than Oracle Required By Database Administrators

[anuragmin]

Hi,

I would like all the experienced people out there to give their comments on the following and help people like me to clear up the confusion in their minds.

-What other skills sets (java, perl...) should the Oracle Database Administrators have other than knowing Oracle.

-Is knowing Oracle as the only database enough to survive in this environment or should one know how to adminster more than one database.

-what are the operating systems of future on which oracle database adminstrators have to concentrate on.

-How does the demand differ for Oracle DBA's working on Unix and those working on NT. Also who gets paid more. DBA on Unix or NT and approximately what is the percentage difference.

-what is the future of oracle as a Database in terms of popularity.

-Where do Oracle DBA's stand in terms of demand and salary viz a viz other databases.

-what is the growth path of an Oracle DBA. ( Junior DBA, Mid Level DBA ........) and where does it end in terms of job title.

-In the long term is being a DBA better or being a Java / C++ Programmer.

and one last question

-How much money should a 3-4 year experienced oracle DBA make in the United States and what can he do to make sure that his pay checks keep on increasing every year.

Please share your thoughts and help everybody be on target.


Anurag

[Edited by anuragmin on 06-08-2001 at 05:46 PM]

[irehman]

Operating System = Unix and NT
Languages = PL/SQL and SQL*Plus
Path = Jr, MID, SR
Salary = 38,000/= , 52,000/=, Skies the limit.
Demand = Huge see computerjobs.com
Other Skills = Data Warehousing
As long as Federal government is around Oracle will be around

[anuragmin]

Thanks for the response irehman,
But when I said Oracle it included sql plus and pl/sql.

Thanks
Anurag

[Kishore]

It is always good to know Java , Perl and Shell programming

DBA's on UNIX are paid more than DBA's on NT. DBA on UNIX is more challenged than on NT

If some one want to grow, he should concentrate on Data Modeling, Designing, DW etc.,

DBA's with Replication Experience and/or OPS are paid high salaries

If one want to become as the Sr. DBA/manager for a Big shop, then he is probably expected to know like SYBASE, and others also as they might have those setups also. At least some knowledge to assign the work to his SUBOrdiantes

UNIX, LINUX are the OS's lead in future also.

After gaining experience, jumping to another database is not a big deal in any case one fails. It is difficult to predict the future. However, most likely there is no threat to Oracle in near future.

I think Oracle DBA's are highly paid than any one else in that category

It can go up Director depends on how you take, if you understand the business model, then you will not do any more DBA' work you will do People Mangement work

DBA's or SYstems Admin's are better always compared to programmers as they come today and go tomorrow

Making money Depends: for 3 to 4 years - $70K. But it waries like last year same experienced person made $100K and this they are not making even more than $60(not true in all cases)


These are my few thougts....

Waiting for others to Reply.........................

[santoshym]

Hi Anuraug,

Just to add to the earlier posts

I feel if a oracle DBA knows about oracle financials,Oracle Application Server,Oracle migration from other RDBMS, Windows NT,Unix (All flavours Sun solaris to Linux) Administration,Datamodelling tools like Erwin, Designer, Dataware housing tools,Tivoli,docoumentum and Oracle internals including windows family of operating system administration With some working Knowledge of SQL SERVER,IBM DB2 and Sybase with lots of experience and lots of certification will take you a long way as irehmena say sky is the limit.

I know Iam putting too much of subject maybe I have not taken other subjects into consideration now a day you cannot just say Iam oracle DBA and Jobs will line up for you the market trend has changed.Remember if you want to reach the sky there is no limit to the Knowledge you need to aquire over the course of time the more the knowledge you have the nearer you are to reach the sky.

I Hope this helped you

Regards

[anuragmin]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.

It would be better still if more people respond to this thread so that we can get a general overview about what most people think.

Also How can a Oracle DBA who has been working on NT for 3 years get into Oracle on Unix administration. The reason I am asking this is I am one of them and it is a known fact that just being a DBA on NT operating system is not enough, but the question is how do you shift your platform because nobody will give you a job till the time you know it and you cannot know it till the time you work on it.

Administration on unix is not like programming which you can learn at home and then apply for jobs. Most of the times it is an on the job learning.

btw when we say DBA on unix what should the person know other than shell scripts. I mean what is enough to get a job.

I can learn unix by installing Linux but then what areas should one concentrate on so that he can start applying for jobs and the rest he can learn on the job.

Open to as many ideas as possible.

Thanks
Anurag