Database Engineer / DBA
Designing, optimizing, and administering databases
Database Engineer / DBA is a role in the Database Engineering family. It has 56 skills across 5 levels (from Junior to Principal). 123 skills are mandatory. Key domains: Programming Fundamentals, Backend Development, Database Management.
Technology Stack
Focus by Level
Basic database administration. Writing SQL queries. Setting up backups. Performance monitoring. Learning indexes.
Query optimization. Schema design. Setting up replication. Capacity planning. Migrations. Performance tuning.
Data architecture. Sharding strategies. Disaster recovery. Multi-master replication. DBMS kernel-level optimization.
Database strategy. Choosing DBMS for different tasks. Data modeling standards. Coordination with backend and data teams.
Enterprise data architecture. Multi-DB strategy. Migration planning. Vendor evaluation. Cost optimization.
Skill Matrix
56 skills × 5 levels. Click on a cell for details.
AI-Assisted Development
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | A | W | A | E | E |
| ChatGPT / Claude | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prompt Engineering for Code | A | W | A | E | E |
API & Integration
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API Design | A | W | A | E | E |
Architecture & System Design
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Design Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
| Capacity Planning | A | W | A | E | E |
| Disaster Recovery Design | A | W | A | E | E |
Backend Development
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redis | A | W | A | E | E |
Cloud & Infrastructure
5 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker | A | W | A | E | E |
| Kubernetes Core | A | W | A | E | E |
| Terraform | A | W | A | E | E |
| AWS | A | W | A | E | E |
| Network Fundamentals | A | W | A | E | E |
Database Management
16 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | A | W | A | E | E |
| MySQL / MariaDB | A | W | A | E | E |
| MongoDB | A | W | A | E | E |
| ClickHouse | A | W | A | E | E |
| Apache Cassandra | A | W | A | E | E |
| DynamoDB | A | W | A | E | E |
| Neo4j | A | W | A | E | E |
| CockroachDB | A | W | A | E | E |
| Vitess | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Indexing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Query Optimization | A | W | A | E | E |
| Transactions & Concurrency | A | W | A | E | E |
| Replication & High Availability | A | W | A | E | E |
| Backup & Disaster Recovery | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Modeling & Schema Design | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Migrations | A | W | A | E | E |
DevOps & CI/CD
1 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions / GitLab CI | W | A | E | — | — |
Documentation
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture Documentation: C4, arc42 | A | W | A | E | E |
| Runbook & Playbook Writing | A | W | A | E | E |
Observability & Monitoring
6 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Logging | A | W | A | E | E |
| ELK Stack | A | W | A | E | E |
| Prometheus & Grafana | A | W | A | E | E |
| Custom Business Metrics | A | W | A | E | E |
| SLI / SLO / SLA | A | W | A | E | E |
| On-Call Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Performance Engineering
4 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Profiling | A | W | A | E | E |
| I/O & Disk Profiling | A | W | A | E | E |
| Database Performance Tuning | A | W | A | E | E |
| Benchmarking Tools & Methodology | A | W | A | E | E |
Programming Fundamentals
7 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithms & Complexity | A | W | A | E | E |
| Data Structures | A | W | A | E | E |
| OOP & SOLID Principles | A | W | A | E | E |
| Design Patterns | A | W | A | E | E |
| Multithreading | A | W | A | E | E |
| Async Programming | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Quality & Refactoring | A | W | A | E | E |
Security
3 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWASP & Application Security | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secure Coding Practices | A | W | A | E | E |
| Secrets Management | A | W | A | E | E |
Testing & QA
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
| Integration Testing | A | W | A | E | E |
Version Control & Collaboration
2 skills| Skills | Jun | Mid | Sen | Lead | Princ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git Advanced | A | W | A | E | E |
| Code Review | A | W | A | E | E |
FAQ
What skills are needed for the Database Engineer / DBA role?
The Database Engineer / DBA role requires 56 skills, of which 123 are mandatory. Skills are distributed across 5 levels: from Junior to Principal. See full matrix.
How to advance to the next level in the Database Engineer / DBA role?
Use the Grade Calculator to assess your current level and get personalized recommendations. The system will show which skills need to be developed for the next level.
What tech stack is used in the Database Engineer / DBA role?
The stack includes 5 technologies at different levels. PostgreSQL 16+, SQL, pgAdmin, Backup/Restore, Monitoring basics (pg_stat_statements), MySQL basics, PostgreSQL advanced, MySQL 8+, Redis, Replication, Partitioning, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, Patroni/Citus basics, pgBouncer, PostgreSQL internals, ClickHouse, MongoDB, Citus/pgBouncer/Patroni, Sharding, pg_repack, Custom extensions...
How does the community define requirements for the Database Engineer / DBA role?
Role requirements are shaped by the community through a proposal system. Any member can suggest changes that go through voting and expert review.