Data systems, kept running and sound — you administer databases, safeguard integrity, and keep information secure, backed up, and available. The technical custodian of information that can't be lost.
Most of it is managing databases, monitoring performance, and handling backups, security, and access. You're mostly at a screen, often with on-call duty, working with infrastructure and the teams that depend on the data. Preventing loss and downtime is the quiet mission.
What's harder than it looks is being responsible for data that can't be recovered if you fail. The technology evolves fast, security threats keep rising, and issues can strike at any hour. Environments range from small databases to sprawling, complex data estates.
Methodical, security-minded, and calm under high stakes — that's who does well. If you want highly visible or fast-changing work, the role can feel behind-the-scenes. But if you like building systems that keep data safe and available — and sleeping soundly because of it — the work tends to satisfy.
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Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Technology roles →Data systems, kept running and sound — you administer databases, safeguard integrity, and keep information secure, backed up, and available. The technical custodian of information that can't be lost.
Median pay for a Data Management IT Specialist (Data Management Information Technology Specialist) is about $120K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $57K to $210K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, and Judgment and Decision Making.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 4% through 2034, with roughly 137,950 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Clinical Data Management Director (CDM Director), Big Data Engineer, and Data Warehouse Engineer.
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