Data Warehouse Architect Salary

Having access to and making sense of the information buried in a company’s data is critical for business decision-making today. Data warehouse managers play a key role in making this possible.

Data warehouse managers design, develop and maintain data warehouses and data mart systems. They work with database developers, administrators and managers to ensure data systems conform to enterprise data architecture and strategy expectations, and any data warehouse manager salary is determined based on these key duties. Data warehouse managers also develop and implement strategies to gather information from operational databases and third-party vendors so data can be included in the warehouse.

Ted Hellmuth, Denver Division Director at Robert Half Technology, says that data warehouse managers are in high demand: “With the increase in data-related initiatives, more managers are needed to support these projects.”

Hellmuth adds that all types of organizations are seeking technology professionals with experience using different data warehouse products. “In my market, for example, the Microsoft SQL Server data warehouse environment presents a lot of opportunities, ” he says. “That platform is used in midmarket companies. Oracle, Teradata and other platforms are more common in larger enterprise organizations.”

Data warehouse manager salaries on the rise in 2014

The average starting data warehouse manager salary is expected to see a 5.9 percent increase for individuals working in the United States this year.* Starting compensation is expected to range from $115, 250 to $154, 250. (You can use the Robert Half Technology Salary Calculator to find salary information specific to your city.)

What it takes to be a data warehouse manager

Qualifications to become a data warehouse manager include:

• Excellent analytical abilities
• Project management experience
• Background in database theory and practice combined with hands-on experience in data warehousing technology
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in computer science
• Five or more years of experience in a data warehousing environment
• Three or more years managing technical personnel
• Proficiency in data warehousing tools and database systems (for example: Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2)

How to become a data warehouse manager

In addition to their technical responsibilities, data warehouse managers are often expected to oversee staff, which means communications skills are important to the role. Says Hellmuth, “The ideal candidates must have excellent communication and management skills. They also need five or more years of experience leading data warehousing teams; extracting, transforming and loading (ETL); and working with database architecture and business intelligence tools.”

Hellmuth recommends a well-rounded education plan for potential data warehouse managers: “Taking courses in database architecture and communication will help prepare candidates for this role.”

Designing, implementing and maintaining data warehouse development environments and data warehouse architecture are critical roles within organizations whose operational and growth goals depend on useful information gleaned from their data banks. The data warehouse manager is at the center of the action in this key function.