AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 15-1243.00
Will AI replace Database Architects?
Database Architects: AI can already handle 7 of 25 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Database Architects, from most to least exposed. 7 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establish and calculate optimum values for database parameters, using manuals and calculators. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Provide technical support to junior staff or clients. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Identify and evaluate industry trends in database systems to serve as a source of information and advice for upper management. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Identify, evaluate and recommend hardware or software technologies to achieve desired database performance. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Review project requests describing database user needs to estimate time and cost required to accomplish project. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop and document database architectures. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Write and code logical and physical database descriptions, and specify identifiers of database to management system or direct others in coding descriptions. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Collaborate with system architects, software architects, design analysts, and others to understand business or industry requirements. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop database architectural strategies at the modeling, design and implementation stages to address business or industry requirements. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop data models for applications, metadata tables, views or related database structures. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop methods for integrating different products so they work properly together, such as customizing commercial databases to fit specific needs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Create and enforce database development standards. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop data model describing data elements and their use, following procedures and using pen, template or computer software. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Work as part of a project team to coordinate database development and determine project scope and limitations. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan and install upgrades of database management system software to enhance database performance. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop load-balancing processes to eliminate down time for backup processes. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Identify and correct deviations from database development standards. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop or maintain archived procedures, procedural codes, or queries for applications. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Document and communicate database schemas, using accepted notations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Set up database clusters, backup, or recovery processes. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Demonstrate database technical functionality, such as performance, security and reliability. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Test programs or databases, correct errors, and make necessary modifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Design databases to support business applications, ensuring system scalability, security, performance, and reliability. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Design database applications, such as interfaces, data transfer mechanisms, global temporary tables, data partitions, and function-based indexes to enable efficient access of the generic database structure. | Observed | Standard | |
| Train users and answer questions. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 5 of 25 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 25. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 67,140
- Median annual wage
- $139,500
- Middle half of earners
- $109,370 to $169,290
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +8.7%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Database Administrators 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure56
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure58
- Data Warehousing Specialists 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure64
- Computer Network Architects 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure49
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure49
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Database Architects and AI
Will AI replace Database Architects?
AI already handles 7 of the 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 53 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +8.7% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Database Architects?
53 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 5 of the 25 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Database Architects tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Establish and calculate optimum values for database parameters, using manuals and calculators; Provide technical support to junior staff or clients; Identify and evaluate industry trends in database systems to serve as a source of information and advice for upper management. They are three of the 7 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Database Architects, and what do they earn?
67,140 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $139,500 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +8.7% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Database Architects. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/database-architects
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