Alex Russel

Database programming administrators have become a pillar of the modern corporation. All industries require some complex information management system. MCDBA certification training is a good way to prepare for the database programming job opportunities that are expected to increase in coming years.

The role of the database administrator has steadily gained importance and responsibility over the years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, database administration is one of a few expansion segments of the computer programming field since database programming will always be required to be at least partly on-site and thus can't be easily outsourced.

Training Microsoft Database Programming

MCDBA (or Microsoft Certified Database Administrator) certification training puts you firmly in this lucky pool of workers. A MCDBA is someone who has received the adequate training to operate and develop Microsoft database programming on Microsoft servers.

According to Microsoft's website, a survey conducted in July 1998 among mid-sized organizations using Microsoft servers showed that the database programming was one of five jobs most in demand, with more than 50,000 openings in North America alone projected in the next 12 months.

MCDBA Certification Exams

MCDBA certification candidates need to pass three core exams and one elective exam that will provide a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise in the programming and administration of server databases.

The core exams are a server administration exam and a server programming design exam. In the third, a MCDBA certification candidate has the option to pass either a Windows 2000 Server exam or a Windows Server 2003 exam. Each exam displays successful training in one of Microsoft's two most popular database servers.

MCDBA Certification Training Pays

According to the US Bureau of Labor statistics, the average yearly earnings of a computer programming specialist were $60,290 in 2002. Most database programming experts with MCDBA certification training can expect to fall in the middle 50 percent of earners who made between $45,960 and $78,140 a year in 2002. Those income figures have probably increased slightly since then, depending on the region.

About the Author

Alex Russel is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Lucky enough to grow up in Europe with family all over the world, he has been a consummate traveler his whole life. Since graduating from Syracuse University he has worked at many different media companies in fields as diverse as film, TV, advertising, and journalism. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in English and History.

Sources

• http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcdba/requirements.asp
• http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos110.htm