OPT Database Engineer Jobs
Database Engineer jobs are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with degrees in computer science, information systems, or data engineering. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in this field regularly sponsor H-1B visas for high-performing database professionals.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Database Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operational health, reliability, and performance of enterprise database environments hosted on AWS. The primary database platform for this role is PostgreSQL or MySQL on Linux/AWS RDS; candidates with solid Oracle 19c experience are equally welcome. Reporting to the Lead Database Administrator, this role executes within established architectural standards, independently resolving the full spectrum of operational database issues while escalating complex architectural decisions as appropriate.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Daily Operations & Monitoring
- Monitor health, performance, and availability of Production, QA, and Development databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, and/or Oracle) hosted on AWS on a daily basis.
- Respond to monitoring alerts, investigate root causes, and resolve common issues: space exhaustion, blocking sessions, runaway queries, and service disruptions.
- Track resource utilization (CPU, memory, I/O, storage) and report capacity trends to the Lead DBA for planning.
- Review database alert logs, audit logs, and job scheduler outputs proactively; participate in the rotating on-call DBA schedule.
Maintenance & Administration
- Execute scheduled and ad hoc maintenance: table reorganization, index rebuilding, statistics gathering, tablespace/schema management, and object defragmentation.
- Administer databases on Linux EC2 instances and AWS RDS - including startup/shutdown, patch application, and minor version updates under Lead DBA guidance.
- Manage database user accounts, roles, and privileges in accordance with security policies and RBAC standards.
- Apply patches and cumulative updates in non-production environments, documenting steps for Lead DBA review before production rollout.
- Perform database cloning and environment refreshes for QA and development on a scheduled and on-demand basis.
Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity
- Execute and validate backup jobs (RMAN for Oracle; pg_basebackup/pgBackRest for PostgreSQL; mysqldump/Percona XtraBackup for MySQL), ensuring schedules meet RPO targets.
- Perform point-in-time and full restores in non-production environments to verify backup integrity and document recovery procedures.
- Monitor AWS RDS automated backup and snapshot jobs; alert the Lead DBA to failures or anomalies.
- Assist with disaster recovery testing and failover validation under Lead DBA direction; maintain up-to-date backup and recovery runbooks.
Performance Monitoring & Query Tuning
- Identify slow-running queries and performance bottlenecks using platform-appropriate tools: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE (PostgreSQL/MySQL), Oracle AWR/ADDM/ASH, wait event analysis, and execution plan review.
- Assist application developers in tuning PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and T-SQL code for improved database access efficiency.
- Monitor and manage index health; rebuild or coalesce fragmented indexes within maintenance schedules.
- Review and optimize long-running batch jobs and scheduled tasks to minimize contention during peak hours.
Automation & Scripting
- Write and maintain UNIX/Linux shell scripts to automate recurring tasks: log archiving, space checks, health reporting, and backup verification.
- Schedule and manage automated jobs using cron, pgAgent / MySQL Event Scheduler, Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER, and/or SQL Server Agent as applicable.
- Maintain and update existing Terraform scripts for minor infrastructure changes under Lead DBA review and approval.
- Document all automation scripts with clear inline comments; maintain a centralized runbook repository.
Development Support & Collaboration
- Write, test, and debug PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and SQL scripts, stored procedures, and ad hoc queries in support of development and operations teams.
- Collaborate with application development teams to provide database support during sprint cycles, deployments, and hotfixes.
- Assist with data loads, migrations, and import/export operations using platform-native tools (pg_dump, mysqldump, Oracle Data Pump, SQL*Loader) and AWS DMS.
- Support QA teams by providing accurate test data, database snapshots, and query assistance for validation activities.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, and 4 years of hands-on database administration experience. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 2 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 1 years' experience in a related field; or 12 years' experience in a related field.
- Primary expertise in at least one of the following: PostgreSQL on Linux / AWS RDS, MySQL on Linux / AWS RDS, or Oracle 19c on Linux. Multi-platform experience is a strong plus.
- Solid working knowledge of backup and recovery strategies.
- Working knowledge of database performance diagnostics, for example: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE, query plan analysis, wait event analysis, and index tuning.
- Hands-on experience writing SQL and scripting for operational and support tasks.
- Practical UNIX/Linux systems administration and shell scripting experience (bash/ksh).
- Cloud database administrative experience in any of the following: AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud, or Google Cloud (GCP).
- Understanding of database security fundamentals: user privilege management, role-based access control (RBAC), and auditing.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Cross-platform DBA experience: working knowledge of at least two of PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle in a production environment.
- Familiarity with Oracle Data Guard, PostgreSQL Streaming Replication, or MySQL Group Replication for standby/HA configurations.
- Experience with AWS RDS and Aurora for PostgreSQL or MySQL workloads.
- Exposure to Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tooling.
- MS SQL Server administration experience in a production setting.
- Experience in an Agile/Scrum delivery environment.
- Knowledge of load testing tools and performance benchmarking methodologies.
- Familiarity with streaming or integration technologies: AWS Kinesis, Apache Kafka, or Informatica.
- Relevant professional certification: PostgreSQL Professional Certification, Oracle OCP, AWS Database Specialty, or equivalent.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $101,500.00 - $169,100.00 per year
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $101,500.00 - $169,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
BENEFITS
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
EOE, including disability/vets
INTRODUCTION
The Database Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operational health, reliability, and performance of enterprise database environments hosted on AWS. The primary database platform for this role is PostgreSQL or MySQL on Linux/AWS RDS; candidates with solid Oracle 19c experience are equally welcome. Reporting to the Lead Database Administrator, this role executes within established architectural standards, independently resolving the full spectrum of operational database issues while escalating complex architectural decisions as appropriate.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Daily Operations & Monitoring
- Monitor health, performance, and availability of Production, QA, and Development databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, and/or Oracle) hosted on AWS on a daily basis.
- Respond to monitoring alerts, investigate root causes, and resolve common issues: space exhaustion, blocking sessions, runaway queries, and service disruptions.
- Track resource utilization (CPU, memory, I/O, storage) and report capacity trends to the Lead DBA for planning.
- Review database alert logs, audit logs, and job scheduler outputs proactively; participate in the rotating on-call DBA schedule.
Maintenance & Administration
- Execute scheduled and ad hoc maintenance: table reorganization, index rebuilding, statistics gathering, tablespace/schema management, and object defragmentation.
- Administer databases on Linux EC2 instances and AWS RDS - including startup/shutdown, patch application, and minor version updates under Lead DBA guidance.
- Manage database user accounts, roles, and privileges in accordance with security policies and RBAC standards.
- Apply patches and cumulative updates in non-production environments, documenting steps for Lead DBA review before production rollout.
- Perform database cloning and environment refreshes for QA and development on a scheduled and on-demand basis.
Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity
- Execute and validate backup jobs (RMAN for Oracle; pg_basebackup/pgBackRest for PostgreSQL; mysqldump/Percona XtraBackup for MySQL), ensuring schedules meet RPO targets.
- Perform point-in-time and full restores in non-production environments to verify backup integrity and document recovery procedures.
- Monitor AWS RDS automated backup and snapshot jobs; alert the Lead DBA to failures or anomalies.
- Assist with disaster recovery testing and failover validation under Lead DBA direction; maintain up-to-date backup and recovery runbooks.
Performance Monitoring & Query Tuning
- Identify slow-running queries and performance bottlenecks using platform-appropriate tools: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE (PostgreSQL/MySQL), Oracle AWR/ADDM/ASH, wait event analysis, and execution plan review.
- Assist application developers in tuning PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and T-SQL code for improved database access efficiency.
- Monitor and manage index health; rebuild or coalesce fragmented indexes within maintenance schedules.
- Review and optimize long-running batch jobs and scheduled tasks to minimize contention during peak hours.
Automation & Scripting
- Write and maintain UNIX/Linux shell scripts to automate recurring tasks: log archiving, space checks, health reporting, and backup verification.
- Schedule and manage automated jobs using cron, pgAgent / MySQL Event Scheduler, Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER, and/or SQL Server Agent as applicable.
- Maintain and update existing Terraform scripts for minor infrastructure changes under Lead DBA review and approval.
- Document all automation scripts with clear inline comments; maintain a centralized runbook repository.
Development Support & Collaboration
- Write, test, and debug PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and SQL scripts, stored procedures, and ad hoc queries in support of development and operations teams.
- Collaborate with application development teams to provide database support during sprint cycles, deployments, and hotfixes.
- Assist with data loads, migrations, and import/export operations using platform-native tools (pg_dump, mysqldump, Oracle Data Pump, SQL*Loader) and AWS DMS.
- Support QA teams by providing accurate test data, database snapshots, and query assistance for validation activities.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, and 4 years of hands-on database administration experience. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 2 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 1 years' experience in a related field; or 12 years' experience in a related field.
- Primary expertise in at least one of the following: PostgreSQL on Linux / AWS RDS, MySQL on Linux / AWS RDS, or Oracle 19c on Linux. Multi-platform experience is a strong plus.
- Solid working knowledge of backup and recovery strategies.
- Working knowledge of database performance diagnostics, for example: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE, query plan analysis, wait event analysis, and index tuning.
- Hands-on experience writing SQL and scripting for operational and support tasks.
- Practical UNIX/Linux systems administration and shell scripting experience (bash/ksh).
- Cloud database administrative experience in any of the following: AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud, or Google Cloud (GCP).
- Understanding of database security fundamentals: user privilege management, role-based access control (RBAC), and auditing.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Cross-platform DBA experience: working knowledge of at least two of PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle in a production environment.
- Familiarity with Oracle Data Guard, PostgreSQL Streaming Replication, or MySQL Group Replication for standby/HA configurations.
- Experience with AWS RDS and Aurora for PostgreSQL or MySQL workloads.
- Exposure to Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tooling.
- MS SQL Server administration experience in a production setting.
- Experience in an Agile/Scrum delivery environment.
- Knowledge of load testing tools and performance benchmarking methodologies.
- Familiarity with streaming or integration technologies: AWS Kinesis, Apache Kafka, or Informatica.
- Relevant professional certification: PostgreSQL Professional Certification, Oracle OCP, AWS Database Specialty, or equivalent.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $101,500.00 - $169,100.00 per year
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $101,500.00 - $169,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
BENEFITS
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
EOE, including disability/vets
See all 56+ OPT Database Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Database Engineer
Target companies with active STEM OPT hiring patterns
Financial services firms, healthcare systems, and enterprise software companies consistently hire database engineers on OPT. These industries rely on structured data infrastructure and are accustomed to sponsoring international talent through OPT and beyond.
Emphasize your STEM OPT extension eligibility upfront
Many hiring managers confuse standard 12-month OPT with the 36-month STEM extension. Clarify early that your degree qualifies for the extension, which gives employers a longer runway before needing to sponsor an H-1B.
Align your degree field with the job description
Database engineer roles typically require a degree in computer science, information systems, or a related STEM field. Confirm your degree classification matches before applying, as mismatches can create OPT eligibility complications with your DSO.
Highlight cloud database certifications on your resume
Certifications in AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure database services signal employer-ready skills and reduce training costs. Hiring managers at companies with H-1B sponsorship programs view certified OPT candidates as lower-risk, higher-value hires worth sponsoring.
Confirm your employer is E-Verify enrolled before accepting an offer
STEM OPT extensions require your employer to be enrolled in E-Verify. Ask HR to confirm enrollment status during negotiations, not after you sign. An employer that is not enrolled cannot legally employ you on a STEM extension.
Apply early relative to your OPT start date
Database engineer roles often involve multi-round technical interviews spanning three to six weeks. Starting your search at least three months before your OPT begins ensures you have authorization in hand when an offer comes through.
Database Engineer OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do database engineer roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most database engineer positions qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree is in computer science, information systems, computer engineering, or a closely related field. The role itself must also be directly related to your degree. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying, as classification varies by university and degree program.
How do I find database engineer jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters database engineer roles by sponsorship willingness, so you are not wasting applications on employers who will not hire international students. Searching through a general job board makes it difficult to identify OPT-friendly employers, whereas Migrate Mate surfaces those opportunities directly.
What happens to my OPT status if my database engineer contract ends early?
If your employment ends before your OPT authorization expires, you have a 60-day grace period to find new employment, transfer to a different visa status, or depart the United States. You should report the change to your DSO immediately. Unauthorized unemployment beyond 90 cumulative days on post-completion OPT violates your status and can affect future visa applications.
Can I work as a database engineer for multiple employers simultaneously on OPT?
Yes, OPT allows concurrent employment with multiple employers as long as each position is directly related to your degree field and each employer is E-Verify enrolled if you are on a STEM extension. You must work a minimum of 20 hours per week in total across all positions. Report all employers to your DSO to keep your SEVIS record accurate.
Do database engineer roles at startups typically sponsor H-1B visas after OPT?
Sponsorship at startups varies significantly. Early-stage companies often lack the legal infrastructure or budget for H-1B petitions, while Series B and later-stage startups frequently have established immigration programs. When evaluating an offer, ask directly whether the company has sponsored H-1B visas before and whether they have an immigration attorney on retainer or under contract.