SQL Server is an application software that was created by Microsoft. It’s primarily used to create, manage, and maintain relational database management systems. An important aspect of receiving professional SQL Server training to set yourself up for a career change is learning what kinds of fields and industries that training will help you find work in. Each industry has different requirements and expectations for prospective employees, and you should consider these expectations when you begin training. This is true for students who have an idea of what kind of work they want to do and for those who aren’t yet certain about what path they want to take after learning SQL Server skills.

What is SQL Server?

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) created by Microsoft. The data it contains is stored in tables similar to the columns and rows in a spreadsheet. Like other RDBMS software, SQL server is built on top of structured query language (SQL), the programming language most commonly used to communicate with relational databases. This database server’s primary function is storing and retrieving data that other software applications request. This data may run on the same computer or be stored on a computer across a network.

Read more about what SQL Server is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with SQL Server Skills?

SQL Server supports core analytics, transaction process, and business intelligence operations. It is especially useful in the business sector for efficiently and safely managing a variety of business information. SQL Server can also improve the speed at which data is processed, making it easier to execute large operations. 

Another benefit to working with SQL Server is that it provides advanced performance features for encryption and transparent data compression. Users don’t need to modify programs to secure and encrypt their data. SQL Server also includes efficient management tools for permission and access controls that can secure sensitive business data.

Common Industries That Use SQL Server

SQL Server plays an important role in industries where the data stored in relational databases must be accessed and analyzed. This makes it a popular tool for data professionals like BI Developers, Data Scientists, ETL Developers, and Database Administrators. The following sections will provide an overview of how professionals working in each of these fields use SQL Server, as well as the average pay these professionals make each year.

ETL Development

An ETL Developer is involved in implementing a range of technical solutions during the extracting, transforming, and loading processes in software engineering. SQL Server Integration Services is often used to aid with this process. These professionals retrieve business data to be loaded into a data warehouse. They also troubleshoot systems before they go live to ensure they are operating properly. 

ETL Developers draw from a range of skills. Most work with several programming languages, such as SQL, Java, and XML. Basic design skills help these professionals test how a system performs. ETL Developers also generally have training in project management. They also often collaborate with other teams to better understand their organization’s specific data storage needs so they can devise options for data warehousing. Knowledge of different techniques for warehousing architecture, like ROLAP, MOLAP, and EDW is also required to be an ETL Developer. 

Modern ETL solutions, such as SQL Server ETL, are useful in instances when the data originating from source systems don’t have consistency. When this occurs, ETL Developers must validate and transform the incoming data into a standardized form before it can be loaded into a data warehouse. Microsoft SQL Server ETL tools are useful in situations such as this because they can manage the complexity resulting from a huge increase in data volume. 

ETL Developers are compensated well for their data skills. These professionals earn an average yearly salary of $110,000.

Database Administration

Before any of the data stored in a database can be analyzed by a Data Analyst or Data Scientist, it has to be organized. Database Administrators (DBAs) are involved with creating, implementing, organizing, and maintaining an SQL Server database. They are also involved with documentation, training, troubleshooting, and security tasks. 

DBAs handle various tasks when managing Microsoft SQL Server, from installation and patching to database design and data protection. When organizing data, DBAs must ensure that the database they have set up performs efficiently. This may require modeling and design tasks and gathering user requirements for various models. They also update software and the systems or languages used in their databases and write new SQL code that’s tailored to their organization’s needs. These professionals also ensure data is secure, which entails deciding which users are authorized to access sensitive information. When designing a database, DBAs also check the integrity and accuracy of the data. 

The average salary for a Database Administrator is approximately $100,000 a year. The job outlook for these professionals remains strong, with a 9% growth expected over the course of the decade. 

BI Development

Business Intelligence (BI) Developers work primarily with data transformation, data warehousing, and reporting tasks. These professionals collect, organize, and maintain various business interfaces, such as data visualizations, dashboards, reports, and data querying tools. They also break down complex technical jargon and information into a language that can be understood by all team members within an organization. Instead of relying on their gut instincts when making important business decisions, BI Developers offer quantifiable solutions. To provide viable solutions, they must be well-versed in handling all sorts of data, including new data that was recently generated, as well as historical data kept in data warehouses. 

BI Developers typically wear many professional hats, which means they must be trained in a broad set of data skills. Those who use SQL Server typically work with tools like SharePoint, SSIS, SSRS, SSAS, and Microsoft Power BI. They also typically have training with other querying languages, such as DAX or MDX. Because BI Developers regularly solve problems, their job involves constantly researching problems that currently exist within their organization, as well as anticipating any future problems that may occur, so they can offer viable solutions. Their job also involves creating online analytical processes with multidimensional or relational databases.

The average pay rate for US-based BI Developers is $105,000.

Data Science

Data Scientists work with data to uncover patterns or trends within a dataset, which can yield actionable insights. These professionals decide which data-related questions their team should pose, then work to find answers to these questions by analyzing the data. When making forecasts or testing theories, Data Scientists incorporate predictive models. They also create data models and algorithms when forecasting various outcomes. 

Data Scientists rely on various tools when handling data. They typically have a background in coding languages like SQL, R, and Python. In addition, they use concepts and techniques like descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, as well as machine learning, to process vast stores of raw data. Data Scientists perform continuous research on their organization and the industry to spot places where productivity and efficiency can be improved, as well as opportunities for growth.

When working on a project that involves semi-structured, temporal, or spatial data, SQL Server’s capabilities make this process much more efficient. In projects where spatial data has to be manipulated, such as when classifying land use, the geometry and geography data types provide SQL Server users with a way to store spacial information. After it’s been stored, SQL Server’s spatial functions can perform tasks like computing spacial distance or querying for the nearest neighbor. This spacial data can then be indexed to streamline query processing.

Data Scientists are well-compensated for the contributions they make to their organization. The average salary for a Data Scientist in the U.S. is $100,000. In addition to a competitive salary, those interested in pursuing a career as a Data Scientist will likely have many job opportunities, as this is an in-demand profession. The expected growth rate is 36% over the course of the next decade, which is well above the national average. 

Learn SQL Server Skills with Noble Desktop

If you’re new to SQL Server and want to learn the basics, Noble Desktop’s in-person and live online SQL Server Bootcamp is for you. Participants receive expert instruction about using SQL Server to locate information in databases using SQL queries, as well as joining tables, aggregating data, and filtering results. 

Noble’s in-person or live online SQL Bootcamp prepares participants to work with the free DBeaver app for exploring databases and executing queries. Noble also offers the Data Science Certificate and Data Analytics Certificate, in which PostgreSQL training is provided. The content in this course can be applied to SQL Server.

Key Takeaways

• SQL Server is an application software used to design, maintain, and manage relational database management systems.
• Professionals in many data-related careers use SQL Server when working with the data stored in relational databases. Database Administrators, ETL Developers, Data Scientists, and BI Developers use this system to help them retrieve and analyze data.
• Those who use SQL Server in a professional capacity are typically well-compensated for their work; Data Scientists and Database Administrators make about $100,000 a year; BI Developers earn $105,000; ETL Developers make $110,000.
• If you’re interested in learning more about SQL Server, Noble Desktop provides comprehensive SQL Server training, either in the in-person or live online training format.