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SQL / Database Administration

The foundational skill for half of tech roles

Master SQL deeply — from basic queries to performance tuning to database design. Pure SQL skills open doors to data analyst, BI, junior DBA, and back-end roles. Pairs naturally with the Data Engineering or Power BI tracks.

PostgreSQLSQL ServerMySQLQuery optimizationIndexingBackup + recovery

Salary range

$55k – $100k

entry → mid US

Time to complete

6 wk

12 wk part-time

Lessons

12

4 phases

Capstone

Yes

real cloud account

Salary range is sourced from BLS Database Administrators + Glassdoor 2026 sql-developer postings. Your specific outcome depends on location, experience, interview performance, and market conditions.

Roles this path prepares you for

  • Junior Database Administrator
  • Data Analyst
  • SQL Developer
  • Reporting Analyst

Curriculum

1

SQL Foundations

Free preview

SELECT/WHERE/ORDER, joins deep dive, GROUP BY + aggregates, subqueries + CTEs.

4 lessons

2

Database Design + Performance

Locked

Window functions, schema design, indexes + performance, transactions + ACID, zero-downtime migrations.

5 lessons

3

Operations + Engines

Locked

Postgres vs MySQL vs SQLite, plus why SQL still rules.

2 lessons

4

Career Launch (SQL)

Locked

SQL whiteboarding, technical interviews, resume tuning.

1 lessons

Capstone project + completion certificate

Design + tune a database for a fictional e-commerce app

Greenfield design from requirements → ER diagram → SQL DDL → seed data → query workload → identify slow queries → add indexes → measure improvement.

Deliverables

  • ·ER diagram + SQL DDL for the schema
  • ·Seed data script (~100K rows minimum)
  • ·10+ benchmark queries with execution plans
  • ·Performance report: before/after indexing improvements
Completion certificate. Finish every lesson in this path and we auto-issue a CloudPath SQL / Database Administration certificate to your account, with a shareable verification URL. Show it on LinkedIn, your portfolio, or in a recruiter conversation.

Before you start

  • ·No tech background required
  • ·Comfortable installing software locally OR using a managed Postgres free tier

What you walk out with

  • Write production-grade SQL fluently
  • Tune slow queries with execution plans
  • Design schemas from business requirements
  • Land a Data Analyst, Junior DBA, or SQL Developer role

Coming soon

This path is on the roadmap. Sign up for any open path and you'll be the first to hear when this one launches.

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