Where have all the MySQL DBAs gone?

I have a friend who works as a MySQL recruiter. He recently told me that he cannot find any more MySQL DBAs in the UK or in the neighbouring countries. His words were "I've exhausted the market".

I myself know that there is a shortage of MySQL DBAs and that a lot of recruitment agencies are looking for them. So I started to wonder how come the situation is the way it is?


Experience curve

Usually what I see in companies, is that they start out with the developers taking care of the databases along side their usual coding duties. At some point, they complain to management that they need a professional DBA to handle the database. When the complaints get loud enough, management looks for a new DBA.
The problem is that the DBA they want needs to have 3-5 years experience as a MySQL DBA.
It seems to me that there is no "phasing into" being a MySQL DBA or at least, you are expected to know a lot to begin with.

As my recruiter friend said, DBAs come from 2 streams: developer or sysadmin.
I, myself, came from the developer side. I started as a developer and got more and more interested in the database. At some point, I was the only person in the company that knew anything about databases, so I was the first one to turn to when there was a problem. Next thing I knew, I was a DBA.
Since I come from a developer background, I have some understanding of the code and how it interacts with the database. I usually put an emphasis on queries and schema design over server settings.
DBAs from sysadmin background, start as a system or network administrator that are at some point assigned responsibility over the databases (with or without their consent) .
Most jobs do actually prefer a DBA from a sysadmin background over one from a developer background.

The problem with phasing into being a MySQL DBA position, is that you would need to have other responsibilities apart from looking after databases. Eventually, you can phase into a position that needs most of your time to do that.
Its just that the in between is such a large chasm to cross, that many people don't really try to (especially  developers).


Its not that interesting

For some people being a DBA most of the time isn't that interesting. I have seen DBAs opening their own companies or trying to become managers. I, myself, do a lot of data projects in addition to looking after the databases.
Companies that try to find a DBA, because the other developers complained for one, will almost definitely not have a lot of work for a that DBA a few months after they come in.

Unless you work for a huge company like facebook or a consultancy like pythian, you will not find enough work as a MySQL DBA to avoid you from being bored.


Salary


There is also a problem with salaries. From my experience, most companies look at MySQL DBAs as PHP developers with a bit extra. And in most companies (but recently this has changed a bit), PHP developers get paid quit low.
(To be honest, when I say "most companies" I mean LAMP shops or LAMP e-commerce companies. Usually, if you are the type of company to adopt open source, you wont have enough money to pay people well. This is of course changing and my current company is one of those exceptions, but more often then not, its that way.)
So accordingly, MySQL DBAs get offered salaries similar to mid to high level PHP developers.

This can be fine for some people, but when you look over at the MS SQL and Oracle side.. it leave a lot to be desired. And back to the point of "phasing into" being a DBA, the proprietary databases have all sorts of levels. From beginner at "not so bad salary" to expert at "extremely well paid salary" to consultant at "obscenely high salary". There are very few MySQL DBA consultancy jobs that I have seen (almost all of them in London) and the pay is literately half of Oracle or MS SQL consultancy jobs.

It would be nice to see more balanced salaries for DBAs across the different technologies and recruiters like my friend try to achieve that.


What needs to be done


I think its a difficult situation, to be honest. Even if companies try to encourage more people to become MySQL DBAs, it will still take some years for anything to change. This adds to the problem, I believe, of companies accepting MySQL as their database of choice. They can find MS SQL and Oracle DBAs easy enough (they just have to pay a lot), but how can they justify MySQL when it takes (at least) 3-6 months to secure a MySQL DBA (if at all).
However, companies can try to accommodate DBAs by allowing for more mixed positions (either developer or sysadmins) as well as training.

It will be interesting seeing this space in the market develop.

Addition:
Another post that talks about this problem can be found here:
http://www.iheavy.com/2011/12/19/mythical-mysql-dba/