How To Become A Data Migration Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a data migration specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Data migration specialists are responsible for meeting with clients to understand data migration requirements and needs. They write custom scripts to help clean and validate data during the migration. They also analyze the method of transforming existing data into a format for the new environment and loading this data into other database structures. Data migration specialists earn an average salary of $76,000 annually or $36 per hour.

Data migration specialists are professionals who strategize and plan an entire project, including moving the data and converting content as necessary, while considering risks and potential impacts. They audit existing data systems and deployments and identify errors or areas for improvement. They also cleanse or translate data to be effectively moved between systems, apps, or software.

Data migration specialists typically hold a bachelor's degree in information technology, information systems, computer science, or other related fields. They are expected to have some years of experience as a data specialist or in a similar role. Some employers prefer candidates with strong attention to detail and the ability to solve problems under pressure and in complex situations.

ScoreData Migration SpecialistUS Average

Salary

6.4

Avg. Salary $81,476

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 14.69%

Black or African American 10.56%

Hispanic or Latino 14.66%

Unknown 5.27%

White 54.42%

Gender

female 32.01%

male 67.99%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a data migration specialist

Explore data migration specialist education requirements

Most common data migration specialist degrees

Bachelor's

60.1 %

Associate

17.2 %

Master's

12.1 %

Start to develop specific data migration specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
ETL	7.51%
SQL Server	6.43%
Data Analysis	5.82%
Data Extraction	5.79%
Data Conversion	5.22%

Complete relevant data migration specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New data migration specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a data migration specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real data migration specialist resumes.

Research data migration specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage the migration from the QuickPlace document repository to the SharePoint repository.
Manage multiple imaging-relate projects across both radiology and cardiology service lines, both inpatient and outpatient, to completion.
Design and create a complete ETL system using SSIS incorporating newly available transforms and methods.
Used DBMS_XMLGEN to generate XML files.

Apply for data migration specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a data migration specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams