MySQL developers
Contract rates, popularity and trend data for MySQL, plus how it compares with other relational databases.
Overview
MySQL is a relational database, ranked #2 of 431 on DB-Engines with a popularity score of 857.7.
MySQL is declining, down 13.1% year over year on DB-Engines. The installed base is still large, so maintenance, tuning and migration work continues.
Contract MySQL specialists typically bill $82–101/hr, against a W-2 equivalent salary of about $131,600.
Relational databases by popularity Trends →
DB-Engines popularity score for the 12 highest-ranked relational databases. Updated monthly.
What MySQL developers cost
Contract and salary benchmarks for the US.
Contract rate
C2C or 1099, from W-2 hourly × 1.3–1.6 for tax, benefits and overhead.
W-2 equivalent
BLS median for US software developers ($135,980), adjusted -3% for MySQL using Stack Overflow 2025 pay data (1,029 US respondents who use it).
Full-time contractor cost
Per year at 40 hours a week.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) for Software Developers. Rates vary with seniority and how deep the MySQL work goes. Compare W-2, 1099 and C2C, use the rate calculator, or see rates by state.
Competing databases
How MySQL compares with its nearest rivals.
| Database | Model | DB-Engines rank | Score | YoY | Contract rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle | Relational, Multi-model | #1 | 1,157.9 | -5.9% | $79–97 |
| Microsoft SQL Server | Relational, Multi-model | #3 | 702.1 | -10.6% | $77–94 |
| PostgreSQL | Relational, Multi-model | #4 | 681.4 | +2.1% | $92–113 |
| Snowflake | Relational | #6 | 217.4 | +29.3% | $104–128 |
| IBM Db2 | Relational, Multi-model | #9 | 113.2 | -10.1% | – |
| SQLite | Relational | #12 | 95.9 | -15.9% | $84–104 |
Relational databases closest to MySQL in the DB-Engines ranking. Contract rates shown where Stack Overflow 2025 has enough US respondents to estimate one.
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Questions
How much does a MySQL developer cost?
Contract MySQL developers typically bill $82–101 an hour (C2C or 1099), with a W-2 equivalent salary of about $131,600. Agencies usually charge 2–3× W-2 pay.
Is MySQL growing or declining?
MySQL ranks #2 on DB-Engines. Its popularity score changed by -13.1% over the past year and it is among the databases losing the most ground.