Operations
autovacuumbloatreplication slotsWALbackups and PITR
Databases and search · screened by AceMQ
Hire PostgreSQL DBAs vetted by a PostgreSQL practitioner
Conntal places PostgreSQL DBAs and engineers who can explain why a database is slowing down, not just add indexes. Every candidate is screened by an AceMQ practitioner who supports production PostgreSQL, using a real bloat and vacuum scenario. Available on contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire, for operations, upgrades and Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations.
Indicative rate: from $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore. See what moves it.
Contract, contract-to-hire or direct · onshore, nearshore, offshore · reviewed 31 October 2026
- Screen owner
- Data and search platform lead · AceMQProduction support for Elasticsearch.
- Titles we place
- PostgreSQL DBA · PostgreSQL engineer · Database administrator · Database reliability engineer · PostgreSQL developer
- Platforms we screen on
- autovacuumbloatreplication slotsWALbackups and PITR
Rates
What a contract PostgreSQL DBA costs
Senior contract PostgreSQL DBA rates start at $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore. These are indicative from-rates, last reviewed 31 October 2026.
| Location model | From (USD per hour) | Where engineers are based |
|---|---|---|
| OnshoreHighest rate | $120/hr | US-based, on client time zones, cleared where the engagement requires it. |
| NearshoreOur default recommendation | $80/hr | Latin America and Canada, four hours or less of overlap loss, same working day. |
| OffshoreLowest rate | $80/hr | Europe, India and South East Asia. |
What moves the number
- Platform scarcity. The fewer engineers who have run PostgreSQL in production, the higher the rate.
- Seniority. The figures are for senior engineers; staff and principal levels cost more.
- Clearance and residency. Cleared or on-site work narrows the pool and sits in the onshore column.
- Term. Length, hours and the engagement model change the rate; contract-to-hire and direct placement are priced differently.
Indicative from-rates for senior contract engineers, USD per hour. The final rate depends on platform scarcity, seniority, clearance and term.
The screen
How we vet PostgreSQL DBAs: the published screen
Every PostgreSQL DBA is screened on the scenario below by the Data and search platform lead at AceMQ. The senior and mid answers are published so you can judge our bar before you engage us, and candidates know what they are walking into.
The screen · PostgreSQL DBA
Conntal Vetting Standard
Scenario put to the candidate
Over several weeks, queries against one table get steadily slower. The table keeps growing on disk although its row count is flat, and autovacuum is running. What do you check?
Vetted by
Data and search platform lead · AceMQ
A senior answer contains
- Recognises bloat from dead rows that vacuum is not allowed to remove.
- Looks for what holds back the cleanup horizon: long-running or idle-in-transaction sessions, abandoned replication slots, or old prepared transactions.
- Checks the autovacuum settings for that table against its update rate.
- Avoids VACUUM FULL during business hours because it takes an exclusive lock, and names an online alternative such as pg_repack.
Where a mid answer stops
- Adds an index to speed up the slow queries.
- Runs VACUUM FULL on the production table immediately.
- Concludes autovacuum is broken because it is running.
What we screen on
PostgreSQL skills we screen for
PostgreSQL candidates are screened on operations, high availability and platforms, among others, against the stack you actually run rather than a generic checklist.
High availability
Patronistreaming replicationPgBouncerfailover
Platforms
PostgreSQLAmazon RDS and AuroraCloud SQLAzure Database for PostgreSQL
Performance
query plansindexingpartitioningconnection pooling
Migrations
major-version upgradesOracle to PostgreSQLSQL Server to PostgreSQL
Titles this covers
PostgreSQL job titles we place
We place 5 titles in this area, from PostgreSQL DBA to PostgreSQL developer. They overlap and are used inconsistently between companies, so tell us the outcome you need and we will tell you which title actually fits it.
- PostgreSQL DBA
- PostgreSQL engineer
- Database administrator
- Database reliability engineer
- PostgreSQL developer
The platforms, run in production by our network
Engagement
Ways to hire PostgreSQL DBAs
Platform work usually starts with a defined piece of change and becomes ongoing ownership, which is why most PostgreSQL DBAs engagements begin on contract. All three models are available, in any location model.
Contract
A vetted engineer embedded in your team for a defined term.
Hourly, billed against an approved SOW. Most common for migrations, upgrades and capacity surges where the work has an end date.
Contract staffingContract-to-hire
Work together first, convert when it is obviously working.
A defined conversion window and a pre-agreed fee, so the decision to hire is a business decision rather than a negotiation.
Contract-to-hire staffingDirect placement
A permanent hire, screened to the same standard.
One-time fee against first-year base. Used where the role is a long-term platform owner rather than project capacity.
Direct placement staffingNot a fit if
When to look elsewhere for PostgreSQL DBAs
We are the wrong choice if any of these describe your role, and we would rather say so on the first call.
- You need application developers writing ORM queries, with no database operations.
- You want PostgreSQL supported rather than staffed; AceMQ provides support directly.
- The role is Oracle administration; we screen the move to PostgreSQL, not Oracle itself.
How it works
How hiring PostgreSQL DBAs through Conntal works
- 01
Scope
A practitioner scopes the role
An engineer who runs this technology reads your brief and tells you what is missing from it. Most briefs we receive ask for the wrong seniority or the wrong title. - 02
Screen
We screen, then shortlist
Sourcing is ours; the technical decision belongs to the vetting practitioner. You only see candidates who passed the scenario on this page. - 03
Start
Start, convert or replace
Contract, contract-to-hire or direct. If the fit is wrong we say so first and replace rather than defend the placement.
Screen owner
Who vets our PostgreSQL DBAs: Data and search platform lead, AceMQ
Production support for Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, Snowflake, Databricks, Spark, Flink, NiFi and Airflow estates under AceMQ's 24/7 support practice.
FAQ
PostgreSQL DBAs: what buyers ask
Something not covered here? Send the requirement and a practitioner answers it, not a sales queue.
How much does a contract PostgreSQL DBA cost per hour?
Indicative senior contract from-rates are $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore (USD, reviewed 31 October 2026). The final rate depends on platform scarcity, seniority, clearance and term. Contract-to-hire and direct placement are priced differently, and the delivery models page sets out how.
How fast can a PostgreSQL DBA start?
We do not promise a start date before we have seen the brief. A practitioner reads it, usually within one business day, and tells you whether we can staff it. Timing after that depends on the stack, the seniority and the location model.
Do you staff PostgreSQL DBAs for managed services like RDS and Aurora?
Yes. Managed PostgreSQL removes hosting but not vacuum, query planning or replication behaviour, which is where most production problems start.
Can you staff an Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migration?
Yes. It is a common bounded contract, and AceMQ runs these migrations directly. Candidates are screened on migration and performance, not only on administering a fresh database.
Can you staff a PostgreSQL major-version upgrade?
Yes, including moves off versions past community end-of-life. If you need an old version supported in the meantime, AceMQ and OSSEVA cover that directly.
Who vets your PostgreSQL engineers?
An AceMQ practitioner who supports production PostgreSQL, using the bloat scenario on this page.
Can we convert a contractor to full time, and what does it cost?
Yes. Contract-to-hire sets a conversion window and a pre-agreed fee at the start, so converting is a business decision rather than a negotiation. The fee is agreed per engagement; ask for it with your brief.
What if the placement does not work out?
If the fit is wrong we say so first and replace the engineer rather than defend the placement. Replacement terms are agreed per engagement, so ask for them with your brief.
Do you also deliver PostgreSQL consulting or support?
Not through Conntal. We place individual engineers into your team on contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire. If you want a project delivered or the platform supported as a service, AceMQ does that directly at acemq.com.
Related
Related roles
Need PostgreSQL delivered as a project or supported as a service instead of staffed? AceMQ does that directly.
Need PostgreSQL DBAs? Start with the brief.
Send the requirement and an engineer who runs this technology will tell you what is missing before we source anyone.