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I am very confused about making choice between being a Oracle DBA or SAS Data Analyst. I've got B.Sc.Maths degree and have decided to make inroad in computer and some friends have suggested me SAS as better option than DBA. But I have heard that DBA is money and job stability-wise better than a data analysyt. I have no very much programming experience and have done SQL but not so much intensively or extensibly. Could some one help me in this regard? I get tense whenever i think about it. THANK YOU.

+1  A: 

The thing is, a lot of DBA tasks are becoming automated and commoditized. Analysis is going to be more difficult to automate because machines don't do that sort of thing well. At least, not yet.

But the most dangerous thing is to hitch yourself to a product before you have even started your career. If I were you I consider employing my maths background in visualization and data analysis. There's more to this realm than SAS: consider R and Processing.

APC
Your views have clarified something. I was reading views of some DBA's here and were saying perhaps the same thing. I read they have less creativity left compared to coder/programmer. Thank you for reply.
Subodh
A: 

I got my Bachelor's and Master's in Mathematics. I enjoy DBA stuff, but I personally find the analysis and programming side more enjoyable since it uses the skills of problem solving that I learned in mathematics. I wouldn't rule them out completely. I started programming knowing a little C, Java and LaTeX. Depending on your aptitude for learning, you can pick up a language fairly quickly. You might give programming a little more consideration.

Anthony Potts
I first read C.J.Date and my first impression was that mathematics is helpful for Data normalization etc and for DBA and thought about data analysis as simply representing the summary chart etc it seemed less challenging. Now i feel data analysis is also good. I will have to practice programming. Thank you for kind reply.
Subodh