Data Engineer Salary Guide
Data Engineers design, build, and maintain the infrastructure and pipelines that collect, process, and store data for analytics and machine learning. They ensure data quality, scalability, and efficient data delivery for stakeholders.
What is the average Data Engineer salary?
Entry Level
$80,000 - $110,000
Mid Level
$110,000 - $150,000
Senior Level
$150,000 - $220,000+
How does Data Engineer salary grow with experience?
Data Engineer salary by location
What factors affect a Data Engineer's salary?
- Cloud platform expertise (AWS, GCP, Azure) and certifications
- Experience with data warehouses and lakehouses (Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, Delta Lake)
- Proficiency in streaming and real-time systems (Kafka, Flink)
- Company size, industry, and funding stage (startups vs. FAANG/large enterprise)
- Geographic location, remote flexibility, and market demand
Frequently Asked Questions About Data Engineer Salaries
What is the average salary for a Data Engineer in the US?
Average US Data Engineer pay typically ranges from about $110,000 to $160,000 annually, depending on level, location, and specialized skills.
How much does location affect a Data Engineer's salary?
Location can change pay by 20-40%: major tech hubs like SF, NYC, and Seattle pay substantially more than smaller markets or remote roles.
Which skills most increase a Data Engineer's pay?
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), data warehousing (Snowflake/Redshift), streaming (Kafka), and strong Python/SQL skills are top pay drivers.
What is the typical salary progression for a Data Engineer?
Typical progression: entry-level (~$80k–$110k), mid-level (~$110k–$150k), senior/lead (~$150k–$220k+), with higher pay for management or specialized technical roles.
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