The data engineer salary in the US sits between $100,000 and $170,000 for most professionals in 2026, but the actual number you take home depends on where you live, what tools you know, and who you work for. Having hired data engineers and watched compensation shift over the past five years, I can tell you the posted ranges on job boards rarely tell the full story.
Here is what you can actually expect to earn as a data engineer in the United States this year, broken down by experience, city, industry, and company type.
Data Engineer Salary US Overview: The 2026 Numbers
Let’s start with the aggregate picture across the major salary platforms:
| Source | Median / Average Base | Total Compensation Range |
|---|---|---|
| Glassdoor (32K+ salaries) | $132,000 | $103,000 – $170,000 |
| Indeed (9.2K+ salaries) | $135,672 | $87,694 – $209,897 |
| Levels.fyi | $155,000 (total comp) | $120,000 – $280,000 |
| Built In | $125,978 | $101,652 – $150,304 |
| ZipRecruiter | $126,927 | $94,000 – $168,000 |
| PayScale | $99,737 | $72,000 – $138,000 |
The discrepancy between sources is real. PayScale skews lower because it includes more mid-market companies. Levels.fyi skews higher because its user base leans toward FAANG and large tech companies that include stock grants in total compensation. For a realistic midpoint, $130,000 to $140,000 in total compensation is where most experienced data engineers land.
Data Engineer Salary by Experience Level
Experience is the single biggest factor in your pay. Here is how the numbers break down in practice:
Entry-Level Data Engineer (0-2 Years)
If you are coming out of a computer science degree or bootcamp with some SQL and Python skills, expect $85,000 to $110,000 in base salary. At a startup or mid-market company, you are probably building basic ETL pipelines and maintaining existing data infrastructure. At a larger company, you might start closer to $100,000 to $120,000 with a more structured onboarding path.
Mid-Level Data Engineer (3-5 Years)
This is where compensation jumps significantly. With three to five years of experience, particularly if you know Spark, Airflow, and at least one major cloud platform (AWS, GCP, or Azure), base salary typically falls between $120,000 and $155,000. You are designing pipelines from scratch, making architecture decisions, and mentoring junior engineers. This is also where AWS certifications start to pay off in salary negotiations.
Senior Data Engineer (6-10 Years)
Senior data engineers with six or more years of experience command $150,000 to $190,000 in base salary at most companies. At FAANG and top-tier tech firms, total compensation (base plus stock plus bonus) can reach $250,000 to $300,000. At this level, you are setting technical direction, owning data platform decisions, and likely managing a small team or leading cross-functional projects.
Staff / Principal Data Engineer (10+ Years)
Staff and principal engineers at major tech companies regularly earn $200,000 to $350,000+ in total compensation. These roles are rare and demand deep expertise in distributed systems, data architecture at scale, and the ability to influence engineering strategy across an organisation. Meta’s E5/E6 data engineers, for example, report total compensation packages above $300,000 on Levels.fyi.
Data Engineer Salary US by City
Location still matters, even with remote work expanding the talent pool. The cost of living adjustments many companies apply mean your city choice directly impacts your paycheck.
| City | Average Base Salary | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $155,000 – $186,000 | Very High (180+) |
| Seattle, WA | $140,000 – $165,000 | High (170) |
| New York, NY | $140,000 – $170,000 | Very High (190+) |
| Austin, TX | $115,000 – $145,000 | Moderate (105) |
| Denver, CO | $120,000 – $150,000 | Moderate (110) |
| Atlanta, GA | $110,000 – $140,000 | Moderate (100) |
| Chicago, IL | $115,000 – $145,000 | Moderate (105) |
| Remote (US-based) | $115,000 – $155,000 | Varies |
San Francisco continues to lead, but the gap is narrowing. Austin and Denver have seen the fastest salary growth since 2023 as more companies set up engineering hubs there. Remote roles typically pay 10-15% less than San Francisco rates but more than most mid-tier cities, which makes them a strong net-positive if you live somewhere affordable.
Which Industries Pay Data Engineers the Most?
Your industry choice can swing your salary by $20,000 or more. According to Glassdoor’s 2026 data, the top-paying industries for data engineers are:
- Energy, Mining and Utilities: $142,293 median total pay. Companies like Chevron and Pacific Gas and Electric are investing heavily in data infrastructure.
- Financial Services: $138,738 median. Banks, hedge funds, and fintech companies pay well because data pipelines directly impact trading, risk management, and compliance.
- Media and Communications: $140,288 median. Streaming companies and ad-tech firms rely on massive data pipelines to serve personalised content.
- Tech (FAANG and large tech): While Glassdoor groups this broadly, self-reported data on Levels.fyi shows FAANG data engineers earning $180,000 to $300,000+ in total compensation.
- Healthcare and Pharma: Growing fast, with base salaries of $120,000 to $150,000, driven by clinical data pipeline needs and regulatory requirements.
One pattern I see consistently: industries that are late to data adoption (energy, agriculture, logistics) often pay a premium to attract data engineering talent because the talent pool is smaller and the competition with pure tech companies is fierce.
Data Engineer Salary at Top Companies
Company matters more than almost any other variable at the senior level. Here is a rough breakdown of total compensation (base plus stock plus bonus) at well-known employers:
| Company Tier | Examples | Total Comp (Mid-Level) | Total Comp (Senior) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAANG / Big Tech | Meta, Google, Amazon, Apple | $200,000 – $280,000 | $280,000 – $400,000 |
| Tier 2 Tech | Airbnb, Stripe, Uber, Snowflake | $180,000 – $250,000 | $250,000 – $350,000 |
| Large Enterprise | JPMorgan, Capital One, Walmart | $130,000 – $170,000 | $170,000 – $220,000 |
| Mid-Market / Startups | Series B-D startups | $120,000 – $160,000 | $150,000 – $200,000 |
| Consulting / Services | Deloitte, Accenture | $100,000 – $140,000 | $140,000 – $180,000 |
The stock component is what creates the massive gap between tiers. A senior data engineer at Meta might earn $178,000 in base but receive $42,000 in stock and $30,000 in bonus annually, pushing total compensation above $250,000. At a consulting firm, you will get a solid base but minimal equity.
Skills That Increase Your Data Engineer Salary
Not all data engineers earn the same, even at the same experience level. The tools and skills you bring to the table directly affect your market value. Based on current job posting data and recruiter conversations, these skills command salary premiums:
- Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure): Knowing at least one deeply adds $10,000 to $20,000. Multi-cloud experience is increasingly valuable.
- Apache Spark and distributed computing: Still the backbone of large-scale data processing. Strong Spark skills push you into senior pay bands faster.
- Real-time streaming (Kafka, Flink): Companies building real-time data products pay a premium for engineers who can design streaming architectures.
- dbt and modern data stack: Knowing dbt, Snowflake, and Fivetran signals you are current with modern practices.
- Python and SQL (advanced): These are table stakes, but engineers who can write performant, production-grade code stand out.
- Data modelling and architecture: The ability to design scalable data models is what separates senior engineers from mid-level ones.
If you are looking to move into a broader data engineering career, investing in cloud certifications and real-time processing skills will have the biggest immediate salary impact.
Data Engineer vs Data Scientist Salary: How They Compare
This question comes up constantly. The short answer: data engineers and data scientists earn comparable salaries in 2026, with data engineers slightly ahead at the mid and senior levels.
| Role | Median Base (US) | Median Total Comp |
|---|---|---|
| Data Engineer | $132,000 | $155,000 |
| Data Scientist | $127,000 | $148,000 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $150,000 | $185,000 |
| Analytics Engineer | $130,000 | $170,000 |
Data engineers have seen faster salary growth over the past three years because demand has outpaced supply. Every ML model needs clean, reliable data, and companies have learned (often the hard way) that data infrastructure is the bottleneck. Machine learning engineers still earn more on average, but the gap between data engineers and data scientists has essentially closed.
How to Maximise Your Data Engineer Salary
If you want to push toward the top of the range, here is what actually works:
- Switch jobs every 2-3 years early in your career. Internal raises rarely keep pace with market rates. A job change typically nets 15-25% more than an internal promotion.
- Get cloud certified. The AWS Data Engineer certification is worth the investment. It signals competence to recruiters and often serves as a checkbox in hiring pipelines.
- Target high-paying industries. Moving from a mid-market retailer to a fintech company or hedge fund can add $30,000+ to your total compensation overnight.
- Negotiate equity, not just base. At tech companies, stock grants can double your effective compensation. Always negotiate the equity component.
- Build expertise in a niche. Engineers who specialise in streaming data, data mesh implementation, or ML platform engineering earn more than generalists.
What is the average data engineer salary in the US in 2026?
The average data engineer salary in the US ranges from $126,000 to $155,000 depending on the source. Glassdoor reports a median of $132,000 based on 32,000+ salary submissions, while Levels.fyi shows $155,000 in median total compensation (including stock and bonuses). For most mid-level data engineers at non-FAANG companies, $130,000 to $145,000 in total compensation is realistic.
Do data engineers earn more than data scientists?
In 2026, data engineers and data scientists earn roughly the same, with data engineers slightly ahead at the mid and senior levels. The median data engineer base salary is about $132,000 compared to $127,000 for data scientists. The gap is driven by strong demand for data infrastructure skills, as companies invest heavily in data platforms and pipelines.
Which city pays data engineers the most in the US?
San Francisco pays the highest data engineer salaries, with averages between $155,000 and $186,000. Seattle and New York follow closely at $140,000 to $170,000. However, when adjusted for cost of living, cities like Austin, Denver, and Atlanta often provide better purchasing power because salaries are only 10-20% lower while living costs can be 40-50% less.
How can I increase my data engineer salary quickly?
The fastest ways to increase your salary are changing employers (typically a 15-25% bump), earning a cloud certification like AWS Certified Data Engineer, and specialising in high-demand skills like real-time streaming with Kafka or distributed computing with Spark. Targeting industries like financial services or big tech, where data engineering budgets are largest, will also push your compensation higher.
Ben is a full-time data leadership professional and a part-time blogger.
When he’s not writing articles for Data Driven Daily, Ben is a Head of Data Strategy at a large financial institution.
He has over 14 years’ experience in Banking and Financial Services, during which he has led large data engineering and business intelligence teams, managed cloud migration programs, and spearheaded regulatory change initiatives.