Why Data Engineer Salary Levels are on the Growth Path Globally

Global data experts have predicted that by the end of 2022, humans will produce and consume 94 zettabytes of data. The huge amount of data generation and usage has resulted in the high demand for data professionals like data engineers who can harness, manage, and analyze it, making data engineering one of the most sought-after careers. Not surprisingly, data engineer salary levels reflect this demand, making it a lucrative job opportunity. Read on to get a better overview of data engineering as well as data engineer salary packages, and the various factors that contribute to making them remunerative.

Introduction to Data Engineering

Data engineers build systems to control, manage and organize raw data that can be converted into high-quality data for analysis. They work closely with data analysts and scientists and share the prepared dataset for further examination to help organizations make smart decisions and optimize performance. 

Data engineering roles typically fall into three categories: pipeline-centric, database-centric, and generalist. 

Pipeline data engineers are responsible for building data pipelines used to collect the data. Database data engineers manage the operation of a data warehouse across multiple databases for data sorting. Generalists are responsible for every step of the data process and typically work for small businesses. But there are roles and responsibilities that are intrinsic to a data engineer. 

• Building and maintaining data pipelines 
• Collecting, organizing, managing, and converting raw data 
• Using algorithms to prepare data for the organization
• Creating data analysis tools and new data validation methods 
• Working closely with the management to address business requirements 
• Identifying ways to make data more reliable and efficient 
• Conducting research to address potential problems that may arise
• Creating and maintaining the organization’s software and hardware architecture 

Are Data Engineers in Demand and Why?

According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, about 463 exabytes of data are projected to be generated globally every day. To put this into perspective, an exabyte is 10006 bytes, and the explosive generation of 463 exabytes per day is equivalent to 212,765,957 DVDs. This massive growth in data has spurred the requirement for professionals such as data engineers, data analysts, and data scientists across every industry. According to the Dice Tech Job Report, data engineering is among the fastest-growing jobs in the field of technology, with over 50 percent year-over-year growth in demand. 

ALSO READ: What Does a Data Engineer Do and How Can You Become One?

Average Data Engineer Salary

The high demand and the importance of this position across industries have created incredible earning opportunities for skilled data engineers. According to Glassdoor, the average data engineer salary in the United States is $114,646 per year. It is worth noting, however, that salaries may vary based on factors such as experience, skills, and geographic location. 

Average Salary Range Based on Knowledge and Experience

Knowledge and experience make a significant difference in salary variances. With sufficient experience, a data engineer can move to senior roles and enjoy major salary benefits. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary in the United States for the position of senior data engineer and lead data engineer are $153,536 and $165,877, respectively. 

Build New Skills in Data Engineering

Some of the skills that have the potential to boost data engineer salary levels include:

• Programming languages such as Python, Scala, and Javascript
• SQL
• Data warehousing and Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) tools 
• Architectural projections 
• Data storage 
• Data modeling techniques 
• Big data tools such as MongoDB, Kafka, and Hadoop
• Cloud computing tools
• Automation and scripting 
• Machine learning 
• Data transformation tools such as InfoSphere, Hevo Data, Talend, and Pentaho Data Integration
• Data visualization 

Data Engineer Salary by Location

Geographical location plays a vital role in determining earnings as it determines the demand for work as well as the cost of living. Here is the average annual data engineer salary across different regions. 

Location	Average Annual Salary
U.S.	$114,646
U.K.	$68,508
France	$46,704
Germany	$64,608
India	$9,781
Australia	$78,524

Note: All salary figures are from Glassdoor

What is the Highest Salary for a Data Engineer in the U.S.?

Data engineering is among the highest-paying big data jobs in the world. In the U.S., the highest annual salary for a data engineer was $169,046. Many big tech companies such as Google, Apple, Meta, and Adobe are willing to pay hefty salaries to qualified data engineers. 

Data engineering is a specialized field that is creating the foundation for a data-driven future. As the need for data grows, so does the demand for data engineers. Now, more than ever, companies need competent data engineers to build a solid infrastructure and understand the data. If you are thinking about advancing your career in data engineering and gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace, this is a great time to start. At the same time, remember that data engineers are required to constantly upskill and keep up with trends. Explore the catalog of online data sciences and analytics courses on Emeritus, curated from the top universities in the world, to help you develop and hone your skills in order to take advantage of the very lucrative data engineer salary.

By Krati Joshi

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