What is the Best Big Data Engineer Salary and How to Get it

As you read this, people across the world are texting, posting on social media, and searching on Google, adding to the growing volume of big data. And as big data’s quantity increases so does its significance for companies. Big data has become a pivotal resource to generate information and make insightful decisions. However, it would be useless without Big data engineers, who are responsible for the management and maintenance of the data infrastructure of an organization. According to expert market research, the global big data market will reach $450 billion by 2026. In this data-driven future, big data engineers are indispensable, leading to lucrative big data engineer salary packages. Let’s get into understanding the field and why it pays so well. 

Introduction to Big Data Engineering

Big data is high-volume, high-variety, and high-velocity information that can be processed and analyzed to ensure high-quality customer service, improve operational efficiency, and help formulate effective business strategies. As this is a massive amount of data, organizations need big data engineers to bring order to the chaos. Big data engineers design, develop, test, analyze, and maintain the big data environment for the organization. It is typically a senior role that requires expert knowledge and technical skills. The roles and responsibilities of a big data engineer include:

• Designing, maintaining, and implementing software systems
• Maintaining, testing, and improving data pipelines
• Data storage in the data repository 
• Carrying out Extract Transform Load (ETL) processes
• Collecting and processing data 
• Mining data to create strong business models 
• Transforming data into helpful information
• Building data architectures to meet business requirements 
• Finding new methods to improve data quality 
• Working in collaboration with data scientists and data analysts

ALSO READ: What is Big Data? Let’s Analyze its Rise and Implications

Are Big Data Engineers in Demand and Why?

The NewVantage Partners annual survey from 2022, which tracks the progress of corporate data initiatives, found that over 92.1 percent of companies gain returns on their data, and 91.7 percent of companies are increasing their data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) investments. This indicates that more and more companies globally are recognizing the significant impact of big data on growth and thus need big data engineers. 

In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes big data engineers under computer and information scientists with a job growth of 21 percent and under mathematicians and statisticians with a job growth of 31 percent, making big data engineering a highly in-demand career. 

Average Big Data Engineer Salary

Big data engineering is a highly in-demand and technical position that can open up excellent earning opportunities. According to Glassdoor, in the United States, the average annual salary for a big data engineer is $96,564. Big data engineering requires experience and expertise, and the salary may vary based on many factors, including skills, experience, and geographical location. 

Average Salary Range Based on Knowledge and Experience

According to Glassdoor, senior data engineers and lead data engineers can expect a salary of $153,626 and $165,965, respectively. For big data engineers, extensive technical knowledge and expertise are valuable assets for lucrative job opportunities. 

Build New Skills in Big Data Engineering

As mentioned, impressive credentials offer a significant boost in job opportunities and salary for big data engineers. Mastering skills can enhance your profile and give you the opportunity to earn a high salary. Ideal skills for big data engineers include:

• SQL and databases
• Big data technology, such as Hadoop, Apache Spark, MapReduce, and Streaming
• Data mining and modeling techniques
• ETL systems 
• Programming languages, including Java, C++, and Python

Big Data Engineer Salary by Location

Geographical location plays a vital role in determining earnings as it takes into consideration the demand for work and the cost of living. Here is how the annual big data engineer salary compares across regions:

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

According to Glassdoor, the highest salary for big data engineers in the United States is $147,750 per year. In addition, big tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon are among the highest-paying companies for big data engineers. 

Related: View the Highest-Paying Engineering Jobs

Learn With Emeritus

As discussed, big data is paramount for the business needs of companies, and big data engineers are laying the foundation of a data-driven future. The criticality of their position reflects in big data engineer salary packages. To keep up with technological advancement and stay competitive in this field, big data engineers should constantly learn and grow their knowledge. One way to sharpen your skills is to benefit from the extensive data sciences and analytics courses offered by Emeritus.

Note: All salary figures are from Glassdoor.

By Krati Joshi

Write to us at content@emeritus.org