Live job postings
90,361
as of 29 Jun 2026
Demand index
1.65%
% of all job postings
Median salary
$140k
$140,000
Salary range
$100k – $140k
$100,000 – $140,000
Salary distribution
Core skills employers ask for
SQL and Advanced Query OptimizationPython (PySpark, Pandas, data pipelines)Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure – data services)ETL/ELT Pipeline Design and Orchestration (Airflow, dbt, Prefect)Data Modeling and Warehousing (Kimball, Inmon, Star Schema)Distributed Computing (Spark, Flink, Kafka)Containerization and Infrastructure as Code (Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform)Version Control and CI/CD for Data (Git, GitHub Actions, dbt Cloud)Data Governance and Quality Frameworks (Great Expectations, Data Contracts)Real-time Streaming (Kafka Streams, Kinesis, Pub/Sub)
AI impact on this career
AI is significantly reshaping the data engineer role by automating routine pipeline maintenance and code generation. Tools like GitHub Copilot and specialized AI co-pilots accelerate coding tasks, while AI-powered schema inference and anomaly detection reduce manual data quality work. However, the core need for robust, scalable, and cost-efficient data infrastructure has not diminished; rather, engineers are pivoting to focus on designing systems that feed high-quality data to LLMs and AI analytics. The biggest risk is not replacement but the devaluation of traditional ETL skills if engineers fail to adopt AI-assisted workflows and shift toward data product thinking. Overall, demand remains strong, but the bar for efficiency and architectural sophistication is rising.
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