Data Engineers build databases, data warehouses and data lakes to service the needs of the Data Analysts and Data Scientists in their businesses. This area is fast growing and Data Engineers are in massive demand as so many companies race to unlock the value in their data.

Data Engineer
Big Data Engineer
Data Developer
BI Engineer
BI Developer
Business Intelligence Developer
Business Intelligence Engineer
Big Data Developer
Hadoop Developer
Data factory Developer
Hadoop Engineer
Data Availability Engineer
Data Science Engineer
Big Data Software Engineer
Platform Engineer
Data Warehouse Engineer
DWH Engineer
DWH Programmer
DWH Developer
Datawarehouse Developer
Datawarehouse Engineer
Datawarehouse Programmer
SQL Server Engineer
Data Infrastructure Engineer
Data Infrastructure Programmer
Data Infrastructure Developer
Data Analytics Engineer
Big Data Architect
Hadoop Architect
Hadoop Specialist
Big Data Specialist
Big Data Lead
Head of Big Data
Data Architecture specialist
Head of Data Architecture

Junior Data Engineer
Data Engineer
Senior Data Engineer
Lead Data Engineer
Head of Data Engineering
Data Architect

We’ve outlined the latest salary benchmarks for Big Data roles in the guides below:

Data, Insight and Analytics Salary Guide

Data, Insight and Analytics Within Data Engineering Development Salary Guide

Data, Insight and Analytics Within Data Science Salary Guide

The skills needed can be split into 3 categories; programming skills, data science understanding and problem-solving.

Programming skills: Java | Python | Golang | Cython | Software Design – A background in APIs e.g. web APIs and static/dynamic libraries | ML Libraries – e.g. TensorFlow, CNTK, MLib, Spark, Kafka, Kinesis, Redshift.

A BSc, Masters (MSc) or Doctorate (PhD) in a maths, physics, statistics, artificial intelligence (AI), software engineering, engineering or computer science field with technical skills in programming. Demonstrable experience working with large data sets or alternatively candidates will work in Business Intelligence and then do online courses /self-learning/ get trained up on Big Data Engineering and Architecture and can move into these roles through this route.

Salary: £28k – £38k
What They Do:
Assists with building and maintaining large-scale data pipelines, processes structured and unstructured data, and supports analytics teams with reliable data delivery.

Skills Needed:

• Basic understanding of distributed data systems (Hadoop, Spark)
• Proficiency in SQL and at least one programming language (Python, Scala, Java)
• Knowledge of ETL processes and data integration
• Cloud data platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills

Salary: £38k – £50k
What They Do:
Designs, builds, and manages scalable big data platforms and pipelines. Ensures data quality and availability for data science and business intelligence.

Skills Needed:

• Expertise in big data frameworks (Spark, Hive, Kafka)
• Data warehousing and database optimisation
• Automation of data pipelines and workflows (Airflow, Luigi)
• API development and integrations
• Data governance and security awareness

Salary: £50k – £70k
What They Do:
Owns the design and architecture of big data solutions, improves performance and scalability, and mentors junior engineers.

Skills Needed:

• Deep knowledge of distributed computing and data partitioning
• Advanced ETL pipeline design and orchestration
• Real-time data streaming architectures (Kafka, Flink)
• Cloud infrastructure management for big data systems
• Strong cross-functional collaboration

Salary: £70k – £90k
What They Do:
Leads teams building enterprise-wide data platforms, sets best practices for big data systems, and drives innovation in data infrastructure.

Skills Needed:

• Leadership and team management
• Enterprise data platform strategy
• Vendor and technology selection
• Knowledge of security, compliance, and regulatory frameworks
• Budget and resource planning

Salary: £90k – £120k
What They Do:
Oversees the organisation’s big data strategy, manages data engineering teams, and ensures data platforms meet business needs at scale.

Skills Needed:

• Department-level leadership and strategic vision
• Building and scaling big data engineering teams
• Strong commercial awareness and vendor management
• P&L accountability for data platforms
• Driving enterprise data strategy and innovation

Salary: £120k – £160k+
What They Do:
Owns the company’s big data and analytics vision, driving enterprise-wide digital transformation and innovation through data.

Skills Needed:

• Executive-level leadership and enterprise data strategy
• Building global data capabilities
• Expertise in data compliance, governance, and security
• C-suite stakeholder management and influence
• Investment planning for big data technologies and initiatives