Check my payData Engineer salary by level
Data Engineering pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, Senior Data Engineer, top-tier markets
From entry level to VP, medians run from $102k to $407k.
Individual contributor track
Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Data EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $102k |
| Data EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $141k |
| Senior Data EngineerIC3 Senior | $185k |
| Staff Data EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead | $226k |
| Principal Data EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $263k |
| Distinguished Data EngineerIC6 Distinguished | $306k |
Management track
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Manager, Data EngineeringM2 Associate Manager | $195k |
| Manager, Data EngineeringM3 Manager | $226k |
| Senior Manager, Data EngineeringM4 Senior Manager | $263k |
| Director, Data EngineeringM5 Director | $311k |
| Senior Director, Data EngineeringM6 Senior Director | $352k |
| VP, Data EngineeringE1 Vice President | $407k |
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.