Big data engineers work with large and complex data sets, leveraging various tools and technologies to process, store, analyze, and visualize them. Given the high level of complexity and the demand for their skills, a big data engineer's salary is high.
The average salary for big data engineers in the US hovers around $114K per year, and varies depending on location, company, industry, and experience.
Remote big data engineer jobs provide opportunities for data engineers to work from home or anywhere in the world. Remote big data engineers can earn similar or even higher salaries than their on-site counterparts, depending on their skills and qualifications.
Let’s dive into the topic to learn more about how much big data engineers make and what you need to know about the determining factors.
get the best salary you deserve at EPAM Anywhere
Apply for our competitively paid positions and secure a job offer with one of the leading software engineering companies in the world
How much do big data engineers make?
Disclaimer: The following salary figures are sourced from publicly available data for reference only. This information is not indicative of the salaries at EPAM or EPAM Anywhere and can’t be considered as such.
As we have mentioned, big data engineers can make a high salary, partly owing to the high demand for their skills and the complexity of what they do. The salary, however, is dynamic.
Several factors, including location, company, industry, and even negotiating ability, can affect how much you get paid.
As seen in our software engineer salary negotiation dos and don’ts, you can always get proactive and make moves to get the highest possible salary. Those methods apply to this job too.
To understand what determines a salary and keep expectations realistic, let’s break it down by years of experience.
Big data engineer salary by years of experience
Most commonly big data engineer job descriptions mention the required seniority level. However, years of experience can be categorized into several different levels:
- Junior: A junior big data engineer has been in the industry for one to four years. According to ZipRecruiter, a junior big data engineer in the US can earn an average salary of about $68K per year, or about $32.73 an hour.
- Senior: A senior big data engineer has five or more years of experience in the field. ZipRecruiter data shows that in 2024, the average big data engineering salary is about $125,662 annually.
- Lead: A lead big data engineer has 10+ years of experience and typically makes an average of $130,075 per year according to Glassdoor.
Factors affecting the big data software engineer salary
It’s worth knowing the factors that will affect how much you get paid as a big data software engineer before getting into it as a career or job opportunity. Let’s go through them:
1. Skills
A big data software engineer must have a strong programming, mathematics, statistics, and computer science background. They also require proficiency in big data frameworks, tools, and platforms, including Spark, Python, Kafka, Hadoop, Hive, and Pig.
In addition, they must have skills in data visualization, SQL, data analysis, cloud computing, machine learning, and more. The more skills a big data software engineer has, the higher a salary they can command when they negotiate a salary after a job offer.
2. Country/location
Your salary can differ from the averages indicated here, depending on your country and work location. For instance, Glassdoor reports that the average salary for big data engineers in the US is $117.9K per year. However, this could range from $70K to $165K per year, depending on the state or city they work in.
3. Experience
Your level of experience corresponds directly to the salary you can ask for. As we said before, higher experience levels get you a higher salary.
4. Industry
The industry or sector you work in as a big data software engineer can also influence your salary. Some industries or sectors have a high demand for big data engineers, including finance, healthcare, social media, ecommerce, education, and entertainment.
Each industry requires you to be prepared for interviews to get the full possible compensation, and to that end, we have prepared big data interview questions to help you.
5. Type and size of the organization
Some organizations that hire big data software engineers include startups, small and medium enterprises, large corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Prepare your big data resume when applying for a big data engineer position to stand out among the other applications as you prepare for interviews.
do a reality check of your salary expectations with us
Apply for an opportunity to talk to our hiring managers and check if your desired salary is realistic
Grow your big data engineer salary at EPAM Anywhere
At EPAM Anywhere, you can find plenty of opportunities for big data engineer roles worldwide. They come with great perks and ensure that you stay employed for a long time while enjoying a flexible, fully remote workstyle from your preferred location.
Check out our free Find Me A Job service to get matched with our best open jobs.
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
Explore our Editorial Policy to learn more about our standards for content creation.
read more
