How Much Do Big Data Engineers Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary big data engineers make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for big data engineers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of big data engineers are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much big data engineers can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Big Data Engineers

According to data from 2023, there were about 77,311 positions for big data engineers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for big data engineers was reported to be $101,504. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 82,403 job postings related to positions for big data engineers.

How Much Money Do Big Data Engineers Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money big data engineers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for big data engineers.

Annual Salary for Big Data Engineers

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for big data engineers and related professions earned about $54,330 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $157,706 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for big data engineers in the United States in 2023 was $101,504.

Hourly Salary for Big Data Engineers

The BLS also breaks down compensation for big data engineers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for big data engineers in 2023 was $49. Lowest hourly earners took home $26 while the highest reported hourly salaries for big data engineers was $76.

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Degree Options for Big Data Engineers

Advertised Compensation for Big Data Engineers

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for big data engineers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for big data engineers.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Big Data Engineers

During a review of 119,011 job postings related to big data engineers, advertised salary was included in 40,539 of them, which was 34%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for big data engineers was $115,072 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Big Data Engineers

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for big data engineers. Based on 49% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for big data engineers in the United States is about $55.

Salary Trend for Big Data Engineers

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for big data engineers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for big data engineers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for big data engineers have increased 9%.

What's the Job Growth for Big Data Engineers?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for big data engineers over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 77,652 jobs for big data engineers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 9,076 jobs will be added. That's a 11.7% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about big data engineers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for big data engineers.

What do big data engineers do?
Big Data Engineers: How do you become one?

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