The median annual wage for database architects was $139,500 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is the closest federal figure for data engineer salary: The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) lists Data Engineer among reported job titles for Database Architects. Self-reported pay runs higher: The median Data Engineer salary on Levels.fyi is $159,000 in total compensation.
Robert Half projects a national salary range of $130,500 to $185,500 for data engineers, with a mid figure of $160,500 for 2027. The three numbers measure different things: BLS counts wage and salary workers’ pay, Levels.fyi counts submitted packages with stock, and Robert Half projects new-hire base pay. Each figure below names its source, its measure, and its date.
Key Takeaways
- The BLS median for database architects rose 13%, from $123,430 in May 2021 to $139,500 in May 2025.
- California had the highest state annual mean wage for database architects, at $175,330 in May 2025.
- The BLS median for database architects sat $3,520 above the $135,980 software developer median in May 2025, while the self-reported Levels.fyi data engineer median of $159,000 trails the software engineer median of $197,000 by $38,000.
- Meta data engineers at E6 self-report $217,000 in stock against a $273,000 base, in a $527,000 total package on Levels.fyi that also counts a $38,000 bonus.
- The 90th percentile annual wage for database architects was $204,000 in May 2025.
- In Robert Half’s 2027 Salary Guide survey, nearly three-quarters of managers (72%) say they are increasing pay for relevant AI skills.
Editor’s Choice
- Median annual wage: $139,500 for database architects in May 2025.
- Mean annual wage: $144,440 for database architects in May 2025.
- Employment: 67,140 database architects in May 2025.
- Self-reported median: $159,000 total compensation for data engineers on Levels.fyi.
- Projected 2027 range: $130,500 to $185,500 for data engineers, per Robert Half.
- San Francisco Bay Area: $237,000 self-reported median total compensation for data engineers.
Data Engineer Salary in the US
- Database architects earned a mean hourly wage of $69.44 and a median hourly wage of $67.07 in May 2025, according to the BLS answer to data engineer salary per hour.
- O*NET’s sample of reported job titles for Database Architects includes Data Architect, Data Engineer, Database Developer, and Enterprise Architect.
- The median annual wage for database administrators was $104,620 in May 2025, $34,880 below the database architect median.
- BLS lists $126,760 per year and $60.94 per hour for database administrators and architects as one combined group.
- The wider data science workforce is far larger: BLS counted 262,440 data scientists in May 2025.
| Measure (database architects, May 2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| Employment | 67,140 |
| Mean annual wage | $144,440 |
| Median annual wage | $139,500 |
| Mean hourly wage | $69.44 |
| Median hourly wage | $67.07 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025
About This Data
- 24 sources: 11 US government pages from BLS and O*NET, 9 self-reported pay pages from Levels.fyi, 2 Robert Half salary guide pages and 2 Dice salary survey pages.
- Source dates run from the May 2021 BLS wage estimates to pay pages read in October 2026.
- Selection: government wage data first; self-reported and recruiter data labeled as such; salary aggregators and market-research sellers excluded.
- Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions.
How much does a data engineer make?
Database architects earned a median annual wage of $139,500 and a mean of $144,440 in May 2025, per BLS. Self-reported total compensation for data engineers on Levels.fyi has a $159,000 median, and Robert Half projects $130,500 to $185,500 for data engineers hired in 2027. Each figure measures a different kind of pay.
What is the job of a data engineer?
O*NET describes the occupation as work to “Design strategies for enterprise databases, data warehouse systems, and multidimensional networks.” The same profile covers building large relational databases or data warehouses and setting standards for query processes and security.
Data Engineer Salary Percentiles
- The 90th percentile annual wage for database architects was $204,000 in May 2025, against $86,240 at the 10th percentile.
- That puts $117,760 between the 10th and 90th percentiles.
- Hourly wages ran from $41.46 at the 10th percentile to $98.08 at the 90th percentile.
- Software developers reached $214,670 at the 90th percentile in May 2025, above the database architect figure.
- Data scientists reached $199,130 at the 90th percentile in May 2025.
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Can a data engineer make $200,000?
Yes, at the top of the range. The 90th percentile annual wage for database architects was $204,000 in May 2025, per BLS. On Levels.fyi, self-reported data engineer total compensation reaches $225,000 at the 75th percentile and $315,000 at the 90th, figures that include stock and bonus.
Recent Developments
- Oct. 13, 2026: Levels.fyi tracks 562 Data Engineer salary submissions at Meta, with a median yearly package of $304,000.
- Oct. 13, 2026: Levels.fyi tracks 756 Data Engineer salary submissions at Amazon, where the median yearly package totals $230,000.
- Oct. 1, 2026: Robert Half released its 2027 Salary Guide, and average salaries for new hires across the 7 specializations it serves are projected to rise 1.9% in 2027.
- Oct. 1, 2026: In the same release, 57% of managers say they’re offering higher-than-planned salaries to attract new talent, citing specialized skills as the top reason.
- Aug. 27, 2026: BLS projected that computer and mathematical occupations will be the fifth fastest-growing major occupational group (+7.3%) through the 2025 to 2035 projection period.
Data Engineer Salary Trend, 2021 to 2025
- The BLS median for database architects rose $16,070 between May 2021 and May 2025, reaching $139,500.
- The median moved from $134,870 in May 2022 to $134,700 in May 2023, the one-year-on-year step in the series without a rise.
- Employment was 50,440 in May 2021, against 67,140 in May 2025, an increase of 33%.
- The 90th percentile annual wage was $169,500 in May 2021, $34,500 below the May 2025 figure.
- BLS notes that because of the lapse in federal appropriations from October 1 through November 12, 2025, additional collection and processing time was required for the May 2025 OEWS survey panel, which was released May 15, 2026.
- The BLS profile for May 2024 is not included in this series, so the chart moves straight from 2023 to 2025.
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Data Engineer Salary by State
- California led state annual mean wages for database architects at $175,330 in May 2025, followed by Massachusetts at $163,290.
- California’s mean is $30,890 above the national mean of $144,440.
- Texas had the highest employment of database architects, an estimated 8,270, ahead of California at 6,210.
- Virginia’s employment estimate of 5,260 carries a relative standard error of 17.8, against 3.5 for Texas, so its count is less precise.
- North Carolina employed an estimated 4,070 database architects and New York 3,850.
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Which state pays data engineers the most?
California, on the BLS figures. Database architects in California earned an annual mean wage of $175,330 in May 2025, ahead of Massachusetts at $163,290 and Virginia at $154,550. These are mean wages for the occupation that includes data engineers. Texas employs the most database architects, an estimated 8,270.
Highest-Paying Cities for Data Engineers
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA had the highest metro annual mean wage for database architects at $198,740 in May 2025.
- The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA estimate carries a relative standard error of 8.3, the widest among the five highest-paying metros.
- Levels.fyi’s self-reported median total compensation for data engineers in the San Francisco Bay Area is $237,000, with $435,000 at the 90th percentile.
- Data engineers in the New York City Area self-report a $160,000 median and $300,000 at the 90th percentile on Levels.fyi.
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Worth noting: The Levels.fyi median for San Francisco Bay Area data engineers is $237,000. By contrast, the BLS annual mean for database architects in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is $198,740. Levels.fyi records self-reported packages with stock and bonus. BLS records wages for wage and salary workers, so the gap reflects the measure more than the job.
Data Engineer Salary by Industry
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing paid database architects an annual mean wage of $187,740 in May 2025, the highest of any industry listed.
- That is $43,300 above the national mean for the occupation.
- Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities paid an annual mean wage of $170,370.
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services carried a relative standard error of 3.5 on its wage estimate.
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Data Engineer Salary by Experience Level
- Robert Half’s high figure for data engineers, $185,500, applies to a candidate who has extensive experience in the role, demonstrates advanced skills, and often brings specialized certifications or industry experience.
- Robert Half’s salary ranges reflect base salaries for new hires across all levels of experience.
- The benchmarks are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has placed nationwide, along with third-party job posting data from Textkernel.
- In the Dice survey, entry-level tech professionals (2 years or less) experienced a 1.4% decrease in 2024 salaries.
- Tech professionals with more than 15 years of experience saw a 0.5% increase, with average salaries of $133,047.
- The Dice figures cover all tech roles and 2024 pay, so they are more than 12 months old and not specific to data engineers.
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How much does an entry-level data engineer make?
Robert Half puts the low end of the data engineer range at $130,500 for a candidate new to the role or with limited experience. The BLS 10th percentile for database architects was $86,240 in May 2025. At Google, L3 data engineers, an entry-level band, self-report $174,000 in total compensation on Levels.fyi.
Data Engineer Pay at Google, Meta and Amazon by Level
- Data Engineer compensation at Meta ranges from $170,000 per year for E3 to $835,000 per year for E7, per Levels.fyi.
- Amazon ranges from $183,000 per year for L4 to $539,000 per year for L7.
- Amazon’s L7 (Principal SDE) data engineers report $282,000 in stock and a $257,000 base.
- Google ranges from $174,000 per year for L3 to $358,000 per year for L6, with a $280,000 median package from 63 submissions, a small sample for one employer.
- Google’s stock column shows first-year stock, $38,900 at L3 and $97,400 at L6.
- Each total also includes a bonus column the table leaves out (bonus plus sign-on at Google), so base plus stock falls short of the total, and Meta’s E6 bonus is $38,000.
| Company | Level | Total ($) | Base ($) | Stock ($; Google: first-year stock) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta | E3 | 170,000 | 138,000 | 22,700 |
| Meta | E4 | 248,000 | 177,000 | 47,500 |
| Meta | E5 | 355,000 | 219,000 | 111,000 |
| Meta | E6 | 527,000 | 273,000 | 217,000 |
| Amazon | L4 (SDE I) | 183,000 | 137,000 | 25,500 |
| Amazon | L5 (SDE II) | 231,000 | 161,000 | 68,900 |
| Amazon | L6 (SDE III) | 334,000 | 191,000 | 143,000 |
| Amazon | L7 (Principal SDE) | 539,000 | 257,000 | 282,000 |
| L3 | 174,000 | 126,000 | 38,900 | |
| L4 | 276,000 | 181,000 | 70,900 | |
| L5 | 291,000 | 192,000 | 77,900 | |
| L6 | 358,000 | 227,000 | 97,400 |
Source: Levels.fyi, self-reported data engineer pay, October 2026
Key finding: On Levels.fyi, Meta data engineers report a $138,000 base and $22,700 in stock at E3. At E6, they report a $273,000 base and $217,000 in stock. Stock grows 9.6 times across those levels, while base grows 2.0 times.
Self-Reported Data Engineer Total Compensation
- The median Data Engineer salary on Levels.fyi is $159,000 in total compensation, with $315,000 at the 90th percentile.
- Analytics Engineer, another data title on the site, is listed at $177,500.
- Levels.fyi reported +3.49% median total compensation growth year over year for US submissions across all software engineer levels in its 2025 pay report.
- Senior Engineer pay rose from $300,000 in 2024 to $312,600 in 2025, a 4.2% change.
- Data Scientist compensation grew 2.92% in the same report.
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Data Engineer vs Software Engineer Salary
- Software developers had a median annual wage of $135,980 and a mean of $148,100 in May 2025.
- The software developer mean is $3,660 above the database architect mean, so the BLS edge for database architects holds on the median, not the mean.
- Self-reported software engineer salary runs higher: The median Software Engineer salary in the United States is $197,000, based on 47,753 salary submissions to Levels.fyi.
- BLS counted 1,687,890 software developers in May 2025, 25 times the database architect count.
- The two datasets count different workers and different pay: BLS covers wages for wage and salary workers, and Levels.fyi covers submitted packages that include stock.
| Measure | Data engineer ($) | Software engineer ($) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, May 2025 | 139,500 | 135,980 | BLS (database architects; software developers) |
| Mean annual wage, May 2025 | 144,440 | 148,100 | BLS (database architects; software developers) |
| 90th percentile wage, May 2025 | 204,000 | 214,670 | BLS (database architects; software developers) |
| Median total compensation, self-reported | 159,000 | 197,000 | Levels.fyi |
| 90th percentile total compensation, self-reported | 315,000 | 390,000 | Levels.fyi |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, Levels.fyi October 2026
By the numbers: The BLS median for database architects is $3,520 above the software developer median. On Levels.fyi, the data engineer median sits $38,000 below the software engineer median. Whether data engineers out-earn software engineers depends on whether the measure is BLS wages for wage and salary workers or self-reported packages with stock.
Data Engineer vs Data Scientist and Data Analyst Salary
- The BLS median for data scientist salary was $120,230 in May 2025, $19,270 below the database architect median of $139,500.
- The median Data Scientist salary in the United States on Levels.fyi is $180,000, based on 3,347 salary submissions, $21,000 above the self-reported data engineer median.
- The data scientist mean annual wage was $126,800 in May 2025.
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- Robert Half’s projected 2027 figures cover new-hire base pay only, so they rank related roles on a different measure.
- Robert Half lists projected salaries for related positions: Data Architect, Data Analyst, Database Manager, and Database Administrator, with Data Architect the highest at a $172,000 mid figure.
- The data analyst salary projection sits in that list, and the data engineer mid figure is $160,500 for a candidate who has moderate experience in the role or one similar.
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Are data engineers paid more than data scientists?
On BLS wages, yes: database architects had a $139,500 median in May 2025, against $120,230 for data scientists. On Levels.fyi self-reported totals, no: data scientists show a $180,000 median, above $159,000 for data engineers. The answer depends on which measure is used.
AI Skills and Data Engineer Pay
- Nearly three-quarters of managers (72%) say they are increasing pay for relevant AI skills, in Robert Half’s 2027 Salary Guide findings.
- Robert Half’s guide draws on survey findings from more than 2,000 hiring managers, business leaders and employed workers across the United States.
- Dice found professionals responsible for designing, developing, or implementing AI solutions command salaries 17.7% higher than their peers not involved in AI work.
- The Dice survey was administered online between August 30, 2024, and November 6, 2024, with 2,835 completed surveys.
- None of these sources isolates an AI premium for data engineers, so the figures describe hiring managers and tech workers broadly.
- Broader AI adoption figures are tracked in machine learning statistics.
| Finding | Figure (%) | Base | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increasing pay for relevant AI skills | 72 | Managers surveyed | Robert Half, 2027 Salary Guide |
| Offering higher-than-planned salaries to attract new talent | 57 | Managers surveyed | Robert Half, 2027 Salary Guide |
| AI expertise commands more than other technical skills | 42 | Managers surveyed | Robert Half, 2027 Salary Guide |
| Salary premium for AI solution work over peers | 17.7 | Dice survey respondents, 2024 | Dice Tech Salary Report |
Source: Robert Half 2027 Salary Guide, Dice Tech Salary Report 2025
Data Engineer Job Outlook
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook states that overall employment of database administrators and architects is projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
- About 7,300 openings for database administrators and architects are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
- Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force.
- Data scientists (+34.6%) rank among the top 10 fastest-growing detailed occupations in the BLS 2025 to 2035 projections.
| Occupation or group | Projected employment growth, 2025 to 2035 (%) |
|---|---|
| Data scientists | 34.6 |
| Computer and information research scientists | 21.8 |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 7.3 |
| Database administrators and architects | 4 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Conclusion
Data engineer salary figures diverge by measure. The median annual wage for database architects was $139,500 in May 2025. The median Data Engineer salary on Levels.fyi is $159,000 in self-reported total compensation. BLS records wages for wage and salary workers in the occupation, and Levels.fyi records packages, stock included, from people who choose to submit them.
Robert Half projects that average salaries for new hires across the 7 specializations it serves will rise 1.9% in 2027. BLS projects employment of database administrators and architects to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035. The first points to modest growth in new-hire base pay; the second to modest growth in employment.
