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Data Engineer Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Data Engineers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Data Engineers in a startup is 150k per year, with a range from 81k to 256k. The salary range for Data Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
149.9k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Data Engineer salary is $149,875, which is 32.8% higher than the average startup salary of $112,833. Data Engineer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$220,417/yr
Range $160k - $256k
Average
$149,875/yr
Range $115k - $174k
Below Average
$114,500/yr
Range $81k - $138k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Data Engineer can get in New York, that is $187,000. This pay is 24.8% higher than the average Data Engineer salary in startups, which is $149,875. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: New York (avg $187,000 per year), Minneapolis (avg $178,500 per year), Seattle (avg $170,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
New York
$187k
Minneapolis
$178.5k
Seattle
$170k
Cambridge
$152.5k
Denver
$150k
Austin
$140k
San Diego
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Data Engineer can get in Software Compliance, that is $281,500. This pay is 8.3% higher than the average Data Engineer salary, which is $260,000. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Software Compliance (avg $281,500 per year), Data Security (avg $281,500 per year), Computers (avg $281,500 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Data Engineer can get with C++, that is $185,000. This pay is 23.4% higher than the average Data Engineer salary in startups, which is $149,875. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Data Engineer skills of 2026 are:
1. C++
$185k
2. Deep Learning
$185k
3. PyTorch
$185k
4. Go
$166k
5. C
$160k
6. Docker
$145k
7. Kubernetes
$140k
8. PostgreSQL
$140k
9. AWS
$140k
10. Pyspark
$140k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Data Engineer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $215,000. This pay is 43.5% higher than the average Data Engineer salary, which is $149,875. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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