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Data Engineer Jobs

The backbone of modern data infrastructure. Building, maintaining, and optimising the pipelines that power data-driven decisions.

Open roles
141
Salary range
£40k – £100k
Hiring companies
81
View 141 live roles → Get an alert

Data Engineers are the architects and builders of the data infrastructure that underpins modern businesses. They design, build, and maintain the data pipelines, warehouses, and lakes that enable organisations to store, process, and analyse vast amounts of data. Whether working in scaleups, research-heavy startups, or the larger consultancies, Data Engineers play a crucial role in ensuring that data is accessible, reliable, and secure.

What the role does

Inside the role of a Data Engineer

A typical week for a Data Engineer is a mix of coding, testing, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

  1. 01
    Design and implement data pipelines using tools like Apache Kafka and Apache Spark.
  2. 02
    Optimise data storage and retrieval processes for efficiency and scalability.
  3. 03
    Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to understand their data needs.
  4. 04
    Monitor and maintain data infrastructure to ensure high availability and performance.
  5. 05
    Document and communicate data architecture and processes to stakeholders.
  6. 06
    Troubleshoot and resolve data-related issues as they arise.
Salary on the board

£40k – £100k

Based on advertised midpoints across the 584 UK listings priced in pounds in the last 12 months. Base salary only.

Salary visibility
16% of listings advertise a salary — up from 0% the year before.
By seniority
£k base
Entry
28
41
6 jobs
Junior
30
56
19 jobs
Mid
40
85
177 jobs
Senior
50
100
183 jobs
Lead
54
118
65 jobs
Director
95
126
5 jobs
Skills & tools

What hiring managers ask for

% of 389 listings posted in the last 12 months that mention each skill, extracted from job descriptions.

Python
68%
SQL
67%
Data Modelling
37%
AWS
32%
Data Pipelines
32%
Azure
31%
ETL
30%
Data Governance
29%
CI/CD
27%
Databricks
21%
Data Warehousing
20%
Power BI
19%
Career ladder

From Junior to Principal

A typical UK progression for data engineers. Years are guidance — strong people move faster, and many senior folks sidestep into research, product or management.

  1. Level 1

    Junior Data Engineer

    0–2 yrs

    Assists in building and maintaining data pipelines, with a focus on learning and supporting more senior team members.

  2. Level 2

    Data Engineer

    2–5 yrs

    Takes ownership of specific data pipelines and projects, ensuring they meet performance and reliability standards.

  3. Level 3

    Senior Data Engineer

    5–8 yrs

    Leads the design and implementation of complex data infrastructure, mentoring junior engineers and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

  4. Level 4

    Principal Data Engineer

    8+ yrs

    Strategises and oversees the entire data infrastructure, driving innovation and best practices across the organisation.

Pathway

How to become a Data Engineer

There's no single route, but most people follow some version of these steps.

  1. 1

    Learn the Basics

    Start with foundational skills in SQL, Python, and data storage systems. Gain experience with ETL processes and data warehousing.

  2. 2

    Build Pipelines

    Work on building and maintaining data pipelines using tools like Apache Kafka and Apache Spark. Focus on efficiency and scalability.

  3. 3

    Optimise Infrastructure

    Optimise data storage and retrieval processes to ensure high performance and reliability. Collaborate with data scientists and analysts.

  4. 4

    Lead Projects

    Take ownership of complex data infrastructure projects. Mentor junior engineers and ensure best practices are followed.

  5. 5

    Strategise and Innovate

    Strategise the overall data infrastructure, driving innovation and best practices. Oversee the implementation of new technologies and methodologies.

Live jobs

141 live roles

See all 141 roles →

Data Engineer

Design and build scalable data pipelines to migrate and integrate data from diverse legacy and enterprise systems into Azure Data Lake and Databricks. Focus on ETL/ELT development, source system integration, and data transformation within a maturing Azure environment. Collaborate with stakeholders to define patterns and improve data engineering standards.

GIS Recruiter Ltd London, United Kingdom £450 – £500 pd

Data Engineer

This role involves building and optimizing data pipelines to process and manage large volumes of data, enhancing the central data platform, and ensuring reliable information delivery for investment decision-making. You will work closely with stakeholders to shape data access and leverage it to maximize value.

Noir Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom £45,000 – £80,000 pa
On-site Permanent

Data Engineer

Design and build end-to-end data pipelines, from ingestion to warehousing, supporting data science and machine learning workflows. Own the data platform architecture and set data quality, governance, and compliance standards. Work in a small, collaborative team with direct impact across the business.

Intec Select Billingsgate, City And County Of the City Of London, United Kingdom £95,000 – £110,000 pa

Data Engineer

Design, build, and operate data infrastructure for high-level applications using open-source data integration and streaming technologies. Focus on scalability, reliability, and operability within distributed production systems. Work in a consultancy environment requiring UK security clearance.

Hexwired Recruitment Limited Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom £40,000 – £55,000 pa

Data Engineer

Data Engineer, Microsoft Fabric£400 to £475 per day, Inside IR35Edinburgh, HybridBright Purple are looking for an experienced Data Engineer to join a major data transformation programme in Edinburgh.This is a hands on contract role, joining at an important point in...

Bright Purple Riccarton, Edinburgh, United Kingdom £400 – £475 pd

Data Engineer

Design and build data pipelines to extract, transform, and aggregate data from AWS sources like DynamoDB and CloudWatch, delivering curated datasets for Power BI and potentially Microsoft Fabric. Support reporting needs by collaborating with stakeholders and ensuring data quality, governance, and compliance. Work within a fully remote setup with rare on-site requirements in Leeds.

Brio Digital Baker Street, Greater London, London, United Kingdom £500 ph

Data Engineer

The role involves designing, developing, and maintaining scalable data structures, pipelines, and ETL/ELT processes to support analytics and reporting. You'll work closely with analysts and business stakeholders to integrate data from multiple systems, ensure data quality, and contribute to the organisation's data strategy. The position offers opportunities to automate workflows and improve data reliability within a growing international tech environment.

Netbox Recruitment Kent, United Kingdom £60,000 – £70,000 pa

Data Engineer

Design and build data pipelines and transformations using Python, PySpark, and Microsoft Fabric within a modern lakehouse architecture. Develop production-grade data solutions with a code-first approach, focusing on distributed processing, data quality, and scalable data products. Contribute to a growing data platform with emerging use cases in automation, AI, and Generative AI.

SF Partners St Helens, Merseyside, United Kingdom £55,000 – £65,000 pa
See all 141 roles →
Top hirers

Companies hiring data engineers

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Hiring locations

Where this role is hiring

The locations with the most live listings for this role today.

London

Location
43 open

Manchester

Location
14 open

Leeds

Location
8 open

Oxford

Location
8 open

Birmingham

Location
7 open

Bristol

Location
5 open
FAQs

Common questions

  • Data Engineers commonly use tools like Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, SQL, Python, and data warehousing solutions such as Amazon Redshift or Google BigQuery.

  • Collaboration with data scientists is crucial. Data Engineers need to understand the data needs of data scientists to build effective data pipelines and infrastructure.

  • Key skills include proficiency in SQL, Python, and data storage systems, as well as a strong understanding of ETL processes, data warehousing, and big data technologies.

  • The typical career progression is from Junior Data Engineer to Data Engineer, then Senior Data Engineer, and finally Principal Data Engineer, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership.

  • For specific salary information, please refer to the salary section on this page, which is updated with the latest data from live job listings.

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