Explore Senior Data Engineer Jobs

Senior Data Engineers design and operate the systems that help organizations turn raw information into dependable, useful data. They build scalable data platforms, develop resilient pipelines, and enable analytics, machine learning, and business decision-making. Explore vetted Senior Data Engineer opportunities on Ladders, where featured professional roles pay $100,000 or more.

What Senior Data Engineers Do

In a senior data engineering role, you may own data architecture, create batch and streaming pipelines, improve data quality, and make datasets easier for teams to discover and use. You may also guide technical standards, review code, mentor colleagues, and partner with data scientists, analysts, product teams, and business leaders.

Skills and Technologies Employers Seek

Employers commonly look for deep SQL and programming experience, often with Python, Java, or Scala. Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, as well as distributed processing tools, orchestration systems, data warehouses, and lakehouse technologies, can be valuable. Strong data modeling, testing, security, and system design skills help senior engineers build trustworthy platforms at scale.

Senior Data Engineer Salary and Career Outlook

Compensation varies by location, industry, company size, scope, and experience. Senior-level roles often pay six-figure salaries, particularly when they involve platform ownership, cloud architecture, or leadership responsibilities. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, making it easier to explore opportunities aligned with your experience and compensation goals.

Find the Right Senior Data Engineering Role

Compare roles by technology stack, business domain, team structure, and level of ownership. Tailor your resume to show measurable outcomes—such as faster pipeline performance, improved data reliability, lower infrastructure costs, or broader access to trusted data. Browse Senior Data Engineer jobs on Ladders to find a position where you can make a meaningful impact.

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$210K - $273K *

Drive the evolution of a robust online ML inference platform, enhancing model deployment, performance, and safety in high-traffic environments by collaborating with cross-functional teams and spearhea...

Washington, DCRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$88K - $180K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of AI-native software development. Drive engineering excellence by orchestrating autonomous agents and maintaining high-quality standards in a FedRAMP-authorized e...

United StatesRemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$200K - $270K *

Join a team pioneering AI/ML platform engineering, enhancing scalable infrastructure to empower scientific innovation. Shape the future of distributed systems and MLOps, collaborating across teams to...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform marketing strategies by leveraging data insights, building algorithms, and optimizing campaigns. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance performance and drive growth through innov...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$152K - $205K *

Lead the charge in architecting AI-driven solutions for enterprise clients, transforming complex data governance challenges into actionable insights. Collaborate with stakeholders to shape product evo...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Join a team that's dedicated to financial excellence, supporting project teams in clinical trials. You'll analyze budgets, manage general ledger functions, and ensure accurate financial reporting whil...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$100K - $250K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of AI software development by owning our full data stack, from ETL to business intelligence, and driving impactful data modeling and visualization efforts across...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Transform cloud infrastructure for higher education products by designing, building, and operating AWS and Azure environments. Collaborate with teams to enhance reliability, automate processes, and me...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$242K - $275K *

Lead the charge in developing and deploying robust containerized software, manage CI/CD workflows, and grow a cohesive engineering team to enhance customer security operations and software delivery ac...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$154K - $185K *

Elevate your career by developing integral integrations for Grafana Cloud, enabling users to visualize application performance across diverse environments and architectures. Collaborate in a remote-fi...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Drive innovation in scalable distributed systems by designing and building a reliability platform. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance service health and observability while mentoring f...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$223K - $317K *

Drive the evolution of a robust Fulfillment platform, shaping architecture and strategy while mentoring teams. Lead modernization efforts to enhance scalability, reliability, and performance, ensuring...

RemoteRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$225K - $265K *

Unlock potential by leading a transformative data engineering team focused on building robust, high-performance data platforms. Drive innovation, foster a culture of learning, and ensure impactful out...

Nashville, TNRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$170K - $190K *

Engineer data strategies and methodologies for emerging sectors, transforming complex datasets into actionable insights. Lead a team while collaborating cross-functionally to enhance data accuracy and...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Innovate AI-driven systems that enhance clinical and operational workflows. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to streamline processes, elevate care delivery, and build scalable infrastructure in...

New York City, NYRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $180K *

Drive the modernization of Veterans Benefits Administration claims processing by designing and optimizing scalable data pipelines and solutions, ensuring efficient data integration and analytics for i...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$140K - $160K *

Drive the development of critical enterprise applications for DoD personnel, enhancing program and financial management capabilities. Collaborate within a product team to modernize technology and deli...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Elevate your career by building transformative backend services and distributed systems that empower enterprises to monitor AI effectively. Drive projects from vague concepts to deployed products whil...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Join a dynamic team as a Senior Applied AI Engineer, driving AI innovations across product lines. Leverage your expertise in machine learning to transform complex challenges into production-ready solu...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $160K *

Drive the development of critical enterprise applications for defense personnel, utilizing Java, Spring Boot, and Angular. Collaborate in an agile team to enhance program and financial management tool...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $120K *

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and develop user-centric web applications, integrating AI-driven insights for high-stakes decision-making workflows while ensuring performance and sec...

Virginia, USRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $160K *

Join our dynamic team to design and develop cutting-edge AI platforms, enhancing decision-making workflows through innovative web applications and robust backend services. Collaborate across the full...

Virginia, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Join a dynamic team to design and develop a next-gen AI platform, focusing on intelligent agent frameworks and modern web applications. Collaborate across the full stack to enhance decision-making wor...

Virginia, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $260K *

Lead the development and maintenance of a robust Azure Databricks platform, ensuring operational excellence, security, and performance while driving strategic enhancements to support healthcare delive...

Illinois, USRemote

Reposted 3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$72K - $160K *

Architect and optimize scalable data pipelines using Azure Databricks for credit card data processing. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure data quality and support modernization efforts...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a Senior Data Engineer do?question toggle

    A Senior Data Engineer designs, builds, and maintains data platforms and pipelines. The role often includes setting technical standards, improving data quality and reliability, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with analytics, machine learning, and business teams.

  • What skills are needed for Senior Data Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Common requirements include advanced SQL, programming in languages such as Python, Java, or Scala, data modeling, distributed data processing, cloud infrastructure, and pipeline orchestration. Employers may also value experience with data warehouses, streaming systems, security, and technical leadership.

  • How much do Senior Data Engineers earn?question toggle

    Pay depends on location, industry, employer, experience, and role scope. Many senior positions offer six-figure compensation. Ladders features vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more.

  • What qualifications are typically required for a Senior Data Engineer role?question toggle

    Employers often seek several years of hands-on data engineering experience and a track record of delivering production data systems. A degree in computer science or a related field may be preferred, though equivalent practical experience is often considered.

  • How can I find a Senior Data Engineer job on Ladders?question toggle

    Browse Senior Data Engineer listings on Ladders and compare opportunities by employer, location, technology stack, and responsibilities. Highlight relevant systems work and measurable results in your resume when applying.