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.

Remote
caret down
Compensation
caret down
Position Level
caret down
Time Posted
caret down
Industries
caret down
More
1
caret down

$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 - $200K *

Transform complex scientific data into scalable solutions. Lead design and implementation efforts, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive impactful data products...

Boston, MARemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Staffing

$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

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$112K - $193K *

Shape the future of healthcare technology by leading software development initiatives, driving AI integration, and enhancing operational efficiency across multiple teams while maintaining hands-on cod...

Eden Prairie, MNRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$130K - $155K *

Join a team that designs and deploys lab environments for Cloud Security Posture Management using advanced OpenStack expertise. Contribute to testing and validating API-based security tools in multi-t...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Manage and optimize cloud infrastructure solutions on Azure, focusing on Kubernetes and CI/CD pipelines. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance production services, ensuring high availabil...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $140K *

Grow your career with a fully remote role focused on designing and optimizing secure, scalable cloud-based data solutions across Azure and AWS, supporting critical national defense initiatives through...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Staffing

$211K - $248K *

Lead the charge in managing the complete ML model lifecycle, ensuring robust deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement. Collaborate with data scientists to enhance model performance and opera...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$150K - $224K *

Help us transform investment technologies by architecting solutions across full stacks in agile teams. Drive innovation and mentor engineers while ensuring compliance in a dynamic, regulated environme...

Missouri, USRemote

Reposted 1 month ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$140K - $160K *

Shape the future of software development by designing and implementing scalable applications while integrating advanced AI solutions and enhancing system architectures to meet enterprise needs and ens...

Virginia, USRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Elevate data architecture by leading design and governance for a critical modernization program, ensuring secure, scalable solutions in AWS GovCloud while collaborating with diverse stakeholders to ma...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$177K - $212K *

Develop and deploy advanced ML models for multi-object tracking, ensuring robust performance in autonomous vehicles. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance tracking algorithms and improve...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Architect robust Kubernetes solutions to enhance cloud infrastructure. Drive multi-cloud initiatives and implement cell-based architecture for scalable, reliable services. Join a team dedicated to bui...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$180K - $220K *

Deliver innovative data pipelines for legal records, transforming unstructured data into actionable insights while supporting advanced AI workflows and data quality improvements for robust legal resea...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$164K - $197K *

Empower developers to enhance observability through robust cloud integrations, utilizing modern technologies in a collaborative remote environment. Contribute to open source tools while delivering imp...

CanadaRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $150K *

Innovate as you guide Fortune 500 clients in leveraging AI solutions. Collaborate with sales teams, deliver dynamic presentations, and serve as trusted technical advisor to modernize legacy systems an...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Engineer transformative solutions by integrating cutting-edge APIs into enterprise systems. Collaborate closely with clients to deploy production software efficiently while leveraging modern AI tools...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

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.