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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$95K - $124K *

Lead and mentor a dynamic team of data analysts and engineers, driving the design and implementation of data solutions. Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance business performance through data-drive...

Illinois, USRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$100K - $125K *

Join a team that's redefining social media marketing by owning paid strategies across Meta and TikTok. Drive creative campaigns, manage substantial budgets, and enhance audience engagement while shapi...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $180K *

Transform the geocoding platform by enhancing data quality and search systems. Leverage ML and LLMs to optimize query understanding and automate data pipelines, impacting over 1 billion API calls dail...

New York, NYRemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Business Services

$180K - $200K *

Transform our data landscape by leading the end-to-end data platform, modernizing architecture, and empowering analytics teams to deliver trusted insights across the organization. Drive innovation wit...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$110K - $130K *

Champion accurate payroll processing and compliance while managing third-party vendor relationships. Drive payroll technology projects and ensure seamless integration of policies, enhancing employee s...

New York, NYRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Drive technical pre-sales and implementation for innovative API and AI products, serving as a key liaison between customers and engineering teams to enhance AI-driven discovery experiences in the medi...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $145K *

Drive product strategy and modernization for merchant onboarding solutions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance risk management capabilities and ensure market-leading standards in a d...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$149K - $193K *

Unlock potential by leading architectural strategies that align technologies with corporate goals, promote innovation, and drive cross-domain collaboration for optimal business transformation and oper...

Washington, DCRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Transportation

$150K - $180K *

Unlock the potential of AI and data infrastructure by leading the design and scaling of production-grade AI/ML workflows, ensuring security and performance in a multi-tenant environment for global pha...

Boston, MARemote

Reposted today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Staffing

$120K - $145K *

Innovate your career by leading SaaS modernization projects, enhancing delivery efficiency through AI and automation. Drive customer success by transforming legacy systems into scalable, sustainable s...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Transform client businesses by leading AI strategy and implementation. Drive impactful consulting engagements, build trusted relationships, and leverage emerging technologies to deliver measurable out...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Lead transformative AI consulting engagements, driving business value through innovative strategies and solutions. Collaborate with clients to assess processes, develop roadmaps, and implement AI tech...

New York, NYRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $225K *

Lead the charge in multidisciplinary engineering and design management for a large-scale industrial infrastructure project, ensuring compliance with technical standards and client expectations through...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$160K - $200K *

Lead the charge in architecting and building data solutions, managing ingestion, transformation, and reporting tools to elevate client analytical capabilities and ensure robust governance and access c...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $150K *

Grow your career with a dynamic team as you design and optimize scalable mobile and data-driven applications, contributing to architectural direction and fostering cross-functional collaboration acros...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $95K *

Join a dynamic team to analyze data and create dashboards that enhance facility maintenance operations, driving performance improvements and ensuring data accuracy for informed decision-making...

Fort Campbell, KYRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$130K - $170K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of real-time media ingestion, designing and operating distributed services that enhance communication data processing for analytics and security. Lead projects and...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$132K - $165K *

Lead the charge in building cutting-edge data lakes and warehouses, guiding cross-functional teams to optimize data strategies, ensuring robust architecture, and mentoring junior engineers in a dynami...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$230K - $360K *

Elevate customer success by designing and deploying innovative Gen AI and ML solutions. Collaborate with stakeholders to translate complex needs into impactful AI tools, ensuring reliability and busin...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Empower life sciences innovation by evaluating AI model outputs, ensuring quality and accuracy. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance predictive analytics and insights, bridging clinical...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$238K - $311K *

Transform data governance by leading enterprise strategies, ensuring data quality, and driving AI readiness. Collaborate across teams to establish policies, enhance metadata platforms, and foster a cu...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Drive data excellence by designing, developing, and maintaining ETL/ELT pipelines across various platforms, ensuring quality and reliability to support analytics and AI workflows in a collaborative, d...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Lead the charge in building a secure, self-service developer sandbox on Azure, delivering non-persistent desktops and managing the entire stack from landing zone to golden image while ensuring complia...

RemoteRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$80K - $100K *

Join a team that's driving financial insights and pricing strategies to enhance profitability. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support client proposals and contract renewals while navigatin...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$90K - $110K *

Champion client success by driving retention and expansion through data-driven insights and strategic advisement, while fostering relationships across various stakeholders within accounting firms for...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

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.