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Australia
Data Engineer salary guide Australia 2026
The typical Data Engineer salary in Australia is $137,000, with pay ranging from $88,000 at entry level to $160,000 for senior professionals.
Overview
What does a Data Engineer earn?
The median salary of Data Engineers in Australia is $137,000. Most positions sit within a typical range of $110,000–$160,000, though entry-level talent usually starts closer to $88,000. Senior professionals who bring specialist cloud expertise often command $160,000 or more.
Optional — pick a state first
Median for Data Engineer, nationally across Australia.
10th $110,000
25th $137,000
50th (median) $160,000
75th $189,000
90th
Figures above update by state/city. For a full breakdown by seniority, see the table below.
Location
Data Engineer salary by city
Sydney offers the highest Data Engineer salaries among Australia's major cities, at around $149,000. Not far behind is Perth at $137,000, while remote roles keep compensation competitive across the country.
What drives salary
Factors that affect Data Engineer pay
Your earning potential as a Data Engineer reflects more than just time in the industry. Architectural expertise and domain knowledge play a significant role in your market value.
Mastering modern platforms like Databricks or Snowflake significantly lifts your earning potential. Employers value professionals who can design medallion architecture patterns and build reliable pipelines.
Organisations in banking and healthcare handle complex, sensitive records. If you understand data governance and compliance frameworks, you'll command higher rates in enterprise environments.
Data teams increasingly rely on continuous integration and automated testing. Bringing strong DevOps principles to data delivery makes you a far more valuable hire.
Supporting predictive models requires distinct pipeline architectures and feature stores. Engineers who bridge the gap between data pipelines and machine learning systems stand out to hiring managers.
Formal credentials from major cloud providers or Databricks validate your technical depth. These qualifications give employers confidence when assessing you for higher-tier bands.
Comparison
How Data Engineers compare to related roles
A Data Engineer typically earns in line with a DevOps Engineer or Systems Engineer, reflecting shared requirements for scalable cloud infrastructure and automation. Compared to a Full Stack Developer or Quality Assurance Engineer, a Data Engineer generally commands higher pay once past entry level, driven by the specialised technical depth required for distributed systems and data modelling.
| Role | Range | Relative | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| DevOps Engineer | $120,000–$174,000 | $145,000 | |
| Data Engineer You are here | $110,000–$160,000 | $137,000 | |
| Full Stack Software Developer | $103,000–$143,000 | $122,000 | |
| Systems Engineer | $91,000–$142,000 | $114,000 | |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $84,000–$140,000 | $110,000 |
Employment Hero Job Data
Salary figures are derived from Employment Hero proprietary data. All figures represent base salary only and exclude bonuses, superannuation and other benefits. Last updated October 2026.
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