Staff Data Engineer Jobs
Last updated: February 1, 2026
50,000+
$194K+
growing
Staff
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[01] Hiring momentum
Who's hiring data engineers right now
Companies with software engineering postings in the last 90 days, ranked by how many jobs they posted in the last 30. Posting counts cover all seniority levels.
Posted 30d counts every job the company listed in the last 30 days across all roles; the surge badge compares its software engineering postings against its own 90-day baseline.
[02] Compensation
Data Engineer salary, level by level
Most companies level data engineers on the Software Engineer ladder — figures below are Software Engineer-family medians across 91 companies.
Each figure is the median of company-level p50s (base salary and total compensation, USD). Company ladder codes that can't be compared across companies (L4, IC3, ...) are excluded. 4,094 reported data points in total.
[03] Response time
Fastest to respond
Among companies hiring software engineering roles, the fastest median time from application to first recruiter screen — measured from real applications sent through Scoutify.
Medians are company-wide (all roles), so treat them as how quickly each recruiting org moves, not a per-role guarantee.
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Staff data engineer positions sit at the top of the individual contributor track. At this level, you're expected to define technical strategy, drive org-wide initiatives, and influence the direction of entire engineering organizations. Scoutify monitors 50,000+ company career pages so you can find staff opportunities that match your expertise and impact level.
Excelling as a Staff Data Engineer
What to expect
Staff data engineer positions typically require 8+ years of experience with demonstrated org-wide impact. You'll set technical direction for multiple teams, drive architectural standards, and shape the engineering roadmap.Staff data engineer compensation typically starts around $194K.
Org-wide influence
At the staff level, your scope extends far beyond any single team. You'll need to demonstrate cross-functional leadership, build consensus across engineering, product, and business stakeholders, and drive technical decisions that affect the entire organization. Prepare to discuss initiatives where you influenced without direct authority.
Evaluating the right opportunity
Staff engineer means different things at different companies. At a startup, it might mean being the most senior IC. At a large company, it means cross-org technical leadership. Understand the scope, expectations, and IC career ladder before committing. Look for companies that genuinely invest in staff+ IC tracks rather than treating them as consolation for not going into management.
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