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Data Engineer Salary UK 2026 — Snowflake, Databricks, dbt, Spark
Data engineer salary UK — what Snowflake, Databricks, dbt, and Spark engineers earn in 2026
Data engineering is the largest discipline within UK "data" hiring, and the UK median salary for data engineers is £57,500. That's slightly higher than the overall UK tech median, reflecting the depth of SQL, Python, and cloud warehouse expertise the role requires.
This article breaks down UK data engineer pay by stack, seniority, and city, drawing on Geekery.io's salary and jobs data.
Data engineer salary by stack
The modern data stack has standardised around a handful of tools, but pay varies across them:
| Stack | Mid-level median | Senior median | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowflake + dbt + Python | £65,000 | £90,000 | Most in-demand combination |
| Databricks + PySpark | £67,500 | £95,000 | Common at larger enterprises |
| BigQuery + dbt | £62,500 | £87,500 | Strong at Google Cloud shops |
| Redshift + Airflow | £60,000 | £85,000 | Legacy AWS data estates |
| Azure Synapse / Fabric | £60,000 | £85,000 | Common at Microsoft shops |
Snowflake + dbt is the most in-demand combination, and Databricks (especially with PySpark) commands a small premium because of the larger-scale systems it handles. dbt specialists in particular are in heavy demand because analytics engineering has emerged as a distinct discipline.
Data engineer salary by city
| City | Median | Senior median |
|---|---|---|
| London | £72,500 | £100,000 |
| Manchester | £58,000 | £80,000 |
| Edinburgh | £62,500 | £87,500 |
| Bristol | £60,000 | £82,500 |
| Cambridge | £65,000 | £90,000 |
| Birmingham | £55,000 | £78,000 |
| Leeds | £57,500 | £80,000 |
| Remote (UK-based) | £60,000 | £85,000 |
London adds a 20–25% premium over national median. Other major hubs cluster around national median. Remote roles have largely converged to national median pay.
Data engineer salary by seniority
- Junior (0–2 years): £35,000–£48,000
- Mid-level (3–6 years): £55,000–£75,000
- Senior (7–10 years): £80,000–£100,000
- Staff / Principal (10+ years): £110,000–£135,000
The senior jump is the largest in absolute terms. Staff-level data engineers are typically responsible for the entire data platform across multiple teams.
Analytics engineering — the fastest-growing sub-specialism
Analytics engineering has emerged as a distinct discipline that sits between data engineering and data analysis. Analytics engineers own the dbt models, the semantic layer, and the data modelling work that data analysts consume. UK salaries:
- Junior analytics engineer: £35,000–£50,000
- Mid-level: £55,000–£72,500
- Senior: £80,000–£100,000
The UK analytics engineering market is concentrated in fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS. Demand has been growing rapidly since 2022.
How to use this data
- Browse [current data engineer jobs](/jobs/data/?sub=data-engineer) on Geekery.io
- See the [full data salary breakdown](/salaries/data/) for city and experience detail
FAQ
Q: What's the average data engineer salary in the UK? A: UK median is £57,500, with mid-level roles paying £55,000–£75,000 and senior roles £80,000–£100,000.
Q: What's the most in-demand data stack in the UK?
A: Snowflake + dbt + Python is the most common. Databricks is strong at enterprise scale.
Q: Do data engineers earn more than data scientists?
A: At the same seniority level, yes — typically 10–15% more, because data engineers are harder to hire.