Data Engineer.
Billings.
$132,000
median salary, 12% below the national average
$101,000 to $172,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Data Engineer pay in Billings ranges from $101,000 to $172,000 in 2026. The median is $132,000, 12% below the national average. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $119,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$86,000
to $106,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$112,000
to $139,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$145,000
to $172,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$165,000
to $205,000
Salary trend
+3% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $37,000 to the total package.
Base
$132,000
Equity
$21,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $169,000
How Billings compares
Billings, MT
$132,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
National Average
$150,000
Billings is $18,000 below
Data Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in Billings
What you should know
Before you negotiate a Data Engineer offer in Billings, understand the terrain. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The city serves as a regional center for the Northern Plains. Remote work has brought a wave of tech professionals seeking Montana's quality of life, gradually diversifying the local job market. Proficiency with modern data stack tools like Spark, Kafka, dbt, and Snowflake separates top earners from the pack. Engineers who build real-time streaming pipelines or manage petabyte-scale warehouses earn 15 to 25% more. Startups with heavy ML infrastructure needs often pay premiums to attract pipeline specialists.
Junior data engineers start at $85,000 to $105,000, progressing to mid-level at $115,000 to $155,000 within three years. Senior data engineers earn $160,000 to $195,000, while staff-level or principal roles reach $210,000 to $270,000 at top-tier companies. In Billings, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 11% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity grants at data-intensive startups can represent 15 to 30% of total compensation. Annual bonuses range from 10 to 15%, and many firms provide $3,000 to $8,000 yearly learning stipends for cloud platform training. And on the tax side: montana has a top income tax rate of 5.9% but no state sales tax. Billings has no city income tax. The no sales tax benefit helps offset the state income tax. When someone quotes you $132,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work arrangements. Billings employers are increasingly open to remote and hybrid setups to attract talent from larger metros. The range for Data Engineers in Billings runs from $101,000 to $172,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Unstructured Data Engineer in Billings earns $133,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Billings is Chief AI Officer at $287,000
Common questions.
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