Data Engineering Manager Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$171,000
national median salary
$134,000 to $216,000. Last updated July 2026.
Highest Paying
$229,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$178,000
Boston, MA
Lowest Paying
$128,000
Charleston, WV
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Most ranges are anchored to BLS OES occupation wage percentiles and placed by seniority level (entry near the 25th, mid at the median, senior at the 75th); a minority of emerging roles retain a modeled estimate where BLS has no matching series. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated July 2026. Baseline derived from BLS SOC 11-3021. Full methodology.
The average Data Engineering Manager salary in the United States is $171,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $134,000 at the 25th percentile to $216,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $229,000, while Boston offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Data Engineering Managers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
Data Engineering Manager salary by city.
Skills that increase Data Engineering Manager pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Data Engineering Managers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $23,940 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$23,940 per year
≈ +$22,230 per year
≈ +$20,520 per year
≈ +$18,810 per year
≈ +$18,810 per year
≈ +$17,100 per year
≈ +$17,100 per year
≈ +$15,390 per year
What you should know.
Compensation for Data Engineering Managers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. At the mid-management level, the scope of the organization under management ($10M budget vs $100M+) drives the largest compensation variance.
Data Engineering Managers typically advance from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with staff and principal levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-team impact.
Total compensation for Data Engineering Managers runs roughly $193K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At management levels, variable compensation (bonus + LTIP) grows as a share of total — expect 30–50% variable at director and 50%+ variable at VP and above.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Data Engineering Managers typically earn $154,000 (10% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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Common questions about Data Engineering Manager pay.
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