Staff Data Quality Engineer Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$186,000
national median salary
$145,000 to $242,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$267,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$194,000
Washington DC, DC
Lowest Paying
$148,000
Charleston, WV
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026. Baseline derived from BLS SOC 15-1253. Full methodology.
The average Staff Data Quality Engineer salary in the United States is $186,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $145,000 at the 25th percentile to $242,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $267,000, while Washington DC offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Staff Data Quality Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
Staff Data Quality Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase Staff Data Quality Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Staff Data Quality Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $26,040 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$26,040 per year
≈ +$24,180 per year
≈ +$22,320 per year
≈ +$20,460 per year
≈ +$20,460 per year
≈ +$18,600 per year
≈ +$18,600 per year
≈ +$16,740 per year
What you should know
Compensation for Staff Data Quality Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Equity is a major component at roughly 35% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within tech-sector Staff Data Quality Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
Staff Data Quality Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. For Staff Data Quality Engineers specifically, the seniority anchor typically means 7 to 12 years of experience with demonstrated independent scope.
Total compensation for Staff Data Quality Engineers runs roughly $289K at median when factoring base + equity (35% of base annually) + bonus (15% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.
Total compensation breakdown
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Staff Data Quality Engineers typically earn $173,000 (7% 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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