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Data Engineer Entry Level Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Power System Engineer (Entry Level) Launch Your Career in Power Engineering SE Engineering, PC is ... care, data centers, and water/wastewater--this is an excellent opportunity to build your career.

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Power System Engineer (Entry Level) Launch Your Career in Power Engineering SE Engineering, PC is ... care, data centers, and water/wastewater--this is an excellent opportunity to build your career.

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Data Engineer Entry Level information

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$44.5K

$129.7K

$177.5K

How much do data engineer entry level jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for data engineer entry level in the United States is $129,716.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,500.00 and $137,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some typical projects or tasks that entry-level data engineers work on during their first year?

As an entry-level data engineer, you can expect to work on tasks such as building and maintaining data pipelines, cleaning and transforming raw data, and supporting the integration of different data sources. You'll often collaborate with data analysts and more senior engineers to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and well-documented. Early projects might include automating data extraction processes, setting up basic ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) workflows, or optimizing database queries. These foundational responsibilities help build the technical and teamwork skills essential for career growth in data engineering.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Data Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Data Engineer, you need foundational knowledge in programming (such as Python or SQL), data structures, and database management, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with ETL tools, cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), and version control systems is typically expected. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you collaborate with teams and adapt to evolving data needs. These skills ensure accurate data processing, efficient pipeline development, and successful integration within data-driven organizations.

What does a Data Engineer Entry Level do?

An entry-level data engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining systems that allow organizations to collect, store, and analyze large amounts of data. They typically work with databases, data pipelines, and cloud platforms to ensure data is accessible and reliable for analysis. Entry-level data engineers often assist with cleaning and transforming raw data, automating data workflows, and supporting data scientists and analysts. They also learn best practices in data security and performance optimization as they gain experience.

What is the difference between Data Engineer Entry Level vs Data Analyst Entry Level?

AspectData Engineer Entry LevelData Analyst Entry Level
Required CredentialsBachelor's in CS, IT, or related field; some certifications (e.g., Google Cloud, AWS)Bachelor's in Statistics, Math, or related field; certifications like Microsoft Data Analyst
Work EnvironmentFocus on building data pipelines, databases, and infrastructureFocus on interpreting data, creating reports, and visualizations
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, finance, healthcare, where data infrastructure is keyBusiness intelligence, marketing, finance, and consulting firms

While both roles involve working with data, Data Engineer Entry Level focuses on developing and maintaining data infrastructure, whereas Data Analyst Entry Level emphasizes analyzing data to generate insights. Both roles require strong technical skills and are essential in data-driven organizations.

More about Data Engineer Entry Level jobs
What cities are hiring for Data Engineer Entry Level jobs? Cities with the most Data Engineer Entry Level job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Data Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Data Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Data Engineer Entry Level jobs? States with the most job openings for Data Engineer Entry Level jobs include:
Infographic showing various Data Engineer Entry Level job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 99% Full Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,716 per year, or $62.4 per hour.

Jr. Data Engineer (Entry Level)

American Credit Acceptance Careers

Spartanburg, SC โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Posted 22 days ago


Job description

Description
American Credit Acceptance will not provide sponsorship for employment-based visas or immigration benefits for this position. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring immigration sponsorship now or in the future.
Summary
Are you obsessed with solving business problems that have a real positive impact on our customers and company? We are an AI-first engineering shop, leveraging AI tools to solve business problems. As an entry-level Data Engineer, you will be the pilot driving AI tools for code generation, peer reviews, security scanning, quality assurance and production support. Your primary responsibility is not to hand-write code all day, but to serve as the skilled, human-in-the-cockpit ensuring AI-generated products correct, secure, performant, and solves the most important, impactful business problems.
Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodation may be provided for individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions
โ€ข Priority #1 is knowing our business. You will be provided with extensive training on our business and then be expected to take the initiative to maintain and grow this knowledge.
โ€ข You will then use your business knowledge to unleash your internal entrepreneur to identify, understand and solve business problems.
โ€ข You will solve business problems by building AI-generated solutions:
โ€ข Collaborate closely with business partners to turn requirements into precise prompt and acceptance criteria
โ€ข Prompt, review, debug, and validate AI-generated code with minimal supervision
โ€ข Expertly prompt and iterate with AI coding tools to produce high-quality solutions
โ€ข Perform code reviews on AI-generated and human-written pull requests
โ€ข Prompt and maintain unit, integration, and end-to-end tests
โ€ข Identify bugs, security issues, performance problems, or architectural mismatches in AI output and either fix them or re-prompt effectively
โ€ข After you launch the solution, you will constantly circle back with the business to see if the solution is solving the problem and rapidly iterate through changes to improve the effectiveness of the solution.
โ€ข You may do this in a team setting with other engineers or tackle a problem independently.
Qualifications
โ€ข Bachelor's degree in computer science, Data Engineering, or related discipline (2025 - May 2026 graduates strongly encouraged)
โ€ข 0-2 years of professional experience (internships and academic/personal projects count)
โ€ข Ability to quickly read, understand, and debug C# /.NET code
โ€ข Experience AI coding assistant preferred
โ€ข Working knowledge of C#, ASP.NET Core, Web API, Entity Framework Core, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML, CSS, SQL and relational databases, Git and PR-based workflows
โ€ข Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
โ€ข Excellent verbal, written, and communication skills
โ€ข Enthusiasm for AI-driven development and prompt engineering
Supervisory Responsibility
This position will not have supervisory responsibility.
Work Environment and Physical Demands
This job is operated in a fully onsite in-person professional office. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers and phones.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. Workdays are Monday through Friday with flexible core hours. Occasional hours beyond 40 per week may be required during releases; on-call or weekend work is rare for entry-level roles.
Travel
This position will not require travel.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
EEO Statement ACA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. ACA complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.
California Privacy Notice
As an employer of California residents, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy rights. Any personal information you provide during the application process will be used solely for permitted internal purposes and will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws. By applying to this position, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in our Employee Privacy Notice .