1

Exempt Data Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Lead Data Engineer

Beverly Hills, CA · On-site

$180K - $250K/yr

  • PTO

OVERVIEW We are looking for a Lead Data Engineer to architect, build, and evolve the foundational ... exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not ...

Data Engineer III

Irvine, CA · On-site

$134K - $161K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Name: Data Engineer III Location: Irvine, CA Work Type: Full-time Department: Information ... Work Schedule + Benefits: * Full-time, Exempt * Office Hours: Hours will vary but typically work ...

Lead Data Engineer

Beverly Hills, CA · On-site

$180K - $250K/yr

  • PTO

OVERVIEW We are looking for a Lead Data Engineer to architect, build, and evolve the foundational ... exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not ...

Data Engineer III

Irvine, CA · On-site

$134K - $161K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Work Schedule + Benefits: * Full-time, Exempt * Office Hours: Hours will vary but typically work ... Minimum 5+ years' experience in a Data Engineering role * Strong experience with enterprise ...

Data Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$122K - $146K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About This Role Varda is seeking a Data Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will support ... This is a full-time, onsite, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.

Data Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$122K - $146K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About This Role Varda is seeking a Data Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will support ... This is a full-time, onsite, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.

Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140K - $348K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

We are looking for an experienced Data Engineer to partner with our Data Science and Data ... Exempt employees are eligible for employer-provided paid flexible PTO in addition to flexible paid ...

Lead Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$112K - $149K/yr

... Exempt / Union Represented This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week About ... Azure Data Engineer Associate; Power BI Data Analyst Associate; Azure Solutions Architect Expert ...

Emerging Field Data Engineer / Specialist

Irvine, CA · On-site

$77K - $100K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Status Exempt General Summary The purpose of this position is to support the Emerging Field Data ... Qualifications/Education * Engineer: BS degree in Engineering or Automotive Technology or ...

Manager of Data Engineering

Beverly Hills, CA · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

  • PTO

We are seeking an experienced Manager of Data Engineering to lead a team responsible for building ... exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not ...

Manager of Data Engineering

Beverly Hills, CA · On-site

$200K - $230K/yr

  • PTO

We are seeking an experienced Manager of Data Engineering to lead a team responsible for building ... exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not ...

Staff Data Architect

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$155K - $221K/yr

This will be a full-time , exempt position located in our Long Beach location. Responsibilities ... Integrate data from complex engineering systems (PLM/Teamcenter), manufacturing systems (MES/MOM ...

Staff Data Architect

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$67 - $86.25/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

This will be a full-time , exempt position located in our Long Beach location. Responsibilities ... Integrate data from complex engineering systems (PLM/Teamcenter), manufacturing systems (MES/MOM ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Exempt Data Engineer information

See California salary details

$43.9K

$128K

$175.2K

How much do exempt data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for exempt data engineer in California is $128,018.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $113,000.00 and $135,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an exempt data engineer?

Exempt Data Engineers are professionals responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the systems and architecture that allow organizations to collect, store, and analyze large amounts of data. The term 'exempt' refers to their employment status under labor laws, meaning they are salaried employees who are not eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). These engineers typically work with big data technologies, databases, and programming languages to ensure data is accessible, reliable, and secure for analysis and business decision-making.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an exempt data engineer?

To thrive as an Exempt Data Engineer, you need strong expertise in data modeling, SQL, programming (such as Python or Java), and a relevant degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with big data platforms (e.g., Hadoop, Spark), cloud services (like AWS or Azure), and data pipeline tools, along with certifications such as Google Data Engineer or AWS Certified Data Analytics, is typically required. Analytical thinking, effective problem-solving, and strong collaboration skills help set top performers apart. These competencies ensure the reliable design, implementation, and management of data systems that support business intelligence and organizational decision-making.

What is the difference between Exempt Data Engineer vs Data Analyst?

AspectExempt Data EngineerData Analyst
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science or related field, often certifications in data engineering toolsBachelor's in Statistics, Data Science, or related field, often certifications in analytics tools
Work EnvironmentDesigning, building, and maintaining data pipelines in tech or finance industriesInterpreting data, creating reports, and providing insights across various industries
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in companies with large data infrastructure, including tech, finance, and healthcareCommon in marketing, finance, healthcare, and retail sectors

Exempt Data Engineers focus on developing and maintaining data infrastructure, while Data Analysts interpret data to generate insights. Both roles require strong technical skills, but Data Engineers typically work more on data architecture, whereas Data Analysts focus on data analysis and reporting.

What are some common challenges faced by exempt data engineers when integrating data from multiple sources?

Exempt Data Engineers often encounter challenges when integrating data from various sources, such as incompatible data formats, inconsistent data quality, and varying update frequencies. Addressing these issues typically requires designing robust ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipelines and collaborating closely with data analysts, database administrators, and source system owners. Successfully overcoming these challenges not only ensures reliable data flow but also enhances the organization's ability to make data-driven decisions. Proactive communication and thorough documentation are key practices that help streamline integration processes.

What are the most commonly searched types of Data Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Data Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Exempt Data Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Exempt Data Engineer job openings:

Lead Data Engineer

ALO

Beverly Hills, CA • On-site

$180K - $250K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 22 days ago


Job description

OVERVIEW

We are looking for a Lead Data Engineer to architect, build, and evolve the foundational data platform that powers analytics, real-time decisioning, and operational intelligence across Alo.

This role is for a deeply experienced builder who has designed production-grade data systems end to end-from event ingestion and transformation to modeling, serving, and governance-and understands how to make them reusable, reliable, and scalable.

You will define the technical backbone for how teams ingest, process, and act on data across both batch and real-time systems, enabling marketing automation, inventory intelligence, and order fulfillment visibility.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Architect and own the end-to-end data platform, primarily on AWS

  • Design and scale event-driven architectures using Kinesis, Kafka, or similar

  • Build and evolve Medallion architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold)

  • Develop ELT pipelines using dbt and modern warehouses (Redshift, BigQuery, Snowflake)

  • Enable real-time marketing use cases (segmentation, triggers, personalization)

  • Design systems for inventory intelligence and allocation optimization

  • Build pipelines for order lifecycle and SLA insights

  • Establish standards for data modeling, testing, CI/CD, and observability

  • Enable analytics via Tableau and ThoughtSpot

  • Partner with cross-functional teams across business domains

  • Act as technical leader and mentor across engineering teams

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Platforms & Infrastructure
    • Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

    • Event-driven and streaming architectures

    • CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code

  • Data Engineering
    • dbt, SQL, Python

    • Batch and real-time pipelines

    • Medallion architecture

  • Analytics & Data Products
    • Tableau and ThoughtSpot

    • Semantic layers and KPI standardization

  • Experience
    • 6-8+ years in data engineering or platform engineering

    • Experience with large-scale data platforms

    • Retail/e-commerce experience preferred

The base salary range for this position is $180,000-$250,000 per year which represents the current range for the base salary for this exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. As such, on occasion and when applicable, there is the possibility that the final, agreed-upon base salary may be outside of the upper end of the range. Please also note the range listed is just one component of the company's total rewards package for exempt employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, long term incentives, a PTO policy, and many other progressive benefits.