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Junior Data Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Samba

Data Scientist

San Francisco, CA

$150K - $185K/yr

You will work closely with Data Engineering, Product, and go-to-market teams. WHAT YOU'LL DO ... Mentor junior Data Scientists through code review, pairing, and structured technical feedback ...

Samba

Data Scientist

San Francisco, CA

$150K - $185K/yr

You will work closely with Data Engineering, Product, and go-to-market teams. WHAT YOU'LL DO ... Mentor junior Data Scientists through code review, pairing, and structured technical feedback ...

Samba

Data Scientist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $185K/yr

You will work closely with Data Engineering, Product, and go-to-market teams. WHAT YOU'LL DO ... Mentor junior Data Scientists through code review, pairing, and structured technical feedback ...

Find Data Science

Data Scientist

San Francisco, CA

Mentor junior data analysts and contribute to the development of their technical skills. * Document ... Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R. * Experience with data ...

Heluna Health

Data Scientist Supervisor

Alhambra, CA · On-site

$9.8K - $13K/mo

Mentor junior data scientists and guide their model development, statistical analysis, and data science practices. * Data Engineering & Workflow Optimization - Collaborate with engineering teams to ...

Heluna Health

Data Scientist Supervisor

Alhambra, CA

$9.8K - $13K/mo

Mentor junior data scientists and guide their model development, statistical analysis, and data science practices. * Data Engineering & Workflow Optimization - Collaborate with engineering teams to ...

Socket.dev

Data Scientist, Fire TV

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$150 - $200/hr

Partner with Business Intelligence Engineers, Data Engineers, Product, Finance, and Marketing ... Mentor junior data scientists and analysts on methodology, tool usage, and analytical approach ...

New

Cloud BC Labs

AWS Data Engineer

Alameda, CA · On-site

$129K - $155K/yr

Proven experience in leading data engineering projects and mentoring junior Cloud BC Labs Inc is a digital transformation organization aimed at creating seamless solutions for clients to effectively ...

MSR Cosmos

AWS Data Architect

Torrance, CA · On-site

$67.50 - $88.75/hr

... to junior data engineers and architects Collaborate with stakeholders to define data strategy governance policies and compliance standards Monitor and troubleshoot data workflows addressing ...

Qualcomm

Data Engineer, Staff

San Diego, CA · On-site

$121K - $146K/yr

Develop reusable data engineering frameworks, libraries, and templates for ingestion ... Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance, including best practices for automating ...

Apple

Data Scientist

Cupertino, CA · On-site

We work directly with the Engineering, Product, and Operation teams responsible for routing data ... junior data scientists and leading projects of varying sizes and scopes

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All JobsData Engineering JobsJunior Data Engineering JobsJunior Data Engineering Jobs in California

Junior Data Engineering information

See California salary details

$33.1K

$70.9K

$108.1K

How much do junior data engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for junior data engineering in California is $70,859.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $47,900.00 and $79,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a junior data engineer do?

A Junior Data Engineer typically assists in designing, building, and maintaining data pipelines and databases to support analytics and business needs. They work with large datasets, ensuring data is collected, stored, and processed efficiently and accurately. Responsibilities often include data cleaning, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, and collaborating with data analysts and other engineers. Junior Data Engineers are usually early in their careers and work under the guidance of more experienced data engineers while developing their technical and problem-solving skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a junior data engineer?

To thrive as a Junior Data Engineer, you need a solid understanding of data structures, SQL, and programming languages like Python or Java, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with ETL tools, cloud platforms (such as AWS or Azure), and data warehousing solutions is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication help you excel in team environments and manage complex data workflows. These skills ensure you can reliably build, maintain, and optimize data pipelines that support organizational decision-making.

What are some typical challenges a junior data engineer may face when starting out, and how can they overcome them?

As a Junior Data Engineer, one common challenge is adapting to complex data infrastructure and unfamiliar tools or frameworks. You may also find it challenging to ensure data quality and consistency while working with large datasets. Collaborating closely with senior engineers and asking questions is key to overcoming these hurdles. Taking advantage of onboarding resources, documentation, and code reviews will help you learn best practices and improve your skills quickly. Embracing continuous learning and seeking feedback will set you up for long-term growth in data engineering.

What is the difference between Junior Data Engineering vs Data Analyst?

AspectJunior Data EngineeringData Analyst
Required SkillsBasic SQL, Python, data pipeline knowledgeData visualization, SQL, Excel
CertificationsEntry-level certifications in data engineering or related fieldsCertifications in data analysis or visualization tools
Work EnvironmentData engineering teams, IT departmentsBusiness units, marketing, finance teams
Industry UsageBuilding and maintaining data pipelines and infrastructureInterpreting data, creating reports and dashboards

Junior Data Engineering focuses on developing and maintaining data pipelines and infrastructure, requiring skills in SQL and Python. Data Analysts interpret data and create reports, often using visualization tools. While both roles work with data, Junior Data Engineers handle data flow and storage, whereas Data Analysts focus on data interpretation and insights.

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

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

What are popular job titles related to Junior Data Engineering jobs in California?

For Junior Data Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Junior Data Engineering jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Junior Data Engineering jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Junior Data Engineering jobs?

Cities in California with the most Junior Data Engineering job openings:

Junior Data Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Junior Data Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 88% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $70,859 per year, or $34.1 per hour.

Data Scientist

Samba

San Francisco, CA

$150K - $185K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 27 days ago

Job description

Samba is a media intelligence company. We know what the world is watching, reading, and thinking about - in real time, at scale, across every screen. Our data exists with the consent of over a billion people, organized into the most complete picture of consumer attention ever built. The biggest brands in the world use that picture to make smarter decisions. We think it's the most interesting data asset on the planet, because it's the most culturally relevant. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a hands-on Data Scientist to own and deliver complex measurement science and modeling work at the core of our measurement and audience sciences products. 

The role requires a deep, first-principles understanding of data science and machine learning - not just the ability to apply libraries, but the ability to reason clearly about model behavior, articulate trade-offs between approaches, and make defensible methodological decisions under ambiguity. This is emphatically a coding role - you will spend the majority of your time writing production-quality Python, building and evaluating models on large-scale viewership and web data, and delivering end-to-end ML solutions.

You will work closely with Data Engineering, Product, and go-to-market teams.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Write and own production-quality Python code end-to-end - well-structured, tested, documented, and built to last; PySpark proficiency is essential for working with Samba's billion-row viewership datasets

  • Design, build, and deploy measurement models and statistical frameworks that power Samba's campaign measurement, reach/frequency estimation, and cross-platform attribution products

  • Apply the right statistical and ML technique to the right problem - drawing from hierarchical models, Bayesian inference, gradient boosting, regularized regression, causal ML, and probabilistic record linkage - and clearly articulate the reasoning behind your choices

  • Build and evaluate multi-touch and multi-channel attribution models; apply Causal ML methods - counterfactual modeling, meta-learners (S-learner, T-learner, X-learner), and heterogeneous treatment effect estimation - to advertising and viewership measurement problems

  • Partner with Data Engineering to define data requirements, validate pipelines, and ensure model inputs are reliable, scalable, and production-ready

  • Lead technical design reviews and contribute meaningfully to architecture decisions across the Data Science team

  • Mentor junior Data Scientists through code review, pairing, and structured technical feedback - raising the team's technical floor

  • Communicate measurement methodologies and findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership and external clients

WHO ARE YOU

  • 5-7 years of professional data science experience - hands-on, delivery-focused, and measurable in shipped models and production systems

  • Expert-level Python - clean, modular, testable, production-ready code is your standard, not your aspiration

  • Advanced PySpark and Databricks - comfortable building and optimizing data pipelines and ML workflows on billion-row datasets

  • Deep, first-principles command of statistics and ML - you can explain from the ground up how these models work and you apply this understanding to make better modeling decisions

  • Solid grasp of experimental design - A/B testing, randomization, power analysis, and the conditions under which observational causal inference is appropriate

  • Fluent in the full ML lifecycle: feature engineering, model evaluation, deployment pipelines, drift monitoring, and iterative improvement in production

  • Hands-on experience with uplift modeling, synthetic control, difference-in-differences, or propensity-based approaches applied to advertising or media outcomes

  • Strong ownership mindset - you drive projects independently and are comfortable owning your models from data exploration through production delivery, with minimal hand-holding.

  • Clear communicator - able to translate statistical reasoning and model behavior into language that drives decisions with product, engineering, and leadership

  • Experience with multi-touch attribution (MTA) or multi-channel attribution modeling - understanding of the limitations of rule-based approaches and the methodological trade-offs of data-driven alternatives

  • Hands-on experience with Causal ML methods - counterfactual modeling, meta-learners, and heterogeneous treatment effect estimation - applied to advertising or media measurement outcomes

  • Direct exposure to TV or digital viewership data - ACR signals, STB data, viewership panels, or cross-platform measurement (linear + CTV/OTT)

  • Familiarity with the measurement

  • t vendor landscape (Nielsen, Comscore, VideoAmp, iSpot) and industry standards (MRC, GRP/TRP frameworks)

  • Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field - or equivalent depth demonstrated through work

$150,000 - $185,000 a year
Samba expects to offer a base salary between $150,000 - $180,000 USD per year for roles to be performed in San Francisco or California; actual base salary offered will depend on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Base salary is just one component of Samba's total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include bonuses, short-term incentives and long-term incentives. In addition, Samba provides health insurance, wellness offerings, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), and other employee benefits.
Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.
 
Samba may collect personal information directly from you, as a job applicant, Samba may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba's Applicant Privacy Policy. For residents of the EU , Samba Inc. is the data controller.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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