ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Startup Data Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Permute AI, Inc

Senior Data Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$180K - $280K/yr

Senior Data Engineer - AI Systems Employment Type: Full-time Company: Permute (www.permute.ai ... Operate effectively in ambiguous, rapidly evolving startup environments Required Qualifications

New

RxSaveCard Inc

Data Engineer (Remote)

Chicago, IL · Remote

$117K - $140K/yr

Key Responsibilities Data Engineering * Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines for ... Prior startup or growth-stage experience is a strong plus * Prior experience within startups ...

1872 Consulting

Head of Analytics

Chicago, IL · On-site

Job Summary : 1872 Consulting is a major cryptocurrency-based startup seeking its first Lead Data Engineer. In this role, you'll lead a team of data engineers and analysts, design and build data ...

Red Circle

Head of Data Engineering

Chicago, IL

$260K/yr

Experience scaling engineering teams within startup or high-growth environments. * The ability to ... data is the product, we'd love to meet you. Salary: $180,000+Bonus+equity

New

BiomeSense

Senior Bioinformatics Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

... sciences startup applying gut microbiome (GMB) technologies (GutLab, MetaBiome) to advance ... Data Engineering - build & maintain cloud infra: databases, distributed computing workflows & REST ...

Amazon

Startup Solutions Architect, Startups

Chicago, IL · On-site

$65 - $85.50/hr

The AWS Startup Solutions Architecture team is dedicated to working with these early stage startup ... engineering, infrastructure, security, networking, data & analytics) experience PREFERRED ...

Nexus Engineering Group

SCADA Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site +1

As a SCADA Engineer , you will develop and support supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA ... Full-service EPCm exposure, from concept through startup, across a diverse client base * Career ...

Nexus Engineering Group

SCADA Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site

$85K - $120K/yr

As a SCADA Engineer , you will develop and support supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA ... Full-service EPCm exposure, from concept through startup, across a diverse client base * Career ...

Nexus Engineering Group

SCADA Engineer

Oak Brook, IL · On-site +1

$85K - $120K/yr

As a SCADA Engineer , you will develop and support supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA ... Full-service EPCm exposure, from concept through startup, across a diverse client base * Career ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsStartup Data Engineer JobsStartup Data Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Startup Data Engineer information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$45.8K

$133.6K

$182.9K

How much do startup data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for startup data engineer in Chicago, IL is $133,627.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,000.00 and $141,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a startup data engineer?

A Startup Data Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining data infrastructure in an early-stage company. They work on developing ETL pipelines, managing databases, and ensuring data is accessible and reliable for analytics and machine learning. Unlike in larger companies, they often operate with limited resources, requiring them to balance scalability, cost-efficiency, and speed. They may also take on DevOps and software engineering tasks to support the startup’s evolving data needs. Adaptability and problem-solving skills are crucial in this role.

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

To thrive as a Startup Data Engineer, you need strong programming skills (especially in Python or Scala), experience with data modeling, ETL pipelines, and a solid understanding of database management. Proficiency with tools like SQL, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and frameworks such as Apache Spark or Airflow is typically expected, while data engineering certifications are a plus. Adaptability, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical team members are crucial soft skills in this environment. These attributes are essential for efficiently building data infrastructure and collaborating with fast-moving startup teams to enable data-driven decision-making.

What are the typical challenges faced by a startup data engineer, and how is the work environment different from larger companies?

As a Startup Data Engineer, you may encounter unique challenges such as building data systems from scratch, managing ambiguous requirements, and wearing multiple hats due to smaller team sizes. The work environment is often fast-paced and dynamic, with frequent changes in project priorities and high expectations for proactive problem-solving. You’ll likely collaborate closely with engineers, analysts, and founders, gaining hands-on experience with the entire data pipeline and direct influence on core business decisions. This setting offers excellent opportunities for rapid skill growth, creativity, and career advancement, but requires comfort with ambiguity and a strong sense of ownership.

What are the most commonly searched types of Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL?

The most popular types of Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What are popular job titles related to Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Startup Data Engineer jobs in Chicago, IL are:

Startup Data Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Startup Data Engineer job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 89% In-person, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $133,627 per year, or $64.2 per hour.

Senior Data Engineer

Permute AI, Inc

Chicago, IL • On-site

$180K - $280K/yr

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New

Job description

Senior Data Engineer - AI Systems
Employment Type: Full-time
Company: Permute (www.permute.ai)
Overview
Permute is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to design, build, and operate the data infrastructure that powers production AI systems. This role is for builders who move quickly, think clearly in ambiguous situations, and take ownership of turning messy data and evolving requirements into reliable, scalable systems.
We care as much about how you think and build as we do about your background. The ideal candidate is someone who can reason through new data problems, prototype quickly, and build robust pipelines and infrastructure in a fast-moving startup environment.
Responsibilities
  • Design and build scalable data pipelines and infrastructure supporting AI and ML systems
  • Develop and maintain data ingestion, transformation, and storage systems for large-scale datasets
  • Build data platforms that support LLM systems, agent workflows, and model evaluation
  • Develop tooling for data quality, validation, monitoring, and observability
  • Collaborate with engineering, product, and ML teams to deliver data systems that power AI features
  • Design systems that enable efficient experimentation, training, and evaluation of models
  • Optimize performance, reliability, and scalability of data infrastructure
  • Operate effectively in ambiguous, rapidly evolving startup environments

Required Qualifications
  • Strong background in data engineering and distributed systems
  • Experience building scalable data pipelines and data platforms
  • Strong foundation in algorithms, statistics, and data modeling
  • Proficiency with Python and modern data infrastructure tools
  • 5+ years building and operating systems in AWS environments

Preferred Background
  • Degree in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or a related technical field

Experience with:
  • End-to-end production data platforms
  • Streaming and batch data processing systems
  • Data infrastructure supporting ML training, MLOps, evaluation, and deployment
  • Data quality, monitoring, and observability systems
  • Infrastructure supporting AI or LLM-powered applications

Apply