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Startup Data Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Data Engineer

New York, NY · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

Data Engineer, Data Platform About the Role We are building out our Data Platform team at Sigma ... Startup experience Qualifications We Want (also, skills you'll learn!) * A drive to continuously ...

Data Engineer, Data Platform About the Role We are building out our Data Platform team at Sigma ... Startup experience Qualifications We Want (also, skills you'll learn!) * A drive to continuously ...

Data Engineer

Overland Park, KS · On-site

$111K - $133K/yr

Responsibilities Join our team at as a Data Engineer and play a pivotal role in designing, creating ... Analytical thinker with experience working in a fast-paced, startup environment. * Technical ...

Data Engineer

Philadelphia, PA · On-site

$109K - $131K/yr

Perpay Inc. is a certified B Corp and Philadelphia's most impactful growth-stage startup focused on improving the financial stability of everyday Americans. The Data Engineer will be responsible for ...

Data Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site +1

$113K - $136K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

We are looking to hire a Data Engineer with a strong work ethic and a passion for the fast-paced startup life. The ideal candidate doesn't just build pipelines - they think critically about how data ...

Data Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$113K - $136K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

We are looking to hire a Data Engineer with a strong work ethic and a passion for the fast-paced startup life. The ideal candidate doesn\'t just build pipelines -- they think critically about how ...

Data Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site +1

$113K - $136K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

We are looking to hire a Data Engineer with a strong work ethic and a passion for the fast-paced startup life. The ideal candidate doesn't just build pipelines - they think critically about how data ...

Sr. Data Engineer

Rochester, NY · On-site

$145K - $165K/yr

You have a startup mentality, a thirst for knowledge, and the ability to lead projects and mentor ... What You Bring (Requirements) * 5-8+ years of professional data engineering experience. * Deep ...

Data Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$123K - $148K/yr

  • PTO

Open Position - Data Engineer Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. Horizon Surgical Systems Inc. is ... This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-tech startup that is poised to revolutionize ...

Data Engineer

$117K - $140K/yr

Required : • 3-6+ years of experience in a data engineering or analytics engineering role, ideally at a high-growth startup or in a domain involving complex, real-time data (energy, fintech ...

Data Engineer

$117K - $140K/yr

Required : • 3-6+ years of experience in a data engineering or analytics engineering role, ideally at a high-growth startup or in a domain involving complex, real-time data (energy, fintech ...

Data Engineer

$117K - $140K/yr

Required : • 3-6+ years of experience in a data engineering or analytics engineering role, ideally at a high-growth startup or in a domain involving complex, real-time data (energy, fintech ...

Data Engineer

$117K - $140K/yr

Required : • 3-6+ years of experience in a data engineering or analytics engineering role, ideally at a high-growth startup or in a domain involving complex, real-time data (energy, fintech ...

Sr. Data Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$145K - $220K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Allocate is looking for a Senior Data Engineer to help build out the data infrastructure that ... As a fintech startup on a mission to make investing in top-tier private markets more accessible, we ...

Sr. Data Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · Remote

$220K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Allocate is looking for a Senior Data Engineer to help build out the data infrastructure that ... As a fintech startup on a mission to make investing in top-tier private markets more accessible, we ...

You will work closely with the product, engineering, and AI/ML teams to ensure Thesis's data ... startup. Responsibilities * Build core data infrastructure: Design, implement, and maintain ...

You will work closely with the product, engineering, and AI/ML teams to ensure Thesis's data ... startup. Responsibilities * Build core data infrastructure: Design, implement, and maintain ...

Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$145K/yr

Company Overview Swish Analytics is a sports analytics, betting and fantasy startup building the ... The Swish Analytics team is seeking Data Engineers based in Europe to have a direct impact on the ...

Data Engineer

Philadelphia, PA · On-site

$115K - $138K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Perpay is a certified B Corp and Philadelphia's most impactful growth-stage startup. We are driven ... Data Engineering, Data Science, and Strategic Analytics. Data Engineering owns the warehouse, the ...

Showing results 21-40

Startup Data Engineer information

See salary details

$44.5K

$129.7K

$177.5K

How much do startup data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for startup data engineer 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 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.

More about Startup Data Engineer jobs

What cities are hiring for Startup Data Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Startup Data Engineer job openings:

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

The most popular types of Startup Data Engineer jobs are:

What states have the most Startup Data Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Startup Data Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Startup Data Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,716 per year, or $62.4 per hour.

FULL TIME Role || Platform Engineer Applied AI

Tek Pyramids

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 9 days ago


Job description


Platform Engineer - Applied AI

Location

San Francisco, CA (Onsite - 5 days/week)

Duration

Fulltime

Note

Must have startup/data platform experience, Amazon Mechanical Turk or Meta GenAI background, Top 30 CS degree (CA/EUR), and strong Kubernetes, Node.js/Python, Kafka, Redis, Elasticsearch skills.

Qualifications

  • 6-12 years building and maintaining platform infrastructure with full-stack capabilities
  • Strong experience building production distributed systems or platform infrastructure
  • Cloud: Hands-on experience designing and operating systems on AWS or Google Cloud Platform
  • Experience from one of the following:
    • VC-backed startup
    • Founding Engineer at a startup that raised $2.5M+
    • Company specializing in data at scale (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, Confluent)
    • Amazon Mechanical Turk (only this Amazon team accepted) or Meta GenAI
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from a Top 30 university
  • Kubernetes expertise
  • Strong proficiency in Node.js or Python
  • Experience with Kafka, Redis, and Elasticsearch

Preferred / Strongly Desired

  • Experience in high-growth startup environments
  • Background in large-scale data infrastructure and distributed platforms
  • Strong Individual Contributor (IC) who is still hands-on technically

NOT A FIT:

  • Undergraduate degree outside Canada/Europe (unless from a Tier-1 research lab or companies like Micro1, SurgeAI, ScaleAI, etc.)
  • Too senior and no longer an Individual Contributor (IC)
  • Candidates whose experience is only Big Tech that doesn't specialize in data at scale
  • Career FAANG engineers
  • International students coming from Master's programs
  • Job hoppers (multiple roles under 1 year within the last 3 years)
  • Extensive contract-only experience