Data Engineer Salary Seattle 2026: Big Tech, Cloud Giants & More

Seattle is not a secondary tech market. It is home to two of the world's largest cloud platforms — AWS and Azure — plus a dense ecosystem of data-first companies that have made it one of the best cities on earth to be a data engineer. In 2026, that translates to exceptional compensation, genuine career depth, and a tax environment that quietly adds tens of thousands of dollars to your effective earnings.

This guide covers what data engineers actually earn in Seattle, which employers pay the most, which skills move the needle on compensation, and how Seattle stacks up against the other major tech hubs.

Seattle Data Engineer Salary by Level (2026)

These ranges reflect base salary across the Seattle tech market. At hyperscalers like Amazon and Microsoft, total comp at the senior level regularly exceeds $250K when RSUs vest. Staff engineers at FAANG-adjacent companies frequently clear $350K+ in total compensation years.

For a broader view of data engineering compensation across levels and geographies, see our Data Engineer Salary Guide 2026.

Top Employers and What They Pay

Amazon (AWS) is Seattle's dominant data employer. AWS alone employs thousands of data engineers across services like Redshift, Glue, Lake Formation, and EMR. Compensation at Amazon is heavily equity-weighted — base salaries are competitive but not the highest in market. The value is in RSUs, which Amazon structures as refreshes tied to performance and tenure. A senior DE at Amazon typically sees $180K–$220K base with $60K–$120K in annual RSU grants after vesting kicks in. Microsoft (Azure) in Redmond offers a different compensation model. Base salaries tend to run slightly higher than Amazon, RSU grants are more predictable, and the total comp package is more stable year-over-year. Azure Data Factory, Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric are core platforms where data engineering demand is concentrated. Senior DEs typically earn $170K–$215K base with $70K–$100K annual equity. Google (Kirkland) consistently pays at or above Amazon/Microsoft levels with the most transparent leveling. L5 data engineers earn roughly $175K–$210K base; L6 clears $200K+. Total comp at L6 often exceeds $350K. Meta (Seattle) has a meaningful Seattle presence focused on data infrastructure and ML platform work. Compensation is structured similarly to FAANG peers — strong base, large RSU grants, and performance bonuses. Tableau (Salesforce) is Seattle-native and a significant employer of analytics engineers and data platform engineers. Compensation runs 15–25% below pure FAANG, but culture and work-life balance are frequently cited as advantages. Expedia, Zillow, and T-Mobile represent the broader Seattle tech ecosystem — strong compensation (typically 80–90% of FAANG base) with less equity upside but often more stability and product impact. Boeing employs data engineers for manufacturing, supply chain, and operational analytics — typically at lower comp ranges ($110K–$160K senior) but with strong benefits and retirement contributions. Snowflake and Databricks both have Seattle offices and are known for aggressive equity packages, particularly at senior levels where early-stage options can create significant upside.

Stack Premiums: Skills That Move the Number

Not all data engineering skills are valued equally in Seattle's market. These technologies command measurable premiums above baseline:

Databricks / Delta Lake / Unity Catalog — 14–18% premium. The Databricks ecosystem has become the default for large-scale data processing at many Seattle employers. Unity Catalog expertise in particular is scarce and well-compensated. Snowflake — 12–16% premium. Despite Microsoft and Amazon pushing their own cloud warehouses, Snowflake maintains strong adoption in the region and dedicated Snowflake engineers command clear market premiums. dbt (data build tool) — 10–14% premium. Analytics engineering has matured significantly; dbt expertise is now expected at many companies but still commands a premium when combined with cloud warehouse depth. Spark / PySpark — 8–12% premium, and increasingly table stakes for senior roles. If you're building data pipelines at scale, Spark proficiency is assumed. AWS Glue / Amazon EMR — 8–10% premium at Amazon and AWS-heavy shops. Deep knowledge of AWS-native data tooling is a genuine differentiator in the region. Azure Data Factory / Synapse Analytics — 8–12% premium at Microsoft and Microsoft-partner organizations. Airflow — 6–10% premium as the standard orchestration layer. Less differentiating than two years ago, but still a clear positive signal.

Seattle vs. SF vs. NYC vs. Remote

Washington's zero state income tax is Seattle's structural compensation advantage. A San Francisco base salary of $195K looks better than Seattle's $175K — until you account for 9.3–13.3% California state income tax. The effective difference narrows significantly, and when housing costs are factored in, Seattle's value proposition often wins.

For data engineers working fully remotely, see our Remote Data Engineer Salary Guide 2026 for a detailed breakdown by employer type and location-adjusted pay policies.

RSU and Equity: Understanding the Real Compensation

At Amazon, equity is structured as RSUs that vest over four years, with a back-loaded schedule (5%/15%/40%/40%). New hire grants often look modest because the assumption is a refresh grant in year two or three. Senior engineers with 3+ years at Amazon frequently report total comp exceeding $300K once refreshes stabilize.

At Microsoft, RSUs vest quarterly after a one-year cliff — more predictable and liquid than Amazon's structure. Microsoft also has a formal stock award program tied to performance reviews, making compensation more transparent.

At growth-stage companies like Snowflake and Databricks, pre-IPO or post-IPO options/RSUs can represent significant upside but carry more variability. A Staff DE at a Series D company might accept $40K less in base salary in exchange for equity that could be worth multiples at exit.

For a comparison across locations including European markets, see our Data Engineer Salary in Berlin 2026 guide.

Negotiating in Seattle's Market

Seattle's tech market is competitive for experienced data engineers, particularly those with cloud-native stack expertise. A few principles that consistently hold:

Negotiate total comp, not just base. At Amazon especially, the conversation should be about RSU grant size and refresh trajectory, not just base salary. Moving base by $10K matters less than securing a larger initial grant. Use competing offers. Seattle data engineers with 5+ years of experience and strong cloud skills typically receive multiple inbound opportunities. Having a competing offer — even if you prefer the target company — adds 10–20% to final comp in most cases. Level correctly. Amazon and Microsoft have formal leveling systems (L5/L6/L7 at Amazon, 63/64/65 at Microsoft). Coming in at the right level matters enormously — a single level difference can be worth $40K–$80K in annual total comp. Reference the no-income-tax advantage when evaluating offers. If you're considering a move from California or New York, Seattle offers are effectively 5–9% richer on a take-home basis. Factor this into your minimum acceptable number.

For tech salary context across Seattle's full engineering market, see our Tech Salaries in Seattle 2026 overview.

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Related Salary Guides

Data Engineer Salary Guide 2026 — full global breakdown across levels and cities

Remote Data Engineer Salary 2026 — remote-specific comp analysis

Tech Salaries in Seattle 2026 — cross-role Seattle compensation benchmarks

Data Engineer Salary Berlin 2026 — European market comparison

Seattle in 2026 remains one of the strongest markets for data engineers anywhere in the world. The combination of hyperscaler demand, zero state income tax, and a maturing cloud-native ecosystem means experienced engineers can build genuinely exceptional compensation packages — without the California cost-of-living penalty.