Data Engineer Salary in Dresden (2026)
Data engineers in Dresden earn €50,000–€88,000 per year, with a median of €65,000. Data engineering is one of Dresden's strongest specializations — a single wafer lot generates gigabytes of process data across hundreds of processing steps. Building the pipelines that power yield analytics, real-time fab monitoring, and predictive maintenance is production-critical engineering in a city where semiconductor manufacturing is the dominant industry.
Key Facts
- Data engineers earn €50K–€88K/year with median of €65K
- Semiconductor manufacturing generates massive data engineering demand
- Apache Spark, Kafka, and time-series databases are most in demand
- Semiconductor data modeling is a premium, globally scarce skill
- Manufacturing sensor data adds real-time streaming pipeline requirements
Salary by Experience Level
- Junior (0–2 years): €50,000–€57,000
- Mid-level (3–5 years): €60,000–€73,000
- Senior (6+ years): €78,000–€88,000
The Semiconductor Data Pipeline Challenge
Semiconductor fabrication is one of the most data-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. Infineon's Dresden fab generates continuous streams of equipment sensor data, process parameters, quality measurements, and yield metrics. GlobalFoundries processes millions of data points daily across hundreds of fabrication steps. Building and maintaining the pipelines that power manufacturing analytics requires real engineering skill — and these companies pay accordingly (€68K–€88K for experienced engineers).
Streaming and Real-Time Infrastructure
Manufacturing data is time-sensitive — late analytics mean defective wafers have already moved to the next process step. Kafka and streaming architectures are central to Dresden's data engineering market. Time-series databases for equipment monitoring, real-time quality control dashboards, and event-driven architectures for manufacturing alerts are core competencies.
In-Demand Data Engineering Skills in Dresden
Apache Spark and Kafka for streaming top the list. Time-series databases (InfluxDB, TimescaleDB) for manufacturing monitoring are Dresden-specific differentiators. Cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure) integrated with on-premises fab systems require hybrid pipeline design. ETL/ELT for high-volume sensor data is core to nearly every senior role. Semiconductor process data modeling is uniquely valued and commands a 10–15% premium.
Top Hiring Companies
Career Advice
Master Spark, Kafka, and time-series databases — they're the skills Dresden employers seek most. Then build semiconductor manufacturing data domain knowledge. Infineon and GlobalFoundries are the strongest employers, offering the best pay and most complex pipeline challenges. Cloud-on-premises hybrid pipeline design is table stakes at senior level. Semiconductor process data modeling expertise will differentiate you globally — it's a combination that Berlin's market simply can't develop.
Data Engineer Insights — Dresden
Data Engineer salaries in Dresden range from €50,000 to €88,000, a 58% spread that reflects significant variation based on experience level, specialization, and company size. The median of €65,000 sits below the midpoint, suggesting more positions cluster toward the entry-to-mid-level end of the range.
Dresden's cost of living index of 66/100 represents moderate living costs. At a median salary of €65,000, data engineer professionals here enjoy solid purchasing power relative to higher-cost tech hubs.
The hiring landscape for data engineer in Dresden is anchored by employers like Infineon, GlobalFoundries, and SAP, along with 2 other notable employers. Larger employers in this market typically offer compensation at the upper end of the range, often supplemented with equity, signing bonuses, and comprehensive benefits.
Demand for data engineer in Dresden centers around expertise in Apache Spark, SQL, Python, plus 2 other core competencies. Candidates with strong proficiency across these areas tend to command offers closer to the €88,000 ceiling, and have natural transition paths into roles like Senior Data Engineer or Data Scientist.
Related Roles in Dresden
Explore salary information for similar positions and compare compensation across different roles.
| Role | Location | Salary Range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Data Engineer | Dresden | €78,000 - €102,000 | €85,000 |
| Senior Data Scientist | Dresden | €75,000 - €98,000 | €83,000 |
| Data Scientist | Dresden | €47,000 - €85,000 | €62,000 |
| ML Engineer | Dresden | €52,000 - €95,000 | €68,000 |
| Backend Developer | Dresden | €48,000 - €85,000 | €62,000 |
| Senior ML Engineer |
Data Engineer Salaries by City
Compare data engineer compensation across different locations
More Tech Salaries in Dresden
Explore other tech roles and their compensation in Dresden
📚 Related Articles
Data Engineer Salary in 2026: 6 Cities Compared
What data engineers actually earn in San Francisco, New York, Remote, Seattle, London, and Berlin — with real 2026 data.
The 14 Highest Paying Tech Jobs in 2026
Which tech roles pay the most? We ranked all 14 major tech positions by salary data from 113 cities worldwide.
7 Signs You're Underpaid (And What to Do)
How to figure out your real market value — and close the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average data engineer salary in Dresden?
Data engineers earn €50,000–€88,000/year with a median of €65,000. Junior roles start at €50,000–€57,000, mid-level pays €60,000–€73,000, and senior data engineers at Infineon, GlobalFoundries, or Bosch earn €78,000–€88,000.
What tools do data engineers use in Dresden semiconductor companies?
Core stack: Apache Spark (batch processing), Kafka (streaming), time-series databases (InfluxDB, TimescaleDB) for equipment monitoring, SQL (universal), Python (orchestration, transformation), and cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure). The hybrid cloud-on-premises architecture is distinctive — fab data often can't leave the premises, requiring sophisticated pipeline design.
How does data engineering in semiconductors differ from other industries?
Semiconductor data engineering deals with high-frequency sensor data from hundreds of process steps, strict latency requirements (late data = defective wafers), time-series analysis at massive scale, and integration between fab-floor systems and cloud analytics. Volumes are enormous and quality is critical — this isn't dashboard work, it's production-critical infrastructure.
Is Dresden or Berlin better for data engineering careers?
Berlin has far more data engineering roles (3–5x) and higher nominal pay (median €74K vs Dresden's €65K). Dresden offers deeper specialization in semiconductor and manufacturing data, less competition per role, and dramatically lower living costs. For building globally differentiated domain expertise with excellent purchasing power, Dresden wins. For market breadth and career switching options, Berlin wins.
What growth is expected in Dresden data engineering?
Strong growth from three sources: (1) ESMC's €10B fab will need complete data infrastructure from scratch, (2) Infineon and Bosch are expanding fab analytics capabilities, and (3) the broader €30B semiconductor investment pipeline for Saxony creates structural demand. Data engineering is one of the fastest-growing tech specializations in Dresden.
Now you know the salary. Can you actually land it?
Paste a Data Engineer in Dresden job posting. See exactly where you match, where you don't, and how to address gaps in your application.
Free to start. No credit card.