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Data Infrastructure Engineers at high-growth companies earn $170K–$190K. Median: $170K. Based on 129 public job postings (2025–2026).
A Data Infrastructure Engineer focuses on designing, building, and maintaining the infrastructure required for efficient data processing and analysis. They work closely with data scientists, data engineers, and other stakeholders to understand the organization's data needs and design scalable and reliable data platforms. Data Infrastructure Engineers are responsible for tasks such as data ingestion, storage, transformation, and optimization. They ensure the availability, integrity, and security of data while optimizing performance and scalability. They also collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement data governance policies and data quality standards.
A Data Infrastructure Engineer differs from other data engineering roles in their primary focus on designing and managing the infrastructure required for data processing and analysis. While other data engineering roles may focus on data pipeline development, ETL processes, or data modeling, Data Infrastructure Engineers specialize in architecting and maintaining scalable data platforms. Their expertise lies in building robust data infrastructure to support efficient data processing and analysis, enabling other data engineering roles to effectively work with data.
A typical background for a successful Data Infrastructure Engineer includes a combination of education, technical skills, and practical experience. Some common qualifications and background of a Data Infrastructure Engineer may include:
Some of the typical responsibilities of a Data Infrastructure Engineer include:
A successful Data Infrastructure Engineer should have:
Based on our database of 380 real postings, a Data Infrastructure Engineer typically earns a median salary of $198K. The salary range for this role is generally between $167K and $225K. These figures reflect current market compensation for this specialized position.
Hiring a Data Infrastructure Engineer can be a competitive process. While the industry average for filling this role is typically 45-60 days, our specialized recruiting approach allows us to reduce this significantly. We often help our clients secure top talent in an average of just 29 days.
When hiring a Data Infrastructure Engineer, we advise focusing on deep expertise in distributed systems, data warehousing, and cloud platforms. Look for candidates who demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and a proven track record of building robust, efficient data pipelines. Our experience shows that a solid understanding of data governance and security is also crucial.
To effectively assess a Data Infrastructure Engineer, we recommend a multi-faceted approach. This includes technical interviews focusing on system design, data modeling, and coding challenges relevant to data processing. Practical case studies where candidates design or troubleshoot a data infrastructure problem can also reveal their real-world capabilities. Our assessment process often includes evaluating their communication skills and ability to collaborate with data scientists and analysts.
The Data Infrastructure Engineer role has seen a significant shift towards remote work in recent years. While some companies still prefer in-person or hybrid models, our placements indicate a strong preference and availability for fully remote positions. We find that many organizations are successfully building distributed data teams, offering greater flexibility and access to a wider talent pool.
Data Infrastructure Engineers are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Mid-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.
What is the average Data Infrastructure Engineer salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $170K, with a typical range of $170K–$190K, based on 129 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.
Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.
Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 129 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed June 14, 2026.
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