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Data Infrastructure Engineers at high-growth companies earn $170K–$185K. Median: $170K. Based on 150 public job postings (2025–2026). Recruiting from Scratch's network includes 700+ data infrastructure engineers, including 50+ with top-tier-company experience.
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 1397 real postings, a Data Infrastructure Engineer typically earns a median salary of $180,000. The salary range for this role generally falls between $146,000 and $215,000 annually. These figures reflect current market compensation for this specialized position.
Hiring a Data Infrastructure Engineer can be a swift process with the right approach. Our average time-to-hire for this role is 29 days, significantly faster than the industry average of 45-60 days. We achieve this efficiency through our extensive network and targeted recruitment strategies, ensuring you find the right candidate quickly.
When hiring a Data Infrastructure Engineer, we recommend prioritizing strong foundational skills in distributed systems, cloud platforms, and data warehousing. Look for candidates with proven experience in designing, building, and maintaining robust data pipelines and infrastructure. Their ability to troubleshoot complex issues and ensure data reliability is crucial for long-term success.
Effective assessment involves a combination of technical interviews and practical problem-solving exercises. We advise evaluating their understanding of data modeling, system architecture, and specific technologies relevant to your stack. A well-designed take-home assignment or whiteboard session can reveal their practical application skills and approach to real-world challenges.
The nature of Data Infrastructure Engineer roles has seen a shift towards increased flexibility. While many companies still offer in-person or hybrid options, a significant portion of these positions are now available remotely. We observe that companies offering remote work can tap into a broader talent pool, which is often beneficial for specialized roles like this.
Typical experience required: 5–6 years.
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–$185K, based on 150 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 150 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 July 30, 2026.
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