Data Engineer
Build the pipelines that move and clean data so analysts and models can use it.
Save this career to see your personalized pathway in My Senda.
- Typical pay
- €38k–€72k
- Usual education
- Degree or apprenticeship
- Outlook
- Growing faster than analyst roles — data volume keeps rising.
A day in the life
Fix an overnight pipeline failure, add a new data source, tidy a messy table structure, and review a colleague's code.
Ways in
- Data apprenticeship
- Computer science or maths degree
- Analyst role then upskilling
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Ciencias y Tecnología
Portugal
Ciências e Tecnologias
France
Bac général — spécialités
Germany
Oberstufe — Leistungskurse
Italy
Liceo scientifico
Netherlands
Profiel Natuur & Techniek
Skills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
BSc Computer Science
Programming, algorithms, systems and theory — the widest door into tech.
Strong programming base for pipelines.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Computer science, Physics
BSc Data Science
Statistics plus programming for extracting meaning from large datasets.
Adds the data modelling side.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Statistics, Computer science