Where a data engineer can go next
6 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a data engineer already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Data engineers develop the architecture needed to process, manage, and store large amounts of data which will be used by data scientists for analysis. They design the infrastructure and maintain data pipelines and warehouses to leverage data for strategic advantage.
Also known as data engineer expert, research data engineer.
Professionals 28 skills on file 6 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: IoT developer, 22%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 1 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
- IoT developer 22% covered · difficulty 72.8
- data analyst 21% covered · difficulty 84.7
- ICT information and knowledge manager 18% covered · difficulty 83.5
- data quality specialist 17% covered · difficulty 81.7
- data entry clerk 17% covered · difficulty 77
- chief data officer 16% covered · difficulty 85.2
Table 2 · What the job itself asks for
A data engineer needs 23 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- data warehouse information and communication technologies (icts)
- develop data processing applications working with computers
- perform dimensionality reduction working with computers
- create data sets information skills
- implement data warehousing techniques working with computers
- manage ICT data architecture communication, collaboration and creativity
- store digital data and systems working with computers
- establish data processes working with computers
- database management systems information and communication technologies (icts)
- design database in the cloud communication, collaboration and creativity
Table 3 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a data engineer does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
Look up another occupation
Data engineer is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a data engineer’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.