TechnologyOECD 2024Tech Hub

Data Engineer Salary in Manchester

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 6 comparison cities

$93,962/yr

Typical range: $74,719 – $118,161

Very High Confidence Β· 88/100
SalaryScope Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Data Engineers in Manchester typically earn $75K–$118K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $94K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $145K or more.

Above Average

Modelled from OECD 2024 national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

Salary Distribution β€” Manchester

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$60,765

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$74,719

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$93,962

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$118,161

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$145,296

Staff / principal / lead

-33%
vs US avg
+34%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
88/100A
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 14, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
GrossΒ£74K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’32%
Take-homeΒ£50K
UK income tax + National Insurance employee contributions.
Savings Potential
Take-homeΒ£50K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savingsΒ£26K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
71/100
Above Average
Job demand growth+34%
Automation riskModerate

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SalaryScope Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $94K a good salary for Data Engineer in Manchester?

Based on BLS data for 93,962 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $61KΒ·Median: $94KΒ·Top 10%: $145K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 36/40 (OECD)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $94K for Data Engineers in Manchester

-33%
UK market level
UK pays 33% below the global baseline β€” lower cost of living often offsets this.
+10%
Manchester metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+9%
High demand for Data Engineers
34% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.

Source: OECD 2024. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Data Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Manchester

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$63,894$5,325$31
Junior22 yrs$78,928$6,577$38
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$88,951$7,413$43
Senior66 yrs$102,982$8,582$50
Staff1010 yrs$139,064$11,589$67
Principal1414 yrs$174,393$14,533$84
Distinguished1818 yrs$183,226$15,269$88

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Data Engineer

Estimated premium above the Manchester median based on market demand

Python+6% β‰ˆ +$6K/yr
Spark+9% β‰ˆ +$8K/yr
Airflow+7% β‰ˆ +$7K/yr
SQL+3% β‰ˆ +$3K/yr
Snowflake+8% β‰ˆ +$8K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$31K/yr
Highest single skill
Python +6%
Python+6% Β· +$6K/yr
Spark+9% Β· +$8K/yr
Airflow+7% Β· +$7K/yr
SQL+3% Β· +$3K/yr
Snowflake+8% Β· +$8K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Data Engineer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

B+71/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+34%/yr
AI Displacement Risk42% β€” Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+4.0%/yr
Above Average: Solid career with steady demand. Upskill continuously to stay above automation floor.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookMuch faster than average
+31%
Growth 2022–2032
+22K
New jobs projected
$102K
In 2 yrs
$114K
In 5 yrs
$139K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Data Engineer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$146K–$162K
per year
Base (61%)Bonus (10%)Equity (15%)Benefits (13%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$93,962
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–25% of base
$15,504
Equity (annualised)
~25% of base β€” RSUs/options
$23,491
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$20,672
Total Comp (mid)
$153,629

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Data Engineers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Equity / RSUs
Especially at tech firms
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Data Engineer Salaries by City

How Manchester, UK stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Manchester, UK (current)$93,962$118,161+-33%
London, UK$138,701$174,423+-1%
Toronto, Canada$134,230$168,800+-5%
Berlin, Germany$132,595$166,744+-6%
Sydney, Australia$151,755$190,838++8%
Amsterdam, Netherlands$156,096$196,297++11%
Singapore, Singapore$141,995$178,565++1%

SalaryScope Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Data Engineer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Bachelor's in CS, Engineering, or Math Β· Ranked by income potential

Key tasks for this role
Build ETL pipelinesDesign data warehousesMaintain Spark/Airflow jobsEnsure data quality and governance

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Data Engineer salary in Manchester, UK?

The median Data Engineer salary in Manchester, UK is $94K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $118K+ per year.

What is a good Data Engineer salary in Manchester, UK?

The 75th percentile ($118K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($94K) is above-average for this role in Manchester, UK.

How much does a Data Engineer earn per hour in Manchester, UK?

Based on the median annual salary of $94K, a Data Engineer in Manchester, UK earns approximately $45/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$57/hr.

Is Manchester, UK a good market for Data Engineers?

Manchester, UK pays 33% below the US national average for this role. Demand for Data Engineers is growing 34% annually, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Data Engineer salary in Manchester, UK?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($118K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Manchester, UK figure calculated?

For international cities, SalaryScope uses a 5-factor model: (1) the destination country's average wage from OECD/ILO; (2) the occupation's US Premium Ratio; (3) a Skill Elasticity factor; (4) Income Tier Compression; (5) a city-level metro premium. Currency conversion uses ECB rates refreshed every 4 hours.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

Data Engineer Salary Trend (2019–2024)

BLS OES historical national medians

6-yr CAGR
+8.2%/yr
2019
$96K
2020
$101K
+6%
2021
$113K
+11%
2022
$125K
+10%
2023
$135K
+8%
2024
$142K
+5%
2019 median
$96K
2024 median
$142K

Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend Γ— metro premium.

Inflation note: In 2019 dollars, today's median is ~$79K β€” 18% of nominal salary is inflation (2019–2024 CPI avg 3.4%/yr).

Education Premium β€” Data Engineer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-28%
~$68K
Associate's Degree
-12%
~$83K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$94K
Master's Degree
+24%
~$117K
Doctoral (PhD)
+32%
~$124K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+42%
~$133K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Manchester benchmarks
$94K
Market median
$118K
P75 target
$145K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

$
Data Engineer in Manchester β€” Distribution
P10
$61K
P25
$75K
P50
$94K
P75
$118K
P90
$145K
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