Data Engineer: Definition, Job Description, and Career Path

Data is one of the most valuable assets. The company must strictly guard its existence and management with the help of a data engineer. However, what is a data engineer?

Data engineering is a profession that is responsible for the entire process involving company data. In addition to managing data, they are also responsible for ensuring that the data can be used in various fields, from financial, logistics, and others. 

To learn more about what is a data engineer, their tasks, required skills, and how much they earn, read the following article! 

What Is a Data Engineer? 

A data engineer is a professional responsible for designing, building, and maintaining data infrastructure. 

Data infrastructure is the foundation for collecting, processing, and storing data within an organization or company. 

Data engineers act as connectors between data analysis and software development teams in managing technical infrastructure to ensure the information is clear.

The primary goal is to ensure that data is more easily accessible, processed and analyzed so that companies can evaluate and optimize performance.
 

Data Engineer Job Description

A data engineer's job description includes collecting and preparing data based on technical expertise in IT (Information Technology). 

Data science teams and analysts will use the collected data to generate accurate information for business decision-making. 

If you've already understood what is data engineer, here’s the data engineer job description you should know. 

1. Collecting and Integrating Data

A data engineer collects information from various sources, such as internal databases, external sources, or the Application Programming Interface (API).

In addition, data engineers are also in charge of integrating scattered data into complete information so that it can be analyzed and used in business decision-making.

2. Processing & Transforming Data

After the data is successfully collected, the following step is to process and transform the data to suit business needs.

These include cleaning data from less relevant information, changing the format and structure, and combining data from various sources.

Furthermore, the data engineer job description also handles aggregation, processing data into concise information, and creating a broader picture.

3. Team and User Collaboration

After knowing what is data engineer, the next thing you should know about this profession is that it mostly focuses on team collaboration. 

Generally, data engineers will collaborate with data scientists, data analysts, and business people as a whole.

This cooperation between teams aims to deepen the needs and expectations of each party related to data.

Later, the outcomes of the collaboration will be beneficial in finding solutions supported by data and based on the needs and long-term goals of the organization.

4. Data Infrastructure Design and Management

The other role of a data engineer is to design and build the necessary infrastructure for data storage, processing, and management.

Another task of a data engineer is to select and configure the database system and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools. In this situation, data security is also the main focus, keeping data protected from threats and security risks that arise.

5. Monitoring and Maintenance

Many people are aware of what is data engineer and many of them think that their role is only processing data.

In fact, this profession is also responsible for monitoring and maintaining the entire data infrastructure.

Monitoring should be carried out to identify and resolve issues that may arise from the data infrastructure. In addition to monitoring, data engineers also need to take preventive and strategic actions to prevent system failures.

Must-Have Skill for Data Engineer 

After defining what is data engineer, it’s important to know their skills. If you want to become a data engineer, then knowing these can help you carry out tasks efficiently and effectively. 

If you want to work in this field, you’ll need the following skills: 

• Mastering SQL and Python: Data engineers need to master programming skills, especially in Python, SQL, Scala, or Java. These skills allow them to organize and transform data, create algorithms, and integrate systems. 
• Understanding and Analyzing Statistics: This skill allows data engineers to understand patterns that arise from data, identify trends, and ensure accurate analysis results.
• Have Good Communication Skills: Data engineers must effectively communicate to convey technical ideas and concepts to other company divisions to meet the needs and goals that want to achieve.
• Expertise in Problem-Solving: The following skills are needed to create effective solutions and handle various complex technical challenges in data management and processing.
• Mastering System Scripting: A data engineer must be proficient in managing system scripts and writing code to make technical tasks easier.
• Thorough, Disciplined, and Dexterous: A data engineer must be detailed in their work, examining every aspect carefully and deftly to ensure the accuracy of the data.

Data Engineer Salary

If you already understand what is data engineer, then you also need to understand that there is a high demand for data engineers because almost all industrial sectors use data-based strategies. 

The data engineer salary scale in Indonesia generally varies depending on their experience, geographical location, and the industry in which they work. 

Based on data from Payscale, the average data engineer salary in 2024 reaches 94.948.187 million IDR per year. 

The following is the average data engineer salary according to the level: 

• Junior Level: This position is usually considered for fresh graduates or data engineers with a maximum of two years of experience. Junior data engineers make about 85 million IDR per year. 
• Senior Level: If you have worked as a data engineer for at least three years, you can reach the senior level. The annual salary of a data engineer might reach 99 million IDR.
• Level Manager: At a more advanced level, managers require more than 7 years of work experience and must have a Certified Data Professional (CPD). Data engineers' salary is generally around 227 million IDR per year.

Once you understand what is data engineer, you need to realize the importance of this position in analyzing data to support the company in achieving its business goals.

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