Data Engineer vs Machine Learning Engineer
Measured from each occupation's own live postings: mostly different jobs wearing similar names. Posted pay favors the machine learning engineer by about $21k at the midpoint.
The short answer
On pay, machine learning engineers come out ahead by about $21k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $86k–$165k against $64k–$145k for data engineers. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates.
On skills, they are mostly different jobs that happen to share a name or a hallway. The overlap is thin, which is often exactly why people search this pair. The readiness numbers further down say how far a typical profile on each side already reaches into the other, and which direction is the easier move.
Data Engineer
data engineer jobs · data engineer salary · data engineer career guide · careers for data engineers
Machine Learning Engineer
machine learning engineer jobs · machine learning engineer salary · machine learning engineer career guide · careers for machine learning engineers
Switching, both directions
Data Engineer → Machine Learning Engineer
What machine learning engineer postings ask for that data engineer profiles usually lack: LLMs / Generative AI, Deep Learning, MLOps, LangChain / Agents.
Machine Learning Engineer → Data Engineer
What data engineer postings ask for that machine learning engineer profiles usually lack: Data Engineering, dbt, Data Modeling, Airflow.
Open data engineer roles
Sr. Data Engineer, Financial Systems at Crum & ForsterUnited States · Remote$85k–$120kTodayApply
Senior Analytics Engineer at Boosted TechnologyCanada · RemoteTodayApply
Senior Analytics Engineer at MaterialbankLondonTodayApply- Senior Data Engineer at BursonglobalcareersLondonTodayApply
Open machine learning engineer roles
Applied Data Scientist / Machine Learning Engineer (Decision Intelligence) at WorkWaveUSA · RemoteTodayApply
Machine Learning Engineer - LLMs and Agentic at OversightUnited States · RemoteTodayApply- Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Applied ML & Research at SuperGermanyTodayApply
- Machine Learning Engineer at DeepJudgeZurich HQTodayApply
See the whole board for both
1,768 open roles across the two.
Related comparisons
- Data Architect vs Data Engineer87% peak overlap
- Data Scientist vs Machine Learning Engineer68% peak overlap
- Data Engineer vs Database Administrator65% peak overlap
- AI Engineer vs Machine Learning Engineer60% peak overlap
- Data Analyst vs Data Engineer56% peak overlap
- Machine Learning Engineer vs MLOps Engineer53% peak overlap
Which one do your skills favor?
Run the instrument with your own skills and both numbers recompute for you. Free.
Quick answers
Which pays more, data engineer or machine learning engineer?
On pay, machine learning engineers come out ahead by about $21k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $86k–$165k against $64k–$145k for data engineers. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates. By seniority and country: data engineer salary and machine learning engineer salary.
Are data engineer and machine learning engineer the same job?
On skills, they are mostly different jobs that happen to share a name or a hallway. The overlap is thin, which is often exactly why people search this pair.
Can a data engineer become a machine learning engineer?
Yes, and the numbers say how far along you already are: a typical data engineer profile covers 32% of what machine learning engineer postings ask for. The instrument lists the exact skills that make up the rest.
Can a machine learning engineer become a data engineer?
Going the other way, a typical machine learning engineer profile covers 28% of what data engineer postings ask for.
How many data engineer and machine learning engineer jobs are open right now?
Right now our board has 1,321 data engineer openings and 447 machine learning engineer openings, each linking to the original posting. The board refreshes every night, so the counts move with the market. Hiring the most data engineers at the moment: Direct employer (615), AgileEngine (15), Bluelight (15). For machine learning engineers: Direct employer (253), Clera (6), Primer.io (2).
Pay is the posted middle half; readiness is how much of the other role’s skill demand a typical profile covers. Refreshed nightly.