Data engineer salary
Percentile salary data for data engineer roles in Sydney, AU, by seniority. Senior-level figures include total compensation where regionally applicable. Figures are shown in USD by default, with the local AUD amount alongside; use the currency switcher to change the display.
Sydney carries a cost-of-living index of 86 on the Numbeo and Mercer blended scale where New York City equals 100, a moderate cost of living that is below New York City. The figures below are nominal pay in AUD; read them alongside that index when comparing Sydney with other markets.
Median pay by seniority
Junior
USD 50,160 (local: $76,000)
Base p50
Mid
USD 77,220 (local: $117,000)
Base p50
Senior
USD 153,780 (local: $233,000)
Total comp p50
Staff
USD 281,160 (local: $426,000)
Total comp p50
Distribution
10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile by seniority, shown in the local currency (AUD). The detailed table below defaults to USD.
Salary percentiles by seniority, in AUD. Junior: 10th percentile A$49,000, 25th A$62,000, median A$76,000, 75th A$95,000, 90th percentile A$118,000. Mid: 10th percentile A$76,000, 25th A$96,000, median A$117,000, 75th A$146,000, 90th percentile A$181,000. Senior: 10th percentile A$152,000, 25th A$191,000, median A$233,000, 75th A$292,000, 90th percentile A$362,000. Staff: 10th percentile A$307,000, 25th A$366,000, median A$426,000, 75th A$575,000, 90th percentile A$766,000.
| Seniority | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Comp | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| junior | USD 32,340 | USD 40,920 | USD 50,160 | USD 62,700 | USD 77,880 | Base | 320 |
| mid | USD 50,160 | USD 63,360 | USD 77,220 | USD 96,360 | USD 119,460 | Base | 480 |
| senior | USD 100,320 | USD 126,060 | USD 153,780 | USD 192,720 | USD 238,920 | Total comp | 220 |
| staff | USD 202,620 | USD 241,560 | USD 281,160 | USD 379,500 | USD 505,560 | Total comp | Not reported |
Source: Levels.fyi 2025 Data Engineer + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) (2025) https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/data, cost-of-living index 86 (NYC=100)
Each step compares the median (50th percentile) of one tier with the next, using the figures in the table above for data engineer roles in Sydney.
Take-home
Headline salaries are gross. What lands in your account after income tax and mandatory contributions is what actually pays the rent, so here is the estimated split on the Sydney senior median.
Gross / year
$233,000
Senior median (50th pct)
Take-home / year
$162,630
70% of gross
Take-home / month
$13,553
from $19,417 gross
Effective rate
30%
tax + contributions
On a senior median of $233,000 in Sydney, an estimated $70,370 goes to income tax and mandatory contributions, leaving roughly $162,630 take-home, or about 70% of gross.
That deduction breaks down as roughly $65,710 in income tax and $4,660 in social contributions at this income level in Australia.
In monthly terms that is about $13,553 net from $19,417 gross a month, the figure that actually lands in a data engineer's account before pension or benefit elections.
Affordability
"Good" depends on what the city costs. Type your own figure below to see the estimated take-home and how far it goes against Sydney's single-person cost of living, or read the verdict on the senior median first.
Enter an annual gross figure to see the estimated take-home and how it compares with Sydney's single-person cost of living. Estimate based on Australian ATO 2024-25 + Medicare levy.
Take-home / year
$162,630
70% of gross
Take-home / month
$13,553
from $19,417 gross
Est. monthly living cost
$7,427
incl. ~$5,473 rent
Left over / month
$6,126
45% of take-home
manageable in Sydney
On $233,000 gross, your estimated take-home covers typical single-person living costs with a modest margin left, with rent taking a larger share of take-home than the 30% guideline. Rent is about 40% of monthly take-home here.
Reference estimate for a single filer with no dependants, using published 2025/2026 statutory bands and a cost-of-living index where New York City equals 100. It is not tax advice or a personalised calculation. Real take-home and living costs vary with filing status, pension elections, allowances, and where exactly you live.
Against Sydney's single-person cost base, a senior data engineer on this median is manageable: the estimated take-home of $13,553 a month covers typical single-person living costs with a modest margin left, with rent taking a larger share of take-home than the 30% guideline.
Typical single-person monthly costs in Sydney, including roughly $5,473 for a one-bedroom rental, come to about $7,427, which would leave around $6,126 discretionary each month at the median.
Rent works out at about 40% of monthly take-home here, against the conventional 30% guideline often used as a reference point.
The verdict is descriptive, not advice: it compares one number against a modelled cost base. Living costs and tax both vary with circumstances this page cannot see.
Why the same job title in Sydney can span the spread shown above. These are descriptions of the data, not guidance on what to ask for.
Sydney has a cost of living about 14% lower than New York City. Because the two report in different currencies, compare the percentile tables directly rather than the headline numbers.
Real-terms figures divide the nominal median by the city cost-of-living index (New York City = 100). They are a rough purchasing-power comparison, not a take-home or after-tax calculation.
The mid-level median anchors to occupation medians from the sources below, then scales by the documented seniority multipliers (junior 0.65x, mid 1.00x, senior 1.45x, staff 2.05x) and the local tech-pay level for Sydney. The 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles are fitted from the median using the cross-sectional dispersion that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for software occupations. Cost-of-living indices blend Numbeo 2025 and Mercer 2025.
Primary source for this slice: Levels.fyi 2025 Data Engineer + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) (2025). https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/data
Reference data only. Reported medians describe a market; individual pay varies by employer, level calibration, and negotiation. Nothing here is financial advice.
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