Guide To Becoming A Data Engineer In 2022

If you’re someone who possesses soft skills like critical thinking, problem solving, pattern recognition and have an analytical bent of mind, you might be well-suited to a Data Engineer role. Without these professionals, companies wouldn’t be able to manage the vast amounts of data they collect. 

At HiCounselor we like to help people choose the careers where they can really shine. That’s why we create short guides like this one to help you learn how to be a Data Engineer in 2022. If you need more help with your career, contact us to find out what we can do for you. 

What does a Data Engineer do?

A Data Engineer role involves preparing data for operational or analytical use. Part of the job description includes building data pipelines that can bring together information from different source systems. It’s their responsibility to gather, sort and clean data so it can be utilized to make strategic business decisions. The bigger the company a Data Engineer works for, the larger the sets of data they work with. 

Are there Different Types of Data Engineers?

This role involves collecting and preparing data that is then used by Data Scientists. There are three distinct types of roles under a wide banner:

Generalist Data Engineer – This type typically works with small teams where their role is mainly end-to-end data collection, intake and then processing. The data sets they work with are smaller, so they’re often employed by smaller firms. Many Data Scientists who want to switch roles end up as Generalist Data Engineers. 

Pipeline Data Engineer – In this role, the professional usually works with larger data sets and a larger Data Analytics team. The companies they work for are usually larger than the generalist roles and the projects they undertake are more complex. They can be called on to work with metadata to find patterns and create predictive algorithms. 

Database Data Engineer – Their role is to implement, maintain and populate analytics databases. They work for big companies and handle multiple databases. These Data Engineers tune databases for accurate analysis and create table schemas using ETL methods. These roles often involve writing code to collect data.

What are some Skills Data Engineers need?

If you’re looking to become a Data Engineer in 2022, you should learn some programming languages like Java, Python, C++, R, Ruby, SQL, etc. Out of these, Python, R and SQL are essential skill sets as they’re most commonly used. You should be able to use ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools and REST-oriented APIs for data integration. 

All Data Engineers should be knowledgeable about data warehouses and data lakes. They should be familiar with NoSQL databases and Apache Spark systems, which are necessary for data workflows. Another skill to add to your resume is Lambda architecture, which is used for unified data pipelines for batch and real-time processing. 

Data Engineers should be familiar with BI (Business Intelligence) platforms and know how to configure them. These are used to establish connections between different data warehouses, data lakes and other sources. A sound knowledge of Machine Learning can give you an edge in this role. 

How can I become a Data Engineer?

There are many paths that can lead to getting a Data Engineer job. You can get a university degree in subjects like Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, or Physics. There are several online courses that are tailored for those with less time and are less expensive. You can also take on a few projects that will give you experience in the field. 

Apart from the above options, you can become a Data Engineer by getting the right certification. Companies like IBM, Google and Cloudera Inc. are now offering certifications for this role. The Cloudera Certified Professional Data Engineer is someone who can ingest, transform, store, and analyze data. The Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer certificate is given to those who can use ML models, ensure data quality, and build data processing systems. 

What’s the Job Outlook for Data Engineers?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for Data Engineers is going to grow at a steady pace of 8% from 2020-2030. There are likely to be 168,000 Data Engineer job openings each year of the decade. The median pay for this role in May 2020 was US$98,860 per year, or US$47.53 per hour. 

We hope this article has resolved any confusion you might have had about becoming a Data Engineer in 2022! If you need more personalized help with your career path, go ahead and contact HiCounselor and one of our experts will gladly work with you. The best part about hiring us is you only pay once we get you a job!

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