Data Engineer Salary in Melbourne (2026)

Last updated 02/08/2026

Data Engineers in Melbourne earn a median salary of $160,000 in 2026, with most advertised roles falling between $125,000 and $238,100. That sits 78% above Melbourne's all-roles median of $90,000. Figures are based on 30 jobs advertised in Melbourne in the last 30 days.

● Moderate demand 44th percentile by listing volume in Melbourne ↑ +4 listings vs last month

ADVERTISED RANGE

$125,000 – $238,100

Median: $160,000

Jun $160k

Jul $160k

→ Stable

Based on 2-month data, short-term movement only.

Mid level	$122,000 – $222,500
Senior level	$160,000 – $232,700

Salary ranges are percentiles calculated from 30 job listings for this role and city, 97.0% sourced from Seek.com.au and the rest from government job boards and employer career sites. Of those, 9.1% stated a salary directly. The remaining 90.9% carried a range estimated from the listing, so this median blends advertised and estimated pay. Figures represent what employers advertise and may differ from actual compensation. Fewer than a quarter of these listings stated a salary, so the median leans heavily on estimates.

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Bottom 10% $125,000 Median $160,000 $238,100 Top 10%

Understanding the Melbourne Market

Only 9.1% of these 30 listings stated a salary, the second-lowest disclosure rate in this report, so the $160,000 median rests almost entirely on estimates. What supports it is that Sydney shows exactly the same $160,000 across 31 listings. The senior band is reported as $160,000 to $232,000 with a median of $160,000, identical to the overall figure, which suggests the tiering here is not doing much work. Listings grew modestly from 26 to 30 with no change in the median.

Take Home Pay (based on median $160,000)

Weekly (net)

~$2,164

Monthly (net)

~$9,378

Annual (net)

~$112,533

Total package (incl. 2025-26 super at 11.5%) $178,400

Take-home calculated using 2025-26 ATO tax rates, no HECS debt, full Australian residency. Total package adds 11.5% superannuation to base salary. Adjust for your situation →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good starting salary for a junior Data Engineer in Melbourne?

The $125,000 floor assumes production data pipeline experience, so this is not a graduate title. Software engineering at $155,000 and data analysis at $125,000 are the two common routes in. Cloud platform experience, particularly AWS, Azure and Snowflake, plus orchestration tooling, are what listings name most often.

Is $160,000 a good salary in Melbourne?

Yes. At $160,000 a data engineer earns 77.8% above Melbourne's all-roles median of $90,000, with take-home near $2,164 a week, which absorbs the city's high living costs comfortably. It matches Sydney exactly and sits above software engineering at $155,000 and network engineering at $142,000 in the same city. The caveat is that barely one listing in ten disclosed pay.

How much does a Senior Data Engineer make in Melbourne?

The reported senior range runs $160,000 to $232,000, though its median is also $160,000, so the tiering adds little clarity. Platform ownership, streaming architecture and leading a data function are what support the upper end. Given the very low disclosure rate, treat the $238,000 ceiling as directional rather than a target.

Other roles in Melbourne

Data Engineer salaries in other cities

City	Median salary	vs Melbourne
Melbourne (this page)	$160,000	0%
Sydney	$160,000	~same

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