Top 10 Azure Data Engineer Job Opportunities in 2024 [Career Options]

Data science has become one of the most trending fields today. Owing to this fact, one can witness a rising demand for career options available. Data engineering is one of them.

According to AnalytixLabs, the data science market is expected to be worth USD 230.80 billion by 2026, with an average yearly increase of 39.7%. All these numbers point to one thing–increased job roles and careers, especially when we talk about data engineering jobs in Azure, which are on the rise every year.

According to Microsoft, almost 400,000 companies register for the Azure platform each year. This demonstrates the increasing need for Microsoft Certified Data Engineers. In this blog, I will explore Azure data engineer jobs and the top 10 job roles in this field where you can begin your career. Let’s get started.

Data Engineer Career: Overview

Currently, with the enormous growth in the volume, variety, and veracity of data generated and the will of large firms to store and analyze their data, data management is a critical aspect of data science. That’s where data engineers are on the go. With an amazing growth rate of 11% from 2019 to 2029, data engineers are in rising demand now and in the future as well.

Azure Data Engineer Career Demands & Benefits

Azure has become one of the most powerful platforms in the industry, where Microsoft offers a variety of data services and analytics tools. As a result, organizations are looking to capitalize on cloud-based data solutions. This is the perfect time to search for Azure data engineer jobs for freshers and to start learning Azure for Data Engineers out there.

Apart from the demand, pursuing Azure data engineer jobs has numerous advantages, such as high salaries, opportunities for career advancement, and the possibility to work with the most advanced technologies in the field of data innovation.

You can also search for Azure data engineer remote jobs from companies worldwide, as there are no restricting factors. These engineers are crucial to the success of the organization as businesses invest in their digital transformation initiatives for efficient data management and analytics.

In-Demand Azure Data Engineer Job Roles

I have explained why Microsoft data engineer jobs are on the rise and what you would benefit from them. Now, let’s see what options are available under Azure data engineer careers.

Note: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is a must for any job role discussed below.

Job Role 1: Azure Data Engineer

Azure Data Engineers develop, deploy, and manage data solutions with Microsoft Azure data services. They use many data storage, computation, and analytics technologies to develop scalable and robust data pipelines.

Role Level	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Design and develop data pipelines to ingest, process, and transform data. Implemented and managed data storage solutions using Azure services like Azure SQL Database, Azure Data Lake Storage, and Azure Cosmos DB.
Education & Skills Required	Proficiency in SQL, Python, or other programming languages. Experience with Azure data services like Azure SQL Database, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Databricks.
Salary (Average )	$136,264 / year (Source: Wellfound)
Top Companies Hiring	Microsoft, Amazon, Accenture
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate

Job Role 2: Azure Data Architect

Azure Data Architects design and implement end-to-end data solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform. They work together with stakeholders to get business requirements and develop scalable and efficient data architectures.

Role Level	Advanced
Responsibilities	Design and architect data solutions on Azure, considering factors like scalability, reliability, security, and performance. Develop data models, data governance policies, and data integration strategies.
Education & Skills Required	Knowledge of data architecture, data modeling, and data management. Proficiency in Azure data services like Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, and Azure Data Factory.
Salary (Average)	$135,094 per year (Source: Talent.com)
Top Companies Hiring	Deloitte, IBM, Capgemini
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Job Role 3: Azure Big Data Engineer

The focus of Azure Big Data Engineers is developing and implementing big data solutions with the use of the Microsoft Azure platform. They handle large amounts of structured and unstructured data and use Azure services to develop data processing and analytics pipelines.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Design and develop big data solutions using Azure services like Azure HDInsight, Azure Databricks, and Azure Data Lake Storage. Implement data ingestion, processing, and analysis pipelines for large-scale data sets.
Education & Skills Required	Using technologies such as Hadoop, Kafka, and Spark. Experience with Azure services for big data processing and analytics.
Salary	$157,552 per year (Source: Glassdoor)
Top Companies Hiring	Google, Facebook, Twitter
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate

Job Role 4: Azure Machine Learning Engineer

Azure Machine Learning Engineers are experts in the development of machine learning models and are involved in different steps of the machine learning lifecycle, starting from data preparation and feature engineering to model training, evaluation, and deployment.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Develop machine learning pipelines using Azure Machine Learning service. Collaborate with data scientists to implement and optimize machine learning models.
Education & Skills Required	Programming languages like Python and R. Machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn). Familiarity with Azure services like Azure Machine Learning, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure DevOps.
Salary	$197,893 per year (Source: Glassdoor)
Top Companies Hiring	Netflix, Uber, Airbnb
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate

Job Role 5: Azure Data Scientist

Azure Data Scientists use data analytics and machine learning approaches to gain insights and generate predictive models on the Microsoft Azure platform.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Data analysis using statistical methods and machine learning algorithms. Develop predictive models and data-driven solutions to address business challenges.
Education & Skills Required	Proficiency in programming languages like Python, R, and SQL. Experience with machine learning techniques and tools, including Azure Machine Learning service.
Salary	$132,074 per year (Source: Talent.com)
Top Companies Hiring	LinkedIn, Spotify, Salesforce
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate

Job Role 6: Azure Data Governance Specialist

The main role of the Azure Data Governance Specialists is to guarantee the safety, compliance, and quality of data assets that exist within Azure environments.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Develop and enforce data governance policies, standards, and procedures in Azure environments. Implement data security measures, access controls, and encryption mechanisms to protect sensitive data. Establish data quality processes and monitoring mechanisms to ensure data integrity and compliance with regulations.
Education & Skills Required	Strong understanding of data governance principles, compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA), and industry standards. Experience with Azure data services, security features, and compliance tools.
Salary (Average)	$134,994 per year (Source: Talent.com)
Top Companies Hiring	Ernst & Young (EY), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate

Job Role 7: Azure Data Warehouse Developer

Azure Data Warehouse Developers are experts at designing and developing data warehouse solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform. They use Azure Synapse Analytics (previously, Azure SQL Data Warehouse) for developing scalable and high-performance data warehousing solutions.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Design and develop data warehouse schemas, tables, and indexes using Azure Synapse Analytics. Implement ETL processes to load data into the data warehouse from various source systems.
Education & Skills Required	Proficiency in SQL and experience with database development, preferably with Azure SQL Database or SQL Data Warehouse. Familiarity with ETL tools and techniques for data integration. Understanding of data warehousing concepts, dimensional modeling, and data warehouse architecture.
Salary (Average)	$135,678 per year (Source: Glassdoor)
Top Companies Hiring	Walmart, Verizon, AT&T
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate

Job Role 8: Azure Data Platform Consultant

The Azure data platform consultant offers the organizations how to benefit from the usage of Azure data services. They evaluate business needs, create personalized data solutions, and supervise implementation projects.

Role Level:	Advanced
Responsibilities	Consult with clients to understand their business needs and objectives related to data management and analytics. Design comprehensive data architectures and solutions using Azure data services, ensuring alignment with business goals and best practices.
Education & Skills Required	Extensive experience in data architecture, data engineering, and cloud technologies, particularly Azure. Strong consulting and client-facing skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions. Proficiency in Azure data services such as Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, and Azure Cosmos DB.
Salary (Average)	$121,725 per year (Source: Glassdoor)
Top Companies Hiring	McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Booz Allen Hamilton
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Job Role 9: Azure Data Migration Specialist

Azure Data Migration Specialists are specialists in migrating data from on-premises or legacy systems to Azure cloud environments. They evaluate current data landscapes, design migration approaches and manage data migration projects.

Role Level:	Intermediate
Responsibilities	Assess existing data infrastructure, identifying data sources, formats, and dependencies. Design data migration strategies, including data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) processes.
Education & Skills Required	Experience in data migration projects, preferably involving Azure cloud platforms. Proficiency in data integration tools and techniques, ETL processes, and SQL. Familiarity with cloud migration best practices, security considerations, and compliance requirements.
Salary(Average)	$86,792 per year (Source: Talent.com)
Top Companies Hiring	Accenture, Infosys, Cognizant
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

Job Role 10: Azure Data Warehouse Architect

Azure Data Warehouse Architects design and implement data warehouse solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform. They work with stakeholders to comprehend business needs and come up with data warehouse architectures that are scalable and productive.

Role Level:	Advanced
Responsibilities	Design end-to-end data warehouse architectures using Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly Azure SQL Data Warehouse) and other Azure data services. Develop data models, schemas, and ETL processes to support analytical and reporting requirements.
Education & Skills Required	Extensive experience in data warehouse design, development, and implementation, preferably on Azure. Proficiency in SQL and experience with database management systems, data modeling, and ETL tools. Strong understanding of cloud computing principles, data warehousing concepts, and best practices.
Salary(Average)	$153,698 per year (Source: Talent.com)
Top Companies Hiring	Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud
Certifications	Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate

Top 10 Industries Hiring Azure Data Engineer with Salary

We have explored Azure data engineer career opportunities quite well. They are all diverse in various industries, especially where data handling is a huge task. Below I have outlined major industries and their respective average annual salaries for data engineer Azure jobs:

Industry	Average Salary
Developer Tools	$185,000
Mobile Advertising	$157,000
Finance and Banking Sector	$143,583
Big Data	$137,583
Healthcare	$135,131
Enterprise Software	$134,111
FinTech	$130,094
Marketplaces	$125,056
Technology	$118,250
Sales and Marketing	$86,232

Source: Wellfound

Top 10 Companies Hiring Azure Data Engineer with Salary

To elaborate further on Azure data engineer job opportunities, I have listed the top 10 companies that hire Azure data engineers along with their salaries (source: Glassdoor):

Company	Salary (Annual Average)
Meta	$241,483
Cisco Systems	$223,841
Apple	$212,991
Google	$230,285
Microsoft	$194,294
IBM	$138,261
AWS	$122,509
Accenture	$123,630
Amazon	$118,167
Cognizant Technology	$114,899

How to Start a Career in Azure Data Engineer Jobs?

The process of searching for Azure data engineer fresher jobs requires a number of stages through which a specialist has to develop the appropriate knowledge and experience. Here’s a general roadmap to help you get started:

• Understand the Role: To explore Azure data engineer job options, start by studying the duties and specifications of an Azure Data Engineer. This will help you to know what skills and knowledge to acquire.
• Gain Relevant Education: Attain a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, or a comparable course. Though not always compulsory, formal education will equip you with refined skills in core concepts and technologies.

For Azure, I suggest that you learn about cloud computing in depth. So start looking for Cloud Computing course fees and invest in them to begin your learning.

• Learn Azure and Data Engineering Concepts: Get hands-on with Azure cloud services, particularly data engineering related services like Azure Data Factory, SQL Database, or Azure Databricks when you’re on the lookout for Azure data engineer jobs.

Conclusion

Being an Azure Data Engineer not only allows you to work with the latest cloud-based data solutions but also creates tremendous Azure data engineer career options in different industries.

If you’re on the lookout for Azure data engineer job options, you are pacing in the right direction. You’ll be central in enabling actionable insights from volumes of data- designing and implementing robust data pipelines and optimizing data workflows for performance and scalability, among others.

Investing in professional development through the certification program can help you stay ahead of industry trends and make substantial contributions to organizations leveraging Azure data solutions. Enroll in KnowledgeHut’s Azure for Data Engineers today and get started!