Data engineering certificates
Do you want to work as a data engineer but don’t want to spend four years in a traditional degree program to get there? Data engineering certificate programs can help provide you with the professional knowledge and skills needed to potentially advance your career or land an entry-level role as a data engineer.
Learn about the benefits of online data engineering certificate programs and discover what career options they may help you explore.
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Why earn a data engineering certificate online?
Flexible learning options
Earning your data engineering certificate online means you don’t have to put your life on hold during your studies. You can learn at your own pace and on your own schedule, making it easier to balance your professional and personal obligations.
Career fast track
The curriculum is focused so you can acquire specialized technical skills more quickly than traditional degree programs. Online data engineering certificate programs generally concentrate on just the practical and industry-relevant skills you need in the workplace.
Strategic professional investment
Compared to four-year degree programs, online data engineering certificates are more affordable. They are a quicker way to increase your value as a job candidate so you can see the return on investment much sooner.
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What you'll learn
Many data engineering certificate programs can be completed in less than a year — some claim to only take six months. However, there’s a lot to learn in that time.
The certificate program curriculum might include:
- Data pipeline architecture and design principles
- Cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, IBM)
- Database management and warehousing
- ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) from various sources
- Programming languages (Python, Scala, SQL, NoSQL, Java, R, C#)
- Big data technology applications (Hadoop, Spark, RedShift, etc.)
- Data modeling and optimization techniques
What can you do with a data engineering certificate?
Whether data engineering is your dream job or just a stepping stone on the path to your perfect career, data engineering certificates can open the door to data roles commonly found in technology, finance, healthcare, and e-commerce industries.
Here are a few positions you may be able to qualify for with a data engineering certificate, with each role's required skills as well as salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
Data engineer
Data engineers design, construct, and maintain data pipelines and systems that allow organizations to store and process large datasets efficiently. They ensure that massive datasets are processed, easy to access, stored efficiently, and kept secure.
- Required skills: Programming languages (Python, Java, SQL), distributed computing and big data tools (Hadoop, Spark), data warehousing and database architecture, data modeling and integration, machine learning
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $145,080 (computer and information research scientists)
The BLS doesn't have a specific listing for data engineers but notes that they fall under the larger category of computer and information research scientists.
Data scientist
Data scientists analyze datasets to extract nuanced insights, build predictive models, and help the company make strategic decisions. They are vital across industries such as technology, healthcare, and marketing.
Even with a data engineering certificate, however, many employers expect data scientists to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably a master’s degree or doctoral degree.
- Required skills: Statistical analysis and machine learning, programming languages (Python, R), data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI), database management and querying, advanced cloud computing knowledge
- Median annual salary (May 2023): $108,020
Frequently asked questions
Published July 3, 2025