Housing
Housing dominates monthly expenses at $1,619, with a city center one-bedroom apartment averaging $1,267 and utilities adding $249. Internet costs $71 monthly, making housing account for roughly 81% of the total budget in this Detroit suburb.
Data Engineer Salary in Dearborn
Market ranges & how to evaluate your offer
$140k – $174k/yr
Most offers in Dearborn fall between $150k–$280k depending on seniority, location, and role scope.
Last updated: March 2026Self-reported salaries + labor statisticsDearbornConfidence: High
10th
percentile$140.300
percentile$140.300
Median$141.500
90th
percentile$167.500
percentile$167.500
Local vs National
Dearborn$142k
National Average$198k
Dearborn pays 28.4% less than the national typical
Salary data is self-reported and varies by scope, company, and location. Use ranges, not single numbers.
Offer sanity-check
Compare your total comp for Data Engineer — pick seniority, enter an offer, and preview the layout. Percentiles use your selected seniority when market data is available.
Salary Range for Data Engineer
Seniority-level breakdown for this market.
Cost of Living in Dearborn, MI
Cost of living breakdown for Dearborn, MI market.
82avg = 100
Estimated monthly costs for this basket are about 82% of our comparable national baseline—day-to-day spending tends to go further here.
Overall COL Index
HOUSING+16%
National avg (100)
FOOD-49%
National avg (100)
TRANSPORT-83%
National avg (100)
LIFESTYLE-60%
National avg (100)
Monthly cost breakdown
How the estimated monthly cost bundle splits across categories for a typical Data Engineer earner.
$2,004.99/ mo
HOUSING
$1,619.40 USD (80.8% of est. monthly costs)
FOOD
$212.86 USD (10.6% of est. monthly costs)
TRANSPORT
$60.00 USD (3.0% of est. monthly costs)
LIFESTYLE
$112.73 USD (5.6% of est. monthly costs)
+16%
Food & dining
Food expenses total $213 monthly, with basic groceries like milk ($0.92/liter) and eggs ($3.12/dozen) reflecting affordable pricing typical of Midwest markets. Restaurant meals average $16, suggesting reasonable dining costs compared to major metropolitan areas.
Transportation
Public transit requires a $60 monthly pass, likely connecting to Detroit's regional system. This represents one of the lowest expense categories, though many professionals may supplement with car ownership given suburban sprawl patterns common in the Detroit metro area.
Lifestyle & leisure
Discretionary spending totals $113 monthly, with gym memberships at $40 and movie tickets at $12 reflecting modest entertainment costs. Coffee runs about $5 per cappuccino, keeping leisure expenses well below housing and food categories.
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Top-Paying Cities for Data Engineer
Location-specific ranges with optional cost-of-living adjustment.
Top Employers in Dearborn
Median compensation, hiring momentum, and pay mix for Data Engineers in this market.
Ford Motor
+100% YoY Hiring$142k
CashStock
Mostly hires: GSR 8
Remote Pay Bands Explained
Data Engineer compensation varies significantly by location, with companies using either location-adjusted or national pay bands. San Francisco and New York typically offer $180K-$250K for senior roles, while Austin and Denver range $140K-$190K. Some tech companies like GitLab and Buffer maintain location-agnostic salaries, paying San Francisco rates regardless of employee location.
The hybrid work trend has created tiered compensation models where Data Engineers can negotiate 10-15% premiums for occasional office presence. Companies increasingly offer choice between higher pay with office requirements or slightly lower compensation for full remote flexibility. Focus negotiations on your specialized skills in cloud platforms and real-time processing rather than just location preferences.
Moving from expensive metros like San Francisco to lower-cost areas while maintaining remote salary can dramatically improve purchasing power. A $200K Data Engineer salary in Austin provides equivalent lifestyle to $280K in San Francisco, while remote work eliminates commute costs and time. Consider total compensation including equity, which often vests regardless of location.
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Related Roles
How adjacent roles compare in pay and scope.
Software Engineer
$120k-$495k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsFull Stack Software Engineer
$112k-$432k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsBackend Software Engineer
$117k-$402k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsQuality Assurance (qa) Software Engineer
$102k-$316k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsNetworking Engineer
$123k-$420k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsProduction Software Engineer
$105k-$420k
High overlap in software-engineer roles
DetailsHow to Negotiate Your Offer
Practical steps that move the number without damaging the relationship.
Start your ask above the median. You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down.
Stronger approach:
- Start your ask above the median
- You'll rarely be offered more than you ask, so anchor high and let the employer negotiate you down
Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'. External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations.
Stronger approach:
- Say 'market data puts this role at $X–$Y' — not 'I was hoping for more'
- External benchmarks are harder to argue against than personal expectations
When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants. Total comp has more levers than base alone.
Stronger approach:
- When base is stuck, negotiate equity vesting schedule, signing bonus, or accelerated refresh grants
- Total comp has more levers than base alone
Ask for 48 hours to review. This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain.
Stronger approach:
- Ask for 48 hours to review
- This creates time to counter and signals that you take offers seriously — not that you are uncertain
Negotiate Salary
Generate an aware negotiation email using Google market positioning data.
Practice Interviews
Mock interviews tailored to Google's process and evaluation criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Data Engineer compensation.
Data Engineer salaries typically range from $95K-$130K for entry-level, $130K-$180K for mid-level, and $180K-$250K+ for senior positions. Total compensation including equity can reach $300K+ at top tech companies.
Your next move starts here
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