Explore the best online data engineering courses
Data engineers turn raw information into usable systems that organizations rely on. Learn what it takes to join this field and start building your data engineering skills.
Key takeaways
- Explore online data engineering courses from universities and industry partners, including Harvard, Stanford, IBM, AWS, and Google.
- Build skills in Python, SQL, cloud computing, and databases through flexible, self-paced courses with verified certificates.
- Prepare for data-related roles, such as database architect, which had a median annual salary of $135,980, per the BLS.
Popular online data engineering courses with certificates
What is data engineering?
Data engineering is the process of building the technical frameworks needed to collect, prepare, and preserve data for use in analytics and company operations. While data science focuses more on interpreting data and building models, data engineering focuses on the pipelines, databases, and infrastructure that enable reliable data access.
With data engineering knowledge, you may qualify for roles like data engineer, database architect, and cloud data engineer.
Why learn data engineering?
- Build skills for high-paying data roles, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reporting 2024 median salaries of $104,620 for database administrators and $135,980 for database architects.
- Work across sectors, including media, finance, education, healthcare, and retail.
- Develop sought-after data engineering skills as organizations design systems for AI, security, and reliable data access.
Browse online Data Engineering Certificates
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Certificates
Careers you can pursue with a data engineering background
Data engineers work in many industries, including healthcare, technology, retail, manufacturing, government, media, and finance.
Earning a master's in computer science, data analytics, or information systems could help you advance your career and increase your salary potential.
Here are some jobs in the field of data engineering you may be interested in, with salary data from the BLS:
Database architect
Database architects plan how organizations should store and organize data. This may require designing databases and storage systems, and setting rules for how information is stored, protected, and retrieved.
- Required education: Bachelor's degree
- BLS median annual salary (2024): $135,980
Database architect
Database architects plan how organizations should store and organize data. This may require designing databases and storage systems, and setting rules for how information is stored, protected, and retrieved.
- Required education: Bachelor's degree
- BLS median annual salary (2024): $135,980
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How to get started in data engineering
Data engineering can be a practical next step for people who like working with systems, code, and problem-solving.
With edX, you can learn through structured online courses and certificate programs from Harvard, Stanford, IBM, Google, and other trusted institutions, and earn a verified certificate of completion.
Here's a general path to start on for beginners and career changers:
1. Build a foundation in data engineering, Python, and SQL
Data engineering starts with understanding how raw information becomes usable. Begin with a course that introduces you to the field. Then build skills in programming languages such as Python and SQL, which are commonly used to clean data, write queries, and work with databases.
Featured courses
1. Build a foundation in data engineering, Python, and SQL
Data engineering starts with understanding how raw information becomes usable. Begin with a course that introduces you to the field. Then build skills in programming languages such as Python and SQL, which are commonly used to clean data, write queries, and work with databases.