Senior Data Engineer salary in Seattle, WA
Based on 87 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, Lynnwood, Tacoma.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $154,877 |
| 25th | $158,952 |
| 50th (median) | $178,730 |
| 75th | $195,000 |
| 90th | $222,750 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2022 | $148,500 | $140,920 | $162,000 | 25 |
| FY2023 | $164,865 | $160,000 | $180,075 | 24 |
| FY2024 | $180,000 | $176,362 | $196,605 | 29 |
| FY2025 | $187,200 | $171,019 | $211,473 | 35 |
| FY2026 | $174,285 | $154,969 | $187,810 | 52 |
Cost of living
Seattle's median senior Data Engineer salary of $178,730 is worth about $160,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Seattle = 111.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Architects in the Seattle, WA area earned a median of $105,430 in May 2025 (2,500 employed). The H-1B median here is $178,730, 70% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | $176,170 | 19 |
| Amazon | $178,500 | 13 |
| Meta | too few | 8 |
| Salesforce | too few | 7 |
| T-Mobile | too few | 5 |
| TikTok | too few | 3 |
| SoFi | too few | 3 |
| Cognizant | too few | 2 |
| Nexturn | too few | 2 |
| People Tech Group | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $133,500 | 63 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $137,500 | 178 |
| Senior · Level III | $178,730 | 87 |
| Expert · Level IV | $210,446 | 92 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $106,142 | $133,500 | 63 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $132,454 | $137,500 | 178 |
| Senior · Level III | $154,877 | $178,730 | 87 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,069 | $210,446 | 92 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.