Resume keywords for Data Engineer jobs
The skills data engineer job postings actually ask for, as the share of the 470 newest postings we track that mention each one (out of 2,155 live data engineer jobs). More than half mention SQL, Python and ETL.
Live data · computed 10 October 2026 · refreshed daily
Top skills and tools
- 1SQLLanguagesLanguages79%
- 2PythonLanguagesLanguages76%
- 3ETLDataData74%
- 4Data modelingData engineeringData engineering50%
- 5AWSCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps49%
- 6Data qualityData engineeringData engineering49%
- 7Apache SparkDataData45%
- 8CI/CDCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps41%
- 9AzureCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps40%
- 10DatabricksData engineeringData engineering38%
- 11Data warehousingData engineeringData engineering38%
- 12AirflowDataData34%
- 13SnowflakeDataData34%
- 14Google CloudCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps30%
- 15Machine learningDataData29%
- 16dbtDataData29%
- 17GitCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps25%
- 18AgileEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices25%
- 19Data governanceData engineeringData engineering23%
- 20ObservabilityCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps20%
- 21DevOpsCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps19%
- 22Code reviewEngineering PracticesEngineering Practices19%
- 23Data analysisDataData19%
- 24Power BIDataData18%
- 25KafkaDataData17%
- 26BigQueryDataData16%
- 27Infrastructure as CodeCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps16%
- 28LLMsDataData16%
- 29TerraformCloud & DevOpsCloud & DevOps16%
- 30RedshiftData engineeringData engineering15%
How to use this list
Data engineering ads are consistent: SQL, Python, an orchestrator and a warehouse. Say which warehouse (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks) and the data volumes you moved.
Only add skills you've really used, in the group your CV already has for them, and show the important ones in a bullet too. The percentages tell you what's common across the market; the job you're applying to is what matters, so check your CV against it.
How we count: the newest live postings whose title matches the role, re-posts removed, description only. Each skill counts once per posting, with common synonyms (k8s = Kubernetes); benefits and legal text are ignored; soft skills only count in the requirements. The role's own name is left out.
Open data engineer roles
Frequently asked questions
What skills should a data engineer put on a resume?
The ones most postings ask for and that you really have. Across 470 recent data engineer postings we track, the most-mentioned are SQL (79%), Python (76%), ETL (74%), Data modeling (50%) and AWS (49%). Put each one you've used in your Skills section and in a bullet that shows how you used it.
Which data engineer skills are must-haves?
SQL, Python and ETL appear in more than half of the postings, which makes them close to a baseline for the role. Everything else varies by company, so check each ad.
How is this list calculated?
We take the newest live data engineer postings from employers' applicant tracking systems, remove re-posts, and count the share whose description mentions each skill (synonyms count, each posting counts once). Benefits and legal boilerplate are ignored. It refreshes daily, and no AI is involved.
Should I add every keyword on this page to my CV?
No. Add only the skills you can discuss in an interview, using the same name the job ad uses. Stuffing in skills you don't have is easy to spot and backfires in technical interviews.
This page is built from public job postings only. It doesn't need your CV and collects nothing about you. The CV check is separate: we delete your CV from it within 24 hours. See our privacy policy.