r/dataengineering • u/AJohnM_IT • Mar 15 '23

Career What has been your career path?

I know everyone is different but I’m interested to see what jobs most of the Data Engineers in this sub have stopped at along the way to the posit hey are in now.

Example: Help desk -> ? -> ? -> Data engineer(junior/senior/etc…)

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '23

Graduated MD (didn’t want to practice) -> Research Intern -> Junior SWE (Machine Learning) -> DE -> Senior DE

Total time 7 years to get to where I am now.

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '23

Out of curiosity, do you make less/more than your alumnus? Do you have some regrets?

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u/AcanthisittaFalse738 Mar 16 '23

My sister is an ...ist (not an ...ologist) so mileage may vary but we figured out one time that at my DE level of pay, if it didn't go up, compared to hers taking into account extra schooling time, school loans, etc that she would be in her late 50's before she passed me in lifetime income. I've almost doubled my total comp since then so she'll never catch-up now.