Build and maintain data pipelines, warehouses, and infrastructure for analytics. Median salary in Sterling Heights: $119K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Data Engineers in Sterling Heights earn approximately 10% lower than the US national median for this role — a $13,000 discount on annual base salary. Sterling Heights's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 90 (US avg = 100).
This role's national salaries are growing at 6.5% year-over-year, well above the BLS all-occupations average of ~3.5%. If that pace holds, the Sterling Heights median reaches $163,040 in five years.
This role is 68% remote-eligible nationally according to job-posting analysis, which significantly expands the job market for Sterling Heights-based Data Engineers. Many Sterling Heights professionals in this role are paid on the locality scale of their employer's HQ rather than Sterling Heights's local rate — verify which scale your offer references before negotiating.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $119K by 2030.
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The median Data Engineer salary in Sterling Heights, MI is $119,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Sterling Heights–MI metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Data Engineers in Sterling Heights with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $88,000 and $119,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $119,000 to $151,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $151,000 to $189,000 or more.
Sterling Heights has a cost of living index of 90 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 10% further in Sterling Heights than the national average. Michigan has a 4.25% state income tax rate.
Bachelor's in CS, Engineering, or related. This role is 68% remote-eligible nationally, which can significantly expand the job market for Sterling Heights-based professionals.