There are many different types of developer positions — full-stack, front-end and web, to name a few — but have you thought about becoming an ETL developer? This lesser-known career path is growing in popularity and is one to consider if you’re looking for a valuable job in today’s data-driven landscape.
Keep reading for a comprehensive career guide that will cover typical ETL developer responsibilities, required skills and qualifications, average salary and tips on how to get started in this fast-paced, lucrative field.
What Is ETL?
To understand the role of an ETL developer, we must first start with the concept of ETL as a whole.
ETL is a term that refers to the extraction, transformation and loading of data.
- Extract — How you obtain the data from various sources
- Transform — How you clean, validate and reshape the data
- Load — How you load the data into a database or warehouse for further use
Since we live in a world with increasingly high data production — the big data and analytics market is worth an estimated $348 billion — the need for skilled professionals to handle and transform raw data so that it can be used effectively and strategically is more important than ever.
An ETL developer is often a software engineer who extracts, transforms and loads data by employing a variety of technical tools and solutions. This position is also closely connected to the field of data science.
Roles and Responsibilities of an ETL Developer
An ETL developer job description will vary depending on the position itself and employer, but here is a list of typical responsibilities:
- Design and develop ETL processes
- Manage the extraction, transformation and loading of data
- Monitor performance and troubleshoot as needed
- Create and maintain processes and documentations
- Test ETL tools
- Collaborate with team members
Required Skills and Qualifications for an ETL Developer
An ETL developer must have sharp technical skills, specifically a mastery of ETL and data-related tools and databases, SQL and scripting language. Data profiling, virtualization and warehousing are important, in addition to coding and programming experience. Solid communication and analytical skills are usually also required.
To give you a good idea of what employers are looking for, here are some skills, qualifications and areas of experience pulled from recent LinkedIn job postings:
- 5+ years of ETL experience in technical development
- 5+ years of writing SQL
- Experience in product lifecycle management (PLM) specific data migration
- Proficiency in programming languages
- ETL mappings and ETL code/scripts
- SnapLogic
- Relational databases
- AWC cloud environment
- Data modeling
- GitHub/GitLab
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Creative problem-solver
- Motivated team player
- Attention to detail and organized
Every job posting will be different, and not every position will require all of these bullets, but in general, most ETL developer jobs require a minimum of 5 years of ETL experience; programming, coding and ETL knowledge; and solid communication, collaboration and analytical skills.
Education and Certifications for an ETL Developer
In most cases, an undergraduate degree in computer science, information systems, data science, statistics or a related field is preferred. Some positions may even require additional education; popular graduate degree choices include a master’s degree in applied data science, computer science, data analytics, artificial intelligence and business analytics.
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Relevant certifications are also important for career growth and advancement. Popular options for this career path include:
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
- Informatica Certified Professional (ICP)
- SAS Certified Data Integration Developer for SAS 9
- Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) from DAMA International
- Google Cloud — Professional Data Engineer
ETL Developer Salary and Career Outlook
The average ETL developer salary will depend on the specific job responsibilities, business/organization, how much experience is required and the location of the position. To give you a general idea, keep the following average salaries in mind, but please note that these numbers fluctuate due to real-time data:
When it comes to job outlook, Zippia predicts a growth rate of 21% between 2018 and 2028 for ETL developers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which tracks data for all types of jobs, doesn’t have a specific entry for ETL developers, but it does monitor database administrators and architects, which is closely related. The BLS predicts that database administrator and architect positions will increase 9% between 2023 to 2033.
Which Industries Need an ETL Developer?
ETL developers are essential positions that span all types of businesses and organizations; popular industries include technology, finance, insurance and health care. A search for “ETL developer” on LinkedIn revealed the following companies are hiring for these types of positions:
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Capital One
- Fannie Mae
- SiriusXM
- Vanguard
- Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company
- CVS Health
- Grammarly
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Harvard Medical School
- Deloitte
If you’re considering this type of career and are interested in furthering your education, we invite to download our free checklist — 7 Questions To Ask Before Selecting An Applied Data Science Master’s Degree Program, which is brought to you by the online Master of Science in Applied Data Science offered by the University of San Diego.
USD’s program has been developed by data science experts in collaboration with industry advisors to offer a curriculum that is tailored to the needs of top employers. The Master of Science in Applied Data Science program provides in-depth practical and technical training designed to position graduates for career success in this vitally important and fast-growing field.
