A data engineer is the expert who designs, builds, and maintains the systems to store the data. Data is the most important aspect of every company, where storing and maintaining data play a key role in its success. Due to the importance of the role, the salary range is also high even for entry-level roles. So, many professionals are switching careers to earn more with a flexible schedule. 

According to the report “State of Data Engineering in India- 2025” by Aim Research, data engineering had a significant growth in 2025. The healthcare and Pharma industries have witnessed a 9.6% growth in data engineer roles in 2025. India is notably emerging as the global talent pool for these roles, where Hyderabad and Bengaluru have massive job openings for data engineers. 

Freelancers are ruling the current economy, and a data engineer freelance role is one of the rewarding career choices. If you are a beginner starting your freelance career or an expert switching roles to data engineering, this blog is for you. Today, you will learn how to start your journey and how much you can make in 2026. 

How to Land Top Data Engineer Freelance Jobs

From the report “State of Data Engineering in India- 2025”, it is clear that data engineering has had a huge spike and is continuing to grow in the coming years. To land in the top data engineer freelance jobs, you should have a clear plan with achievable goals. Following the right strategy is crucial when you are in the early stages of freelancing. Take a look at the steps below and plan accordingly.

• Pick your speciality. Be it ETL pipelines, cloud data engineering, data warehousing, etc Select one niche and sharpen your skills in the field.
• Work for free. Yes, you heard that right. In order to build a good portfolio, you need real-world projects, which are possible by working with NGOs and other organizations. This is purely for knowledge gain and experience. 
• Build a strong profile. Your portfolio/ profile is the proof of your work and knowledge. So, build it with strong real-time projects, experiences, and skills that set you apart from others.
• Choose the right platforms. There are many platforms online that offer data engineer freelance roles. But not all of them have projects that add value to your profile. So pick the top platforms such as BeGig, Toptal, Upwork, etc.
• Network and grow. Verify clients before starting the projects and ask for trusted referrals. Join communities, contribute to GitHub, and stay active in LinkedIn groups.

Also Read: Best Ways to Find Freelance Design Jobs That Pay Well

Data Engineer Freelance Salary: What You Can Earn

The above-mentioned survey from Aim Research states that the entry-level salary of a data engineer has grown to around ₹10.3 lakh annually in 2025. This is the salary range of full-time employees and is expected to increase in the coming years. Freelancers tend to earn more than full-time employees since their income depends on projects and their expertise. So, it is safe to say that a data engineer freelance salary can be higher than ₹10 lakh annually. 

The following is the realistic salary of the data engineer role from Glassdoor:

Beginner (0 to 1 years of experience):  ₹4 to ₹10 lakhs annually

Intermediate (4 to 6 years of experience):  ₹8 to ₹18 lakhs annually

Expert(10+ years of experience): ₹15 to ₹27 lakhs annually

Upgrade Your Data Engineer Freelancing Career with BeGig

Begin developing your skills, work on good real-time projects, and develop a good portfolio. Start your data engineer freelance journey from small platforms and scale up with improved knowledge and experience. Once you are confident about your skills and expertise, switch to BeGig for a hassle-free freelancing journey in 2026. Connect with top clients and work on premium projects with secure payments. Sign up today and upgrade your freelance career with ease!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. How much does a freelance data engineer make?

On average, freelance data engineers make around ₹10 lakhs annually.

2. What skills are required for data engineer freelance jobs?

SQL, Python, Cloud computing, and big data tools such as Apache Spark and Hadoop are the basic skills for data engineer freelance jobs.

3. Are data engineer freelance jobs available for beginners?

Yes. Data engineer freelance jobs are available for beginners, too.

4. Are data engineer freelance jobs remote?

Yes, data engineers also work remotely and generate quality outputs.