Data engineering for AI
Gets the data into a shape a model can actually use, reliably and repeatedly.
The largest sample anywhere in this guide, on both sides. If you want to know what a mature, well-understood market looks like in these numbers, this is it.
The published figures
One title stands behind this discipline.
Data Engineer
as the source names it| Basis | Lower (10th) | Middle | Upper (90th) | Sample | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract, per day | £381 | £500 | £650 | 1,332 rates quoted | strong |
| Permanent, per year | £45,000 | £70,000 | £95,000 | 1,445 salaries quoted | strong |
The largest sample in this guide, and the only one where the percentiles are worth reading closely.
As a fractional engagement
Built on £500 a day, the lowest advertised middle of the titles above. Lowest, not highest, because the number that matters to a buyer setting a budget is the one they are least likely to be surprised by.
| Commitment | Days a month | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| One day a week | 4 | £2,000 | £24,000 |
| Two days a week | 8 | £4,000 | £48,000 |
| Three days a week | 12 | £6,000 | £72,000 |
£500 a day multiplied by the commitment, and nothing else. No seniority uplift, because any uplift would be invented.
Why this one is hard to judge
Most AI projects fail here rather than at the model, and the people who know that are rarely the loudest in the room.
That is the reason a rate alone tells you very little here. Two people quoting the same day rate for this work can be worth wildly different amounts to you, and the difference does not show up in either of their profiles.
Figures from IT Jobs Watch, UK contract rates and IT Jobs Watch, UK permanent salaries, six months to 8 August 2026, read on 2026-08-08. They are rates and salaries advertised, not paid.