Builds ETL pipelines that extract, transform and load data between systems.
Entry
Intermediate
Coding
High
Key skills
Career overview
The ETL Developer builds Extract-Transform-Load pipelines that move data from source systems to warehouses and datamarts. They work with tools like SSIS, Informatica, Talend or Airflow and write SQL transformations. The role leads to Data Engineer, Data Integration Engineer or Data Architect positions.
Main responsibilities
- Develop ETL and data integration flows
- Build reliable data ingestion pipelines
- Model and query relational databases
- Model and maintain the data warehouse
- Guarantee data quality, freshness and lineage
- Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines
- Keep technical documentation up to date
- Prepare and execute change requests in production
- Analyse application logs to identify root causes
- Automate recurring tasks with scripts
Technical skills
Technologies
Education level
Education requirements vary depending on the company, country and experience. Professional experience, certifications and technical skills can sometimes compensate for formal education.
High School / Bac
Less common
Bac+2 (2-year degree)
Less common
Bac+3 (Bachelor)
Common entry point
Bac+5 (Master / Engineering)
Common entry point
Experience & coding level
Experience level
Coding level
Useful certifications
Certifications are never mandatory. They are one way among others to prove a skill.
- Talend Certified Developer
- Informatica PowerCenter Developer
- Microsoft DP-203 Data Engineer
Where can this career take you?
Multiple paths are possible. Click a role to open its profile.
Direct progression
Possible branches
Where can you go next?
Realistic next career moves, with compatibility and a transition roadmap for each.
Overlap: 62% · Difficulty: Easy
Skills to learn: Spark / distributed processing, Streaming (Kafka), CI/CD & testing
View roadmapOverlap: 34% · Difficulty: Medium
Skills to learn: API & streaming (Kafka), ETL / ELT, Schema evolution
View roadmapWhere can you go from here?
A typical progression built from real career relationships. Click any role to open its profile.
Soft skills
- Rigour and attention to detail
- Analytical thinking
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
- Clear communication
- Attention to detail
Related resources
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ETL DeveloperData Engineer
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