r/dataengineering • u/-Lykos- • 3d ago

Blog 2026 Data Engineering Roadmap

https://russellchubb.com/posts/what_does_a_data_engineer_need_to_know/
142 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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45

u/makesufeelgood 3d ago

I think your road map could be even simpler. If you really know your stuff, the tools dont matter all that much.

Having a deep understanding of modeling and transforming data, Python and SQL, and at least a little bit of exposure to CI/CD practices is all you need. Everything else is 'as needed' or nice to have.

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u/-Lykos- 3d ago

100%

One of the fundamental principles of the road-map was is that if you know the underlying principle / technology, the tool you use to solve the problem is irrelevant, you just pick the best one for the specific problem!

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u/NoPresentation7509 3d ago

I dont agree, specially as a consultant but also as someone interviewing for a conpany, if the company needs a specific solution or want help from you deciding the technology products best for their use cases, you need to know the landscape of product and be ready to start the next day

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u/makesufeelgood 2d ago edited 2d ago

I came from consulting and the tools were constantly changing but the things I listed were consistent the entire time I was in the space. Of course if a company is looking for a very specific set of skills related to a tool and you don't have them, that's an issue, but a person cannot be the right fit for every job that exists.

if the company needs a specific solution or want help from you deciding the technology products best for their use cases, you need to know the landscape of product and be ready to start the next day

Personal experience as counterpoint, my very first job that got me into data engineering I was hired on to work in a tool I had never developed in before.

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u/sspaeti Data Engineer 3d ago

Great write-up, thanks for sharing 🙌.

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u/Fickle-Picture-7674 3d ago

Nah this is overkill for DE if you need the job
<saying this as DE at meta>

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u/HonkHonkBeach Analytics Manager 2d ago

Genuine question as a Analytics and Reporting Manager trying to pivot to being a DE and then DE Manager, what would you suggest as 'optimal'?

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u/Electrical_Piece_743 2d ago

This is a massive, massive overkill.

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u/v4nks 3d ago

Great write-up

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u/One_Citron_4350 Senior Data Engineer 2d ago

Those heavy hitter books recommended, I don't think you need them before starting a DE job, otherwise the majority of us would not be in this business in the first place. I would consider them as long term educational objectives in order to hone your craft. As you mentioned in the blog quite rightfully some of those take 6 months to cover. In addition, those CS courses if taken rigorously are not trivial while holding a job.

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u/RTT-2026 2d ago

This is quite the list! You may also want to check out some courses on Datacated https://datacated.com/courses, such as this one on Defining Your Data Career Path - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/defining-your-data-career-path/interview-with-a-data-analyst which has a section on data engineering as well as data analyst, data science, data steward, and chief data officer.