STEM OPT Data Engineer Jobs
Data Engineer roles sit squarely within STEM OPT eligibility, letting you work for up to 36 months total on F-1 authorization as long as your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Your 24-month extension kicks in after the initial 12-month OPT period, giving you a long runway to build production-grade pipelines and transition to long-term sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
As a Data Engineer at Meta, you will shape the future of people-facing and business-facing products we build across our entire family of applications (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Reality Labs, Threads). Your technical skills and analytical mindset will be utilized designing and building some of the world's most extensive data sets, helping to craft experiences for billions of people and hundreds of millions of businesses worldwide. In this role, you will collaborate with software engineering, data science, and product management teams to design/build scalable data solutions across Meta to optimize growth, strategy, and user experience for our 3 billion plus users, as well as our internal employee community. You will be at the forefront of identifying and solving some of the most interesting data challenges at a scale few companies can match. By joining Meta, you will become part of a world-class data engineering community dedicated to skill development and career growth in data engineering and beyond.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Data Engineering: You will guide teams by building optimal data artifacts (including datasets and visualizations) to address key questions. You will refine our systems, design logging solutions, and create scalable data models. Ensuring data security and quality, and with a strong focus on efficiency, you will suggest architecture and development approaches and data management standards to address complex analytical problems.
Product leadership: You will use data to shape product development, identify new opportunities, and tackle upcoming challenges. You'll ensure our products add value for users and businesses, by prioritizing projects, and driving innovative solutions to respond to challenges or opportunities.
Communication and influence: You won't simply present data, but tell data-driven stories. You will convince and influence your partners using clear insights and recommendations. You will build credibility through structure and clarity, and be a trusted strategic partner.
Data Engineer, Product Analytics Responsibilities:
- Conceptualize and own the data architecture for multiple large-scale projects, while evaluating design and operational cost-benefit tradeoffs within systems
- Create and contribute to frameworks that improve the efficacy of logging data, while working with data infrastructure to triage issues and resolve
- Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and data scientists to understand data needs, representing key data insights in a meaningful way
- Define and manage Service Level Agreements for all data sets in allocated areas of ownership
- Determine and implement the security model based on privacy requirements, confirm safeguards are followed, address data quality issues, and evolve governance processes within allocated areas of ownership
- Design, build, and launch collections of sophisticated data models and visualizations that support multiple use cases across different products or domains
- Solve our most challenging data integration problems, utilizing optimal Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) patterns, frameworks, query techniques, sourcing from structured and unstructured data sources
- Assist in owning existing processes running in production, optimizing complex code through advanced algorithmic concepts
- Optimize pipelines, dashboards, frameworks, and systems to facilitate easier development of data artifacts
- Influence product and cross-functional teams to identify data opportunities to drive impact
- Mentor team members by giving/receiving actionable feedback
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- 4+ years of experience where the primary responsibility involves working with data. This could include roles such as data analyst, data scientist, data engineer, or similar positions
- 4+ years of experience with SQL, ETL, data modeling, and at least one programming language (e.g., Python, C++, C#, Scala, etc.)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
- Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
- Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
ABOUT META
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.
Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.
Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $147,000/year to $208,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
INTRODUCTION
As a Data Engineer at Meta, you will shape the future of people-facing and business-facing products we build across our entire family of applications (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Reality Labs, Threads). Your technical skills and analytical mindset will be utilized designing and building some of the world's most extensive data sets, helping to craft experiences for billions of people and hundreds of millions of businesses worldwide. In this role, you will collaborate with software engineering, data science, and product management teams to design/build scalable data solutions across Meta to optimize growth, strategy, and user experience for our 3 billion plus users, as well as our internal employee community. You will be at the forefront of identifying and solving some of the most interesting data challenges at a scale few companies can match. By joining Meta, you will become part of a world-class data engineering community dedicated to skill development and career growth in data engineering and beyond.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Data Engineering: You will guide teams by building optimal data artifacts (including datasets and visualizations) to address key questions. You will refine our systems, design logging solutions, and create scalable data models. Ensuring data security and quality, and with a strong focus on efficiency, you will suggest architecture and development approaches and data management standards to address complex analytical problems.
Product leadership: You will use data to shape product development, identify new opportunities, and tackle upcoming challenges. You'll ensure our products add value for users and businesses, by prioritizing projects, and driving innovative solutions to respond to challenges or opportunities.
Communication and influence: You won't simply present data, but tell data-driven stories. You will convince and influence your partners using clear insights and recommendations. You will build credibility through structure and clarity, and be a trusted strategic partner.
Data Engineer, Product Analytics Responsibilities:
- Conceptualize and own the data architecture for multiple large-scale projects, while evaluating design and operational cost-benefit tradeoffs within systems
- Create and contribute to frameworks that improve the efficacy of logging data, while working with data infrastructure to triage issues and resolve
- Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and data scientists to understand data needs, representing key data insights in a meaningful way
- Define and manage Service Level Agreements for all data sets in allocated areas of ownership
- Determine and implement the security model based on privacy requirements, confirm safeguards are followed, address data quality issues, and evolve governance processes within allocated areas of ownership
- Design, build, and launch collections of sophisticated data models and visualizations that support multiple use cases across different products or domains
- Solve our most challenging data integration problems, utilizing optimal Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) patterns, frameworks, query techniques, sourcing from structured and unstructured data sources
- Assist in owning existing processes running in production, optimizing complex code through advanced algorithmic concepts
- Optimize pipelines, dashboards, frameworks, and systems to facilitate easier development of data artifacts
- Influence product and cross-functional teams to identify data opportunities to drive impact
- Mentor team members by giving/receiving actionable feedback
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- 4+ years of experience where the primary responsibility involves working with data. This could include roles such as data analyst, data scientist, data engineer, or similar positions
- 4+ years of experience with SQL, ETL, data modeling, and at least one programming language (e.g., Python, C++, C#, Scala, etc.)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
- Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
- Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
ABOUT META
Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.
Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.
Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@meta.com.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $147,000/year to $208,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.
See all 3,400+ STEM OPT Data Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Data Engineer
Verify your CIP code before applying
STEM OPT eligibility depends on your degree's CIP code, not just the field name on your diploma. Cross-check your school's recorded CIP code against USCIS's official STEM Designated Degree Program List before you accept any offer.
Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status
Your STEM OPT extension is void if your employer isn't enrolled in E-Verify. Confirm enrollment through the official E-Verify employer search before signing an offer, not after. Many startups and smaller data teams aren't enrolled yet.
Target companies with active LCA filings for data roles
Employers who have filed Labor Condition Applications for Data Engineer or Data Analyst roles have already navigated DOL wage and compliance requirements. That track record signals they understand the full STEM OPT-to-H-1B visa pipeline and won't treat your authorization as a blocker.
Build your I-983 training plan around real deliverables
Your I-983 must map STEM learning objectives to specific job duties, not generic descriptions. Draft it around concrete deliverables like pipeline architecture, data modeling work, or ML infrastructure so your DSO can certify it without revision cycles.
Use Migrate Mate to identify E-Verify employers hiring data engineers
Search Migrate Mate to find Data Engineer roles at employers with verified sponsorship history. The platform surfaces DOL Labor Condition Application data by role and employer so you can target companies already familiar with STEM OPT workflows before you apply.
Time your H-1B registration to cover your OPT end date
If USCIS selects your H-1B registration before your STEM OPT expires, cap-gap protection extends your work authorization through September 30. Missing the registration window means a gap in authorization even if you have a valid offer and an enrolled employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Data Engineer role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your degree's CIP code appears on USCIS's STEM Designated Degree Program List. Degrees in computer science, information systems, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, and statistics are common qualifying fields for Data Engineer roles. The job title alone doesn't determine eligibility; your recorded degree CIP code does. Confirm the code with your DSO before submitting your extension application.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my STEM OPT employer?
Every employer that hires you under a STEM OPT extension must be actively enrolled in E-Verify, not just registered. Enrollment must be in place before your extension start date. You can confirm enrollment through the official E-Verify employer search tool. If your employer loses enrollment or is debarred during your extension period, you must stop working and report the change to your DSO within five business days.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Data Engineer position?
Your I-983 must connect specific STEM learning objectives to actual job duties. For a Data Engineer role, that means documenting work on tasks like building ETL pipelines, designing data warehouses, implementing data quality frameworks, or developing ML infrastructure. Generic descriptions like 'working with data' won't satisfy USCIS review standards. Your employer's supervisor must sign the plan, and your DSO certifies it before your extension is approved.
How does cap-gap protection work if I'm a Data Engineer on STEM OPT?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf and USCIS selects it in the lottery before your STEM OPT authorization expires, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that year. You can keep working as a Data Engineer during that window without any interruption. If your petition isn't selected or your employer misses the filing deadline, cap-gap doesn't apply and your work authorization ends with your STEM OPT.
How do I find Data Engineer jobs at employers who support STEM OPT?
Search Migrate Mate to browse Data Engineer roles at employers with documented Labor Condition Application filing history. LCA data from DOL shows which companies have already gone through the wage attestation and compliance process for similar roles, which is a reliable signal that they're set up to support STEM OPT extensions and eventual H-1B sponsorship. Filter results to E-Verify-enrolled employers before you apply.