Amazon’s data engineers play a crucial role in the company’s day-to-day business operations. Data engineers work closely with various teams, including product, marketing, and operations, to ensure that data is leveraged effectively for decision-making. Being a consumer-centric organization with millions of users, data engineers play a critical role in helping understand consumer behavior and working closely with AI and ML teams to build algorithms for predictive data models.
The interview process for data engineers at Amazon is very similar to the process for software engineering roles. Just like how software engineers need to be good with coding, data engineers need to be adept in object-oriented programming languages, namely Python, C++, and Java. The process has a coding round where problems are asked around core data structures and algorithms. Besides coding, data engineers also have to be good with ETL design, data modeling, and SQL.
In this article, we’ll look at some Amazon data engineer interview questions and also take a quick look at the interview process for data engineering roles. Here’s what we’ll cover in this article
If you’re wondering what your role as a data engineer at Amazon would entail, here’s what it looks like;
Amazon expects engineers applying for data engineering roles to meet the below criteria:
Additional Qualifications for Data Engineering Roles at Amazon:
The interview process for data engineers at Amazon is very similar to the software engineering interview process. The only difference is that the design round in the onsite interview is replaced by a round dedicated to SQL and data analysis questions.
Here’s what the process broadly looks like:
A recruiter from human resources will get in touch with you to ask you a few basic questions. The primary objective of this round is to evaluate if your skills match the description and responsibilities of the job.
A hiring manager from the data engineering team will interview you in this round. You’ll be asked to solve a coding problem on algorithms and core data structures to evaluate your problem-solving skills. You’ll also be asked some theoretical questions around data analyses and leveraging datasets.
The site Interview will essentially have 3-4 rounds of interviews – a coding round to evaluate your problem-solving and analytical skills, a round dedicated to SQL and Big Data Analytics, a behavioral round, and a round with an Amazon Bar-raiser.
Also known as the Loop, the onsite is usually conducted by different hiring managers. You’ll be asked a mix of practical and theory-based questions during the on-site rounds.
The onsite round has a special bar-raiser round that evaluates you on Amazon’s 16 leadership principles. Bar-Raisers are trained to specifically maintain the hiring bar at Amazon by only recruiting the best of talent.
Recommended Reading: How to Prepare for the Amazon Onsite Interview in 2 Months
Before we look at some Amazon data engineer interview questions, let’s take a quick look at the list of topics to prepare for the interview. Questions asked can be a combination of the following topics:
Below are some sample Amazon data engineer interview questions.
Coding is a key aspect of the data engineer interview. How you apply patterns to solve problems at the interview and your ability to think out solutions with an analytical approach will put you ahead of the competition.
For more coding problems asked at the Amazon Data Engineer interview, visit our comprehensive Problems page.
Leveraging SQL to convert raw data into usable information is a key role of data engineers. Here are some SQL and data analysis interview questions:
Check out Amazon SQL Interview Questions for more information on the types of questions asked at Amazon’s data engineer interviews.
Behavioral interviews are a crucial part of the hiring process. Here are some behavioral questions you can expect at Amazon’s data engineer interview.
For more behavioral questions, check out Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions and Amazon Leadership Principles Interview Questions.
Interview Kickstart’s Data Engineering Interview Course is the first-of-its-kind, domain-specific tech interview prep program designed specifically for Data Engineers. Click here to learn more about the program.
If you want to nail your upcoming data engineer interview, register for our free webinar and find out what it takes to crack technical interviews at the biggest companies.
At Interview Kickstart, we’ve helped 6,000+ engineers land huge offers at FAANG and tier-1 companies, with a minimum average pay hike of 49%.
Attend our free webinar to amp up your career and get the salary you deserve.
693+ FAANG insiders created a system so you don’t have to guess anymore!
100% Free — No credit card needed.
Time Zone:
Get your enrollment process started by registering for a Pre-enrollment Webinar with one of our Founders.
The 11 Neural “Power Patterns” For Solving Any FAANG Interview Problem 12.5X Faster Than 99.8% OF Applicants
The 2 “Magic Questions” That Reveal Whether You’re Good Enough To Receive A Lucrative Big Tech Offer
The “Instant Income Multiplier” That 2-3X’s Your Current Tech Salary
The 11 Neural “Power Patterns” For Solving Any FAANG Interview Problem 12.5X Faster Than 99.8% OF Applicants
The 2 “Magic Questions” That Reveal Whether You’re Good Enough To Receive A Lucrative Big Tech Offer
The “Instant Income Multiplier” That 2-3X’s Your Current Tech Salary
Just drop your name and email so we can send your Power Patterns PDF straight to your inbox. No Spam!
By sharing your contact details, you agree to our privacy policy.
Time Zone: Asia/Dhaka
We’ve sent the Power Patterns PDF to your inbox — it should arrive in the next 30 seconds.
📩 Can’t find it? Check your promotions or spam folder — and mark us as safe so you don’t miss future insights.
We’re hosting a private session where FAANG insiders walk through how they actually use these Power Patterns to crack interviews — and what sets top performers apart.
🎯 If you liked the PDF, you’ll love what we’re sharing next.
Time Zone:
