Spark
Spark SQLDataFramesStructured StreamingAdaptive Query Execution
Data platforms · screened by AceMQ
Hire Spark developers vetted by a Spark practitioner
Conntal places Apache Spark engineers who can read the Spark UI and fix a slow job, not just submit one. Every candidate is screened by an AceMQ practitioner who supports production Spark, using a real data-skew scenario. Available on contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire on Databricks, EMR, Dataproc or on-premises Hadoop.
Indicative rate: from $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore. See what moves it.
Contract, contract-to-hire or direct · onshore, nearshore, offshore · reviewed 31 October 2026
- Screen owner
- Data and search platform lead · AceMQProduction support for Elasticsearch.
- Titles we place
- Spark engineer · Spark developer · Big data engineer · Data engineer · Scala engineer
- Platforms we screen on
- Spark SQLDataFramesStructured StreamingAdaptive Query Execution
Rates
What a contract Spark engineer costs
Senior contract Spark engineer rates start at $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore. These are indicative from-rates, last reviewed 31 October 2026.
| Location model | From (USD per hour) | Where engineers are based |
|---|---|---|
| OnshoreHighest rate | $120/hr | US-based, on client time zones, cleared where the engagement requires it. |
| NearshoreOur default recommendation | $80/hr | Latin America and Canada, four hours or less of overlap loss, same working day. |
| OffshoreLowest rate | $80/hr | Europe, India and South East Asia. |
What moves the number
- Platform scarcity. The fewer engineers who have run Spark in production, the higher the rate.
- Seniority. The figures are for senior engineers; staff and principal levels cost more.
- Clearance and residency. Cleared or on-site work narrows the pool and sits in the onshore column.
- Term. Length, hours and the engagement model change the rate; contract-to-hire and direct placement are priced differently.
Indicative from-rates for senior contract engineers, USD per hour. The final rate depends on platform scarcity, seniority, clearance and term.
The screen
How we vet Spark engineers: the published screen
Every Spark engineer is screened on the scenario below by the Data and search platform lead at AceMQ. The senior and mid answers are published so you can judge our bar before you engage us, and candidates know what they are walking into.
The screen · Spark engineer
Conntal Vetting Standard
Scenario put to the candidate
In a Spark job, one stage has a single task still running after an hour while its other 199 tasks finished in minutes. What is happening and what do you do?
Vetted by
Data and search platform lead · AceMQ
A senior answer contains
- Identifies data skew on the join or aggregation key from the task metrics in the Spark UI.
- Checks whether Adaptive Query Execution's skew-join handling is enabled and applicable.
- Proposes a broadcast join if one side is small, or salting the hot key if it is not.
- Asks which key is hot and why, because the fix may belong upstream in the data.
Where a mid answer stops
- Adds executors and memory.
- Raises the number of shuffle partitions and expects the long task to split.
- Restarts the job hoping it was a slow node.
What we screen on
Spark skills we screen for
Spark candidates are screened on spark, tuning and platforms, among others, against the stack you actually run rather than a generic checklist.
Tuning
data skewshuffle partitionsbroadcast joinsspillcaching
Platforms
DatabricksAmazon EMRGoogle DataprocHadoop YARN
Languages
ScalaPython (PySpark)SQL
Titles this covers
Spark job titles we place
We place 5 titles in this area, from Spark engineer to Scala engineer. They overlap and are used inconsistently between companies, so tell us the outcome you need and we will tell you which title actually fits it.
- Spark engineer
- Spark developer
- Big data engineer
- Data engineer
- Scala engineer
The platforms, run in production by our network
Engagement
Ways to hire Spark engineers
Platform work usually starts with a defined piece of change and becomes ongoing ownership, which is why most Spark engineers engagements begin on contract. All three models are available, in any location model.
Contract
A vetted engineer embedded in your team for a defined term.
Hourly, billed against an approved SOW. Most common for migrations, upgrades and capacity surges where the work has an end date.
Contract staffingContract-to-hire
Work together first, convert when it is obviously working.
A defined conversion window and a pre-agreed fee, so the decision to hire is a business decision rather than a negotiation.
Contract-to-hire staffingDirect placement
A permanent hire, screened to the same standard.
One-time fee against first-year base. Used where the role is a long-term platform owner rather than project capacity.
Direct placement staffingNot a fit if
When to look elsewhere for Spark engineers
We are the wrong choice if any of these describe your role, and we would rather say so on the first call.
- You need data analysis in notebooks rather than job tuning and cluster operations.
- You want Spark supported rather than staffed; AceMQ provides support directly.
- The role is Scala application development with no data processing.
How it works
How hiring Spark engineers through Conntal works
- 01
Scope
A practitioner scopes the role
An engineer who runs this technology reads your brief and tells you what is missing from it. Most briefs we receive ask for the wrong seniority or the wrong title. - 02
Screen
We screen, then shortlist
Sourcing is ours; the technical decision belongs to the vetting practitioner. You only see candidates who passed the scenario on this page. - 03
Start
Start, convert or replace
Contract, contract-to-hire or direct. If the fit is wrong we say so first and replace rather than defend the placement.
Screen owner
Who vets our Spark engineers: Data and search platform lead, AceMQ
Production support for Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, Snowflake, Databricks, Spark, Flink, NiFi and Airflow estates under AceMQ's 24/7 support practice.
FAQ
Spark engineers: what buyers ask
Something not covered here? Send the requirement and a practitioner answers it, not a sales queue.
How much does a contract Spark engineer cost per hour?
Indicative senior contract from-rates are $80/hr nearshore or offshore and $120/hr onshore (USD, reviewed 31 October 2026). The final rate depends on platform scarcity, seniority, clearance and term. Contract-to-hire and direct placement are priced differently, and the delivery models page sets out how.
How fast can a Spark engineer start?
We do not promise a start date before we have seen the brief. A practitioner reads it, usually within one business day, and tells you whether we can staff it. Timing after that depends on the stack, the seniority and the location model.
Do your Spark engineers work in both Scala and Python?
Yes. The screen is language-neutral; we confirm the language your codebase uses at scoping.
Can you staff Spark work on Hadoop as well as cloud platforms?
Yes. Many estates run Spark on YARN alongside a cloud migration, and candidates are screened on the platform you operate.
Who vets your Spark engineers?
An AceMQ practitioner who supports production Spark, using the skew scenario on this page.
Can we convert a contractor to full time, and what does it cost?
Yes. Contract-to-hire sets a conversion window and a pre-agreed fee at the start, so converting is a business decision rather than a negotiation. The fee is agreed per engagement; ask for it with your brief.
What if the placement does not work out?
If the fit is wrong we say so first and replace the engineer rather than defend the placement. Replacement terms are agreed per engagement, so ask for them with your brief.
Do you also deliver Spark consulting or support?
Not through Conntal. We place individual engineers into your team on contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire. If you want a project delivered or the platform supported as a service, AceMQ does that directly at acemq.com.
Related
Related roles
Need Spark delivered as a project or supported as a service instead of staffed? AceMQ does that directly.
Need Spark engineers? Start with the brief.
Send the requirement and an engineer who runs this technology will tell you what is missing before we source anyone.