Average Salaries ($K)
Lyon 2020-2024
Data Salary review
Lyon
2020 - 2024
- 0% Average Cost Of Living Rise
- #1/23 Cheapest City To Live
- 20% Average Salary Rise
- #12/23 Salary Growth - All Roles
- #11/23 Salary Growth For Heads Of Data
- #8/23 Salary Growth For Data Engineers
- #16/23 Salary Growth For Data Analyst
- #16/23 Salary Growth For Data Scientists
Overview
While Paris remains the undisputed leader in tech jobs and startups, Lyon has carved out a solid niche. The city is home to a mix of large global firms and smaller, more agile startups. Notable employers in the data field include Sanofi, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, Valeo, a key player in the automotive industry, and the Cegid Group, a provider of enterprise software. The data roles available here are often tied to industries like healthcare, logistics, and traditional manufacturing, and the job market is not as fast-paced or diverse as in the capital. There is a definite focus on industrial and business intelligence data, rather than cutting-edge data science or AI-focused roles. Though you can find solid opportunities to start your data career, with less competition and a better work-life balance, the city does not yet offer the same range or growth potential as other leading cities in Europe, particularly for senior-level data scientists or engineers.
Heads Of Data
In Lyon, the data leadership space is less saturated, and as a result, fewer positions are available at the highest level.The Head of Data roles in Lyon are typically tied to large, well-established companies, particularly in sectors that rely heavily on data for operational efficiency, business intelligence, and innovation.
In terms of work-life balance, Lyon does have a significant advantage over larger cities. The work culture tends to be more relaxed, and the city is known for its quality of life, which could be a compelling factor for some candidates. Lyon’s data scene may not be as big as Paris, but there is a tight-knit tech community, and attending local meetups, tech events, and conferences can help build relationships that may eventually lead to senior roles. Events like Data Science Week in Lyon offer opportunities for high-level networking. Whilst competition is fierce considering the lack of available senior roles, there is more opportunities to get promoted in Lyon in a shorter span of time when compared to Paris or Marseille.
The fact that senior-level and intermediate-level Head of Data roles in Lyon may be paid similarly in 2024 is somewhat surprising but can be attributed to trends we see in cities with less tech concentration where companies often do not have the same level of differentiation between junior, intermediate, and senior roles because the talent pool is smaller, and the overall demand for highly specialised roles may be more niche. We would be surprised if the market did not correct itself in 2025 – or face losing senior talent.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Engineers
Lyon is still heavily focused on traditional industries that require more maintenance and optimisation of existing systems rather than creating new, cutting-edge tech stacks. In terms of growth, the opportunities for data engineers have increased as companies look to digitise their operations, but these roles often come with a slower pace of innovation compared to cities like Paris or Toulouse, which have seen a broader adoption of advanced data science techniques and AI. As a result, while the number of data engineering jobs has been rising, the tech environment is more conservative, with less emphasis on emerging technologies like big data, real-time data processing, and machine learning pipelines. The salary range tends to be lower as well, in line with Lyon’s overall lower cost of living compared to other French tech hubs.
Lyon follows the rest of France in seeing a steep rise in salaries for beginners in 2022 of 63% and then a dip the year after. Post-pandemic there seemed to be more demand than talent supply and so companies focused on hiring junior talent they could train up. We also see a narrower band between experience levels in Lyon which tends to indicate there may be some fuzziness on responsibilities and Data engineers will be expected to do more. Lyon was one place ahead of Paris for wage growth over the last five years ranking #8/23.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Analysts
Data analyst roles in Lyon have been steadily growing, but much like data engineering, they are largely concentrated in more traditional industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. Analysts in Lyon typically work with more structured data and focus heavily on improving operational efficiencies, forecasting, and monitoring business performance within existing systems. While this provides a stable job market, the pace of innovation is slower compared to other cities, and the scope for career growth is somewhat limited unless you’re willing to specialise in certain sectors or transition into more technical roles like data science. For those starting out or looking for a more balanced lifestyle in a less competitive environment, Lyon offers a solid, albeit less exciting, data analyst market.
Lyon follows the trends seen in France in rapid wage growth between 2020-2022 (26.38%) followed by two years of flat growth (4.36%).
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Scientists
Data scientists in Lyon are typically expected to work on tasks such as forecasting, statistical analysis, and business optimisation, with common tools being Python, SQL, and Power BI, sometimes supplemented by cloud platforms like AWS or Azure. Salaries for data scientists in Lyon are noticeably lower than in Paris or global tech hubs, and career progression can be slower due to the lack of a dense ecosystem of startups or innovation-driven companies.
That said, Lyon can be a good choice for data scientists seeking roles within traditional industries where stability and domain expertise are prioritised. It is an excellent place for those interested in applying data science to real-world industrial challenges, but it may not satisfy those aiming to work in dynamic, tech-driven environments or on groundbreaking AI projects.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Hiring Data Roles For Lyon Companies
Lyon offers a growing but relatively small data talent pool, making it an appealing yet competitive location for employers. The city’s strong focus on biotech, finance, and logistics ensures a steady demand for data professionals, but the availability of highly skilled candidates, particularly in big data and cloud-based data processing, remains limited. While wage growth has been stable and salaries are generally lower than in Paris, businesses still need to offer competitive compensation to attract and retain top talent. Retention rates are higher than in larger tech hubs, thanks to Lyon’s desirable quality of life. However, hiring for advanced roles, such as AI specialists, cloud architects, and machine learning engineers can be challenging.
Given Lyon’s smaller talent pool and lower salary expectations, working with a data agency like 173tech can be a cost-effective solution for businesses needing advanced expertise. Instead of struggling to source hard-to-find specialists locally, companies can leverage external agencies for high-level data strategy, ETL implementation, or cloud migration projects. This is particularly beneficial for firms that do not require a full-time data team but need access to experienced professionals for specific initiatives, allowing them to scale data capabilities without long recruitment cycles or high long-term salary commitments.
173tech Direct Comparison
- Head Of Data (5+ yrs) $210k
- Data Engineer (5+ yrs) $110k
- Data Engineer (0-3 yrs) $65k
- Data Analyst (3-5 yrs) $72k
- $457k per yr + Tax + Pension + Holidays
- Candice (15+ yrs) Ruben (8+ yrs) Oliver (10+ yrs)
- Adrian (15+ yrs)
- Oscar (2+ yrs)
- Emeric (3+ yrs) Mai (4+ yrs) Noel (2+ yrs) Amy (2+ yrs)
- $240k
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