15 Databricks Data Engineer Interview Questions

Databricks works with most of the Fortune 500 and was also recognized as one of the best employers in 2024. For data engineers, landing a job here would be a great achievement. However, Databricks data engineer interview questions set a high bar for anyone applying to these positions.

Data engineers at Databricks are problem solvers who assist internal and external stakeholders. In your interview, you must demonstrate good technical skills relevant to the role. Whether you are experienced or not, it’s important to practice answering the questions you may be asked.

To this end, we have compiled 15 Databricks data engineer interview questions focusing on frequently tested areas. We have also included a breakdown of the interview process, an overview of the role, candidate requirements, and more to help you prepare. Let’s dig in!

Overview

Due to the nature of its solutions, Databricks has a significant need for data engineers. Several departments hire data engineers, including operations, field engineering, and specific product teams. The company also has a university recruitment program designed to bring in fresh graduates and interns in different fields, including data engineering.

The responsibilities of a data engineer vary with the department. In field engineering, for example, a data engineer typically works with other enterprise clients, serving as Databricks’ voice and:

• Helping companies evaluate and adopt Databricks solutions
• Implementing the client company’s agreed-upon data strategy
• Aligning the client’s strategies around Databricks’ solutions, etc.

In operations, a data engineer works with internal teams to implement new data-driven solutions within the company. They also participate in the development lifecycle and build reliable and scalable data pipelines and related solutions.

Databricks Data Engineer Salary

The average base salary for a data engineer at Databricks is $164,162. This is partly because the data engineers hired at this company are typically very experienced. Interns in the Bay Area earn between $44 and $48 an hour.

Databricks Data Engineer Candidate Requirements

As stated earlier, Databricks tends to hire experienced data engineers. For these demanding roles, common candidate requirements include:

• Several years of experience handling enterprise customers
• Technical experience—data science, public cloud, and big data
• Demonstrable ability to implement data-driven changes
• 3+ years of experience working with big data technologies, e.g., Hadoop
• Experience producing production-quality code

For interns, common requirements are:

• Being on track to graduate with a master’s degree in computer science or a related field
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python
• Experience with SQL
• Solid understanding of OOP principles, data structures, and algorithms.

As in other tech companies, candidates for data engineering roles at Databricks typically go through multiple interviews before receiving an offer. Although your experience may vary a bit, the steps you should expect are as follows:

• Recruiter Screen: In this first step, a recruiter calls to assess if you may be a good fit for the role and your level of interest. Some candidates skip this step and start with the hiring manager.
• Hiring Manager Screen: This stage is similar to the recruiter screening, but expect to dive deeper into your previous experience, your motivation to work at Databricks, and other behavioral questions.
• Online Assessment: This is usually a coding test that you’ll have to take online. Some candidates have stated that they were required to have their cameras on during the test.
• On-site Interviews: These consist of both technical and behavioral interviews. Databricks interviewers may provide material to help you prepare for some technical interviews, and you may also have to give a presentation. Interviews are carried out by potential managers and team members. The last stage is a behavioral interview followed by an offer if you pass.

Past candidates have stated that some of the questions they were asked in Databricks’ interviews were either very challenging or completely unexpected. With this in mind, you should consider the following as you prepare:

• Interest is key: According to a hiring manager at Databricks, a major mistake candidates make is not showing a high level of interest. This shows up in a few ways including not asking questions during the interview and not being familiar with their products. Always remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you.
• Expect an unfamiliar language: Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to solve a problem using a language or framework you’re unfamiliar with. This is by design and is supposed to test your ability to solve problems in new areas and read documentation.
• Master your background: Interviewers will adapt the process and questions depending on your background and other factors. Therefore, be prepared to be comprehensively asked about your resume.
• Non-disclosure agreements: Many past candidates have stated that they were asked to sign NDAs that prevent them from sharing information about their interviews at Databricks.

Python Coding and Algorithms Interview Questions

1. Write a function that can determine whether the relationship between two strings is bijective, i.e., one-to-one.

   This question is a test of your algorithm creation skills, but you’ll also need to know what a bijective relationship is. In a Databricks interview, if you don’t understand a key aspect of the question, it is safer to seek clarification. Your algorithm must factor in the different conditions that define bijective relationships to handle all edge cases. Check out one solution on Interview Query.

2. Implement a text editor using OOP by defining three classes with different functionalities.

   This question tests your knowledge of object-oriented programming principles and practices. You’ll need to know how to create classes and define relationships between them to create a functioning program. Check out a full breakdown of the problem, plus one solution on IQ.

3. Given an array and a target integer, write a function that will return the indices of any two integers in the array that add up to the target. No index can be used twice.

   Different algorithms can be used to solve this type of problem. When providing a solution, consider its time complexity and clarify any potential edge cases.

4. How would you implement a binary search algorithm using pseudocode?

   Pseudocode is an important tool for breaking down and explaining solutions before implementing them in code or during debugging. A Databricks interviewer will ask this question to test your problem-solving skills and your knowledge of search algorithms.

5. In a graph implemented as a 2D array, each cell represents a node, and the cell value represents the cost of traversal to that node. Using any shortest path algorithm, create a function that finds the shortest path given a start and end node.

   This question tests your knowledge of shortest-path algorithms and if you can pick an appropriate one for a given situation. You should also consider the time complexity because some inputs may result in unreasonably long process times.

6. Find the shortest sub-array containing a duplicate element when given an array of N elements. Print “-1” if such a sub-array doesn’t exist.

   In this question, the main task is to define a simple algorithm to compare different elements in the same array. Follow the link to see one solution.

SQL Interview Questions

1. Write a query that returns the total number of users, transactions placed, and orders per month for a single calendar year.

   You have been provided with three tables for transactions, products, and users.

   This question tests your ability to use SQL to accomplish tasks such as aggregation, identifying distinct entries, and grouping. You’ll also need to know when and how to use JOINs.

2. You’ve been tasked with analyzing monthly sales performance for an e-commerce company. Write a query that can compute the cumulative sales of each product. Results should be sorted by product ID and date.

   You have been provided with a sales table containing the sales ID, product ID, date of sale, and price.

   To answer this question, you’ll need to use some method to calculate cumulative sums. You’ll also need to know how to use common functions such as GROUP BY and ORDER BY.

3. Write a query to return each user’s third purchase.

   You have been given a transactions table containing transaction IDs, user IDs, transaction times, product IDs, and quantities. Results should be sorted using user IDs in ascending orders, and where two products are purchased at the same time, the lower ID field is considered the first purchase.

   Solving this question requires the use of window functions. You can use RANK to identify each user’s third purchase. The PARTITION BY function can be used to separate transactions for each user. Check out the full solution on Interview Query.

4. Write a query that will return the second-longest flight.

   You are provided with a single table containing source and destination locations, plane IDs, and flight start and end times.

   This question tests your ability to handle DATETIME calculations in SQL. You’ll also need to know how to use common table expressions.

5. Calculate the 3-day rolling weighted average for new daily users for a social media platform.

   You’ve been provided with a table containing dates and the number of new users. The result should be rounded to two decimal places. Assume the current day is assigned a weight of 3, the previous one 2, and the one before, 1.

   This question tests your ability to perform complex mathematical operations within SQL. Follow the link to check out the full problem plus some user solutions on Interview Query.

Machine Learning Interview Questions

1. What metrics would you use to track the accuracy and validity of a machine-learning model used for spam email classification?

   Metrics such as accuracy and precision are used in machine learning, but their reliability can be affected by the type of data used in training and the type of problem. A Databricks interviewer will want to test if you can apply this knowledge to monitor and improve a useful ML model.

2. How would you build a keyword-bidding model to bid on unseen keywords? Your dataset only contains known keywords and the amounts being paid for them.

   This question can be used to test if you can use machine learning to solve problems when provided with a limited dataset. Check out how you can approach this type of question on IQ.

3. How can you build a model to be used to detect fraud on a banking platform? The model must have a feature that texts customers if a suspicious transaction is detected so they can deny or approve it via text.

   This question tests your ability to distill a complex machine-learning problem into a simpler form. You’ll need to figure out which features are important, how best to train the model, which algorithms to use for different functions, etc.

4. Use Apache Spark to create a machine learning model that compares home prices to city populations.

   This question tests both your product knowledge and your machine learning skills. The Databricks platform is built on Apache Spark. As a potential Databricks data engineer, you must demonstrate a good understanding of this product and how it can be used to solve different ML problems.

The services provided by Databricks are integral to the operations of top companies. It relies on skilled data engineers to offer these services and create the infrastructure for its internal needs. The demands of these roles mean Databricks data engineer interview questions will be challenging. You should expect to be pushed outside your comfort zone, especially during technical interviews.

At Interview Query, our goal is to help make the unexpected in such interviews less daunting. We offer access to a large collection of interview questions you can use to prepare for your Databricks interview. We also provide interview guides and salary data so you have an even better idea of what’s in store. If you prefer a direct approach, you can work with one of our coaches or try our mock interview feature to get ready for your big day.

Databricks data engineer interview questions may be tough, but we hope this guide provides the support you need to succeed.