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Rust Is Eating Python’s and Java’s Lunch in Data Engineering: Here’s Why You Should Care (and How to Get Started)
The systems programming language is revolutionizing data pipelines with 17x performance gains and 70% cost reductions. Here’s what every data engineer needs to know.
Data engineering has long been dominated by Python and Java — two workhorses that have powered everything from ETL pipelines to real-time analytics platforms. Their vast ecosystems, ease of use, and reliability made them the default choices for building distributed systems at scale.
But in 2025, something fundamental is shifting. A new contender is rapidly rising through the ranks, and it’s not just another programming language making bold claims. Rust is fundamentally changing how data engineers think about performance, reliability, and cost — with real companies reporting 17x performance improvements and up to 70% cost reductions after migrating critical data pipelines.
This isn’t hype. This is a paradigm shift happening right now, and if you’re a data engineer who hasn’t started paying attention to Rust yet, you’re about to discover why your next competitive advantage might be written in a language that prioritizes both blazing speed and bulletproof safety.
