Deciding on a career path in data science and analytics can be quite challenging. Even if you have a relevant degree, along with additional qualifications from data science courses, the job market trends and industry demands are progressively shifting, and so are the most promising career tracks in the field.
So how do you navigate this ever-changing landscape and choose the best data science job?
We have looked into data from Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale, and LinkedIn to pinpoint some essential aspects like salary, job satisfaction rates, job availability, and required skills for some of the top careers in data science today. Based on these findings, we have selected 5 of the hottest jobs in data science that we’ll discuss in detail in this article:
Hopefully, our research will assist you in making an informed choice about your next career step with ease.
Data Scientist
Who Is a Data Scientist?
Data scientist remains without a doubt one of the most sought-after careers by aspiring tech professionals. In today’s data-driven world, we can say a company is only as good as its data scientists are. Implementing machine learning models to solve business problems, utilizing statistical natural language processing to mine unstructured data and extract insights, and modeling structured data with advanced algorithms to perform analyses – data scientists can do it all. Besides, they are masters of interpreting results and data visualization that helps management and stakeholders reach their goals.
What Is the Average Pay of a Data Scientist?
In the US, the average payroll is as high as $99,049 a year. This high salary trend is also present in the United Kingdom with an average annual salary of £46,953. Keep in mind that often there are tempting bonuses that go on top of both these numbers.
What is the Job Satisfaction Rate and Job Availability?
It should not be any surprise that the job satisfaction rate of data scientists is a solid 4 out of 5 points. Especially after we had a sneak peek into the pay rates. Just check out this review from a lucky insider - “Best choice, best work, and income happy”. And the good news – you have plenty of chances to find yourself a position with 9,943 job openings only for the past month!
What Is the Required Skillset?
The most important skills you need to have to land a data scientist job are, first and foremost, excellent command of R or Python and its data science libraries (Pandas, scikit-learn). Then, you should also have solid experience with relational databases and SQL, as well as advanced practical knowledge of machine learning and AI development frameworks. Add to all that a pinch or two of substantial know-how of deep learning frameworks, for example, TensorFlow, LP algorithms and techniques, and you are good to go!
Of course, there’s plenty more to say about the necessary prerequisites for a data scientist, and we’ve covered them all in detail in our research piece on how to become a data scientist.
Data Analyst
Who Is a Data Analyst?
Data analyst remains a top career choice and the best gateway into data science for entry-level professionals. A data analyst will always be invaluable to any company, as businesses across all industries are in constant need of professionals who know how to handle data all the way - from extracting it from diverse sources to performing advanced analyses to explain the patterns in the data and gain valuable insights.
What Is the Average Pay of a Data Analyst?
The median annual salary sums to $63,199 in the United States, whereas in the UK, it averages £32,899 per year. Again, expect bonuses!
What is the Job Satisfaction Rate and Job Availability?
3.7 out of 5 job satisfaction rating and 22,357 job postings for last month alone – not bad at all! Plus, several data analysts on Glassdoor mention one very important benefit of the job - “Good work-life balance that will keep you happy”.
What Is the Required Skillset?
So, what are the must-have skills to become a data analyst? You need to be proficient in scripting languages, such as Python and R, and demonstrate expertise in SQL and relational database management systems. Of course, the ability to use advanced analytics and formulas in Excel is key to landing a job as a data analyst, along with a good understanding of statistics and excellent data visualization skills in Tableau or Power BI.
Business Intelligence Analyst
Who Is a BI Analyst?
Their role is key in any enterprise, as it involves analyses of KPIs, an overview of business performance, and using the best practices to identify areas of improvement to boost the company’s competitive positioning. BI analysts are the "problem solvers". They communicate with other teams to fix issues and find solutions to problems that interfere with the optimal performance of the company. Based on their findings, BI analysts can also influence shareholders to support certain projects to ultimately, again, enhance business processes.
What Is the Average Pay of a BI Analyst?
BI analysts earn an average of $88,573 per year in US companies. The salary is pretty corresponding in the UK as well, rounding at £32,899 per year. Tempting isn’t it.
What is the Job Satisfaction Rate and Job Availability?
BI analysts are pretty happy with their job, judging by the employee satisfaction rating of 4 out of 5. Some of the insider reviews mention that the job as a business intelligence analyst provides: a “Healthy and challenging work environment”, “Fair and above-average pay”, and “Employees are fun and easy to work with”.
What Is the Required Skillset?
If you are eager to become a BI Analyst, make sure you add advanced SQL and Excel skills under your belt, along with good command of Python and R. And don’t forget, you’ll need solid experience with Tableau and Power BI to create some killer graphs, dashboards, reports, and presentations of project results to impress those C-suite executives.
Data Engineer
Who Is a Data Engineer?
Data engineers build and maintain ETL pipelines to make high-value data accessible for all company departments. They design and support BI platforms using various toolsets, techniques, and cloud-based solutions. A data engineer’s job also involves ensuring that all big data applications are available and performing properly at all times. As you can see – data engineers are very important people.
What Is the Average Pay of a Data Engineer?
In 2022, becoming a data engineer has become a truly lucrative career option with a median base salary of $97,769 in the US. The numbers are also high when we talk about the UK. Here we get to a grand average of £48,481 per year.
What Is the Job Satisfaction Rate and Job Availability?
The reported job satisfaction rating is 3.9 out of 5, and the new job offers for last month are 6,507! Apart from the tempting salary, one insider pinpoints another good aspect of the job - “The pay is good and in my experience, you can influence your work tasks to a decent degree”.
What Is the Required Skillset?
Тo close one of those data engineer offers, there is no doubt you need to back up your ambition with a robust skillset. What does this mean? For starters, knowledge of data modelling for both data warehousing and Big Data. You’ll also need hands-on practice with Hadoop Stack like M/R, HDFS, Pig, and Hive, plus the ability to write, analyze, and debug SQL queries… and, of course, experience with at least one scripting language, like Python or R.
Machine Learning Engineer
Who Is a Machine Learning Engineer?
Machine learning engineers are the people behind the complex algorithms for image and speech recognition, customer insight, risk management, and fraud prevention – all prominent fields of development for many industries that will continue to grow in importance. They transform data-science, theoretical models, into actual productive and functioning units. These "newly built" models then handle the terabytes of data the company possesses.
What Is the Average Pay of a Machine Learning Engineer?
Landing this data science job will guarantee you an average annual pay of $99,948 in the US! The salary in the UK is in no way to this number with the solid £51,487 per year!
What is the Job Satisfaction Rate and Job Availability?
With a 4 out of 5 satisfaction rating among ML engineers, the position appears to be a true "dream job". This is furthermore confirmed by the overarching trend in the reviews from insiders - “Good and happy work-life balance”, “Life balance, happy, smart people”, “Great work environment to work + enjoy”, etc. Besides, according to Glassdoor data, there are 14,639 job openings for the position for the past 30 days alone, meaning there’s serious demand.
What Is the Required Skillset?
So, what do you need to land the impactful job of a Machine Learning engineer? The list includes excellent Python and R programming skills, Statistics, experience in Machine Learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow, advanced Deep Learning techniques, computer vision, and Natural Language Processing.
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Best Data Science Jobs: Next Steps
Feeling inspired to take the next step towards your dream career in one of these positions? We hope we helped you get a good overview of the industry and the hottest topics when it comes to jobs and their perks. Remember to take your time, evaluate your options, needs and wants, and adjust your decision based on your abilities so that you don’t end up with broken expectations.
And if you need to strengthen one or two of the above-mentioned skills, we have the solution. The 365 Data Science Program offers self-paced courses led by renowned industry experts. Starting from the very basics all the way to advanced specialization, you will learn by doing a myriad of practical exercises and real-world business cases. If you want to see how the training works, start with a selection of free lessons by signing up below.
