Your Guide to Data Science Careers (+ How to Get Started)
Data science continues to rise as one of the most in-demand career paths in technology today. Beyond data analysis, mining, and programming, data scientists program code and combine it with statistics to transform data. These insights can help businesses derive return on investment (ROI) or organizations measure their social impact.
The data science field is interdisciplinary and integral to society’s basic functions, such as restocking grocery stores, tracking political campaigns, and keeping medical records. It can be a fascinating and fulfilling career to participate in this growing field.
There are many career opportunities within data science. Here’s a guide to what data science is, the skills required, job types, and how to get there.
What is data science? Definition, skills, and job outlook
Data science grew out of statistics and data mining. It sits at the intersection of software development, machine learning, research, and data science. In the academic world, it straddles the categories of computer science, business, and statistics. Data professionals create algorithms to translate data patterns into research that informs government agencies, companies, and other organizations.
Data science exists because information technology is evolving at a rapid pace. There is a need to make sense of it all in regard to business, government, and beyond.
Data science skills
In a field like data science, there are a number of technical skills that are helpful to have before diving in, such as:
- Deep knowledge and familiarity with statistical analysis
- Machine learning
- Deep learning
- Data visualization
- Mathematics
- Programming
- Ability to manage unstructured data
- Familiarity with SAS, Hadoop, Spark, Python, R, and other data analysis tools
- Big data processes, systems, and networks
- Software engineering
- Statistics
A career in data science is not limited to technical knowledge. You’ll work on teams with other engineers, developers, coders, analysts, and business managers. These workplace skills will help take you farther:
- Communication skills
- Storytelling
- Critical thinking and logic
- Business acumen
- Curiosity
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
Data science job outlook
The future is bright for aspiring data science professionals. In 2020, IBM predicted that there would be 2.7 million open jobs across data science and related careers and that there would be a 39 percent growth in employer demand for data scientists and data engineers .
For data scientists specifically, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the employment growth rate to grow by 21 percent by 2031 . It is considered the third-best job in the US in 2022, according to Glassdoor .
Data science job roles
There are plenty of data science jobs to choose from. All of them are integral to making key business decisions. Often, several of the job types below will work together on the same team.
Data scientist
Data scientists build models using programming languages such as Python. They then transform these models into applications. Often working as part of a team, for example, with a business analyst, a data engineer, and a data (or IT) architect, they help solve complex problems by analyzing data and making predictions about the future. This role is typically considered an advanced version of a data analyst.
- Skills needed: Statistics, mathematics, machine and deep learning, programming skills, data analysis, big data processes, and tools like Hadoop, SQL, and more.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field, although increasingly data science bootcamps, master’s programs, and professional certificates can help career switchers reach their goals. According to a Burtch Works study of data scientists and salaries, more than 94 percent of data scientists held a master’s or doctorate degree.