The Ultimate Data Scientist Career Path: A Comprehensive Guide

The data scientist career is dynamic and in full evolution, it represents a bundle of opportunities for skilled professionals in the areas of data science. Increasing demand for data scientists, data analysts, and data engineers makes this one of the most-wanted careers in the tech industry.

Last update:
01/01/2024
The Ultimate Data Scientist Career Path: A Comprehensive Guide

Write your resume in 15 minutes

Our free collection of expertly designed resume templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Create your resume
Table of contents
Table of content
Create my resume with AI

Write your resume in 15 minutes

Our free collection of expertly designed resume templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Create my resume

Professionals in this space of data science are crucial for transforming raw data into useful business insights by transforming the data through data manipulation. From entry-level roles to senior positions like data science managers and chief data scientists, there is continuous learning and growth, making the career very rewarding for those who are excited to work with data.

This blog provides you with insights on:

Various Roles in Data Scientist Career Path


Data scientist in modern and equipped computer lab

1. Data Analyst

A data analyst is an individual who gathers data and processes it to draw useful conclusions out of it. It is usually used in conjunction with business teams to make such decisions.

📌 Main Role: Examine variables in structured datasets to compare them and find out how they can be used in decision-making for business.

💶 Average Salary: $84,000 per a year

✒️ Read More: Sample Data Analyst Resume.


2. Machine Learning Scientist

An ML scientist is an individual who works on creating the algorithms that allow computers to understand and work on data. This role is therefore very critical in propagating the achievement of goals that relate to artificial intelligence-based systems.

📌 Main Role: Design the methodologies that can used by machines to be trained to perform better with time.

💶 Average Salary: $155,000 per a year


3.  Data Scientist

Data scientists use analytical capabilities, programming environments, and business knowledge to address challenging queries. Some of them devise strategies to build predictive models while others use the data to do exploratory data analysis.

📌 Main Role: This translates to effective use of data to build models, and; a tool that offers a range of data interpretations to deliver business intelligence.

💶 Average Salary: $125,000 per a year

✒️ Read More: Data Scientist Resume.


4. Data Engineer

A data engineer is responsible for the movement of data in systems through developing data pipelines and infrastructures. They are orientated toward the enabler structures of data and its usage.

📌 Main Role: The need to construct and sustain organizational structures through which data can be processed, stored, and made easily accessible.

💶 Average Salary: More than $120,000 per a year

✒️ Read More: Data Engineer Resume.


Data Science Manager woman in smart casual wear smiling while standing in the office

5. Data Science Manager

A data science manager supervises the data science subordinates and guarantees that the tasks are tailored to the company’s strategic plan. It means that they are the link between data analysts and management.

📌 Main Role: Supervise the data science team of the company and coordinate the work on the projects based on data analysis.

💶 Average Salary: This equates to $ 159,000 for every year.


6. Chief Data Scientist

The chief data scientist is the highest rank in an organization’s data division, and he or she is the one who defines the overarching goals and directions to be taken on the matter. Organizational enablers act in cooperation with the head of an organization to guarantee that the data initiatives align with the company’s objectives.

📌 Main Role: Oversee the data science activity of the organization and ensure it is consistent with the company’s objectives.

💶 Average Salary: Up to $ 214,000 per year


7. Business Analyst

A business analyst works with data to improve an organization’s operations. Unlike other career fields that require specialized technical skills, they employ analysis of the data to set the right functional patterns and make decisions.

📌 Main Role: They use data to make business more effective and efficient from the business point of view.

💶 Average Salary: $92,000 per year.

✒️ Read More: Business Analyst Resume.


8. Machine Learning Engineer

It is a professional who deploys machine learning models into production contexts. As a result, they partner with data scientists to convert their methods to efficient solutions.

📌 Main Role: Implement machine learning models and systems in applications and provide ongoing management for them as well.

💶 Average Salary: $155,000 or its equivalent in any given financial year.

✒️ Read More: Machine Learning Engineer.


Senior Data Scientist looking over computer

9. Senior Data Scientist

A senior data scientist often deals with complicated projects and also assumes supervisory responsibilities within data science projects. Many of them train and coach other junior data scientists as well as oversee some of the most sensitive projects.

📌 Main Role: Supervise multi-threaded data science endeavors and conduct professional training of junior employees.

💶 Average Salary: $149,000 per year.


10. Data Governance Specialist

A data governance specialist makes sure that the data is used as well as managed in a given organization in compliance with the set laws and policies. They are mainly concerned with Issues of security, quality, and privacy of the data.

📌 Main Role: Supervise and enforce policies that will dictate proper conduct about data in the organization.

💶 Average Salary: $127,966 per year.


11. Data Visualization Specialist

Data visualization specialist is primarily concerned with the presentation of data in a more visually appealing manner such as on charts or graphs or in a dashboard form for purposes of analysis, decision making, and communications.

📌 Main Role: Some data can be presented in graphical forms so it can easily be understood by decision-makers.


12. Data Wrangling Expert

A data wrangling expert is a professional who deals with massaging raw data into a format that is acceptable for analysis. They are more concerned with how to organize data that is either disordered or structured in nature for both business intelligence and data mining.

📌 Main Role: Pre-processing and feature engineering is a process where data is cleaned and formatted to fit analysis or else for machine learning tasks.


Senior Business Analyst at desk looks over tablet

13. Senior Business Analyst

A senior business analyst is a person with a versatile background that includes detailed business understanding and a profound background in data analysis. They center their work around providing recommendations to challenging business decisions pointing to the related data.

📌 Main Role: Analyse data to offer business improvement-focused strategic directions at the top management level.

💶 Average Salary: 101,752 per year.


14. Mid-Level Data Scientist

A midlevel data scientist has been in service for several years and usually tackles predictive models as well as data analysis. They participate in the larger tasks and assist other members of the team, especially the junior members.

📌 Main Role: Perform data analytics and models while working on even bigger projects with even more complicated calculations.


15. Junior Data Scientist

A junior data scientist is relatively new in the field and whose main role involves working on relatively simple projects or assisting senior data scientists in working on various tasks such as data preprocessing, and data exploration among others.

📌 Main Role: Contribute towards data manipulation, modeling, and any other data-related duties as per senior data scientists.

💶 Average Salary: $87,887 per year.


16. Statistician

An excellent example is that of statisticians who apply statistical methods to test hypotheses and inform important business decisions.

📌 Main Role: Their findings are then shared through data analysis as well and data science exists as a visualization method.

💶 Average Salary: $101,489 per year.

✒️ Read More: Sample Statistician Resume


Data Scientist takes note from his computer

Key Skills for Data Scientists


Top 5 Technical Skills for Data Scientists

  • Data Visualization
  • Machine Learning
  • Cloud Computing
  • DevOps Tools

Top 5 Soft Skills for Data Scientists

  • Data ethics skills
  • Communication skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Critical Thinking
  • Problem-Solving Skills

Top Data Scientist Certifications to Elevate Your Career


1. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

CAP (Certified Analytics Professional) can be obtained from the Institute of Analytics Professionals; it proves the candidate’s ability to transform raw data into organizational value by adopting data analysis and statistical tools.

2. Google Professional Data Engineer Certification

The Google Professional Data Engineer Certification is intended for those planning to become experts in constructing and overseeing data pipelines and data management systems in cloud computing platforms.

3. Microsoft Certified: Azure data scientist associate

This certification is dedicated to applying strategies on Azure that would help create and scale ML models. This certification is ideal for mid to senior data scientists or a machine learning engineer who want to prove that they are capable of creating predictive models and data analysis in the cloud platform.

Office workers analyzes data at desk

Conclusion


The data scientist provides a vast career opportunity in the continually expanding data science industry that allows specialists to focus on data analysis, machine learning, and business intelligence. Positions range from the junior level as data analysts, through the middle level as data science managers, and to the senior level as chief data scientists and data science officers, and more of them are needed.

Strengthening some core numerical and analytical skills in addition to the mastery of computer programming languages and abilities to manipulate and represent data graphically enables one to gain competitiveness besides possessing some certification such as Certified Analytics Professional (CAP). If you are more focused on data science projects, data pipeline management or you want to build a predictive model, then constant learning and getting practice in the field will guarantee that you succeed in the constantly evolving field of data science professions.

Create your resume with the best templates

Frequently Asked Questions on Data Scientist Career Path

What does a data scientist do and what career progression is he/she likely to have?

A data scientist is a person who is responsible to analyse the data and give appropriate solutions. The data scientist ladder exists and upon joining the industry one starts with data analyst and moves up to chief data scientist.

What education does one need to get a job in data science?

They need a degree in computer science or statistics and need to further their education by obtaining certifications. You can also obtain certain certifications which can prove your skills and expertise.

What are the core competencies of data scientists?

These are the following: Programming languages such as Python, SQL Data analysis, Statistical analysis, Data visualization, Graph analysis, risk management, and Big data tools.

Create your resume in 15 minutes

Our free collection of expertly designed cover letter templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Create my resume