Top Data Science Careers That Will Shape The Future

By: Samna Ghani

The field of data science has been showing consistent growth in the last few years. According to Glassdoor’s 50 Best Jobs in America report, data scientist ranked as the best job across every industry. This indicates the huge potential this career path offers, especially keeping in mind the fact that there is a significant shortage of qualified data scientists.

Today’s business environment has seen a surge in technological advancement. So much so that Maryville University claims, “The numbers associated with big data are almost incomprehensible.” Increasing interest in artificial intelligence, Big Data, machine learning, and predictive analysis is shaping the role data scientists can play with respect to storing, managing, and analyzing data.

With many different data science academic programs now available for people interested in this area, career roles in this field have become more specialized. Many companies have a team of data science experts which include a data scientist, a data analyst, a data architect and so on. Each data science candidate has specific skills and together, the team of data science experts, organizations can benefit from the strengths of each one.

Here is an overview of the top data science careers that will shape the future:

1. Data Architect: The job of a data architect is to build data solutions that can analyze and evaluate data across multiple platforms. Data Architects can earn approximately $137,000 annually.
2. Data Scientist: A data scientist is one who organizes the data for a particular organization. They are responsible for huge amounts of both raw and processed data that could potentially drive strategic decisions for an organization. Data Scientists make approximately $138,000 annually.
3. Data Analyst: Data analysts are primarily responsible for transforming data into understandable results, tracking web analytics and analyzing A/B testing. The average annual salary of a data analyst is approximately $83,000.
4. Data Engineer: A data engineer performs batch processing or real-time processing on data. They are basically responsible for organizing the data in a format that would be readable for data scientists.
5. Data Security Administrator: Data security is a critical area for most organizations today. As a data security administrator, you would have the responsibility to ensure that the data is secure and that all security measures are in place. Cyberattacks and hacking are major risks these days. A data security administrator has to protect the data from being accessed without proper authorization. The annual salary of a data security administrator is approximately $79,000.

If you wish to pursue a career in data science, here are a few pointers:

• Data scientist roles are needed by many industries including manufacturing, logistics, finance, etc. Therefore, don’t consider that your options will be limited. However, if you want to choose the right data science degree program, make sure you know which specific skills you want to because that is the area you need to specialize in. For example, if your interest is the finance industry, you should opt for something in data security.
• Focus on upskilling. The field of data science is driven by technology. If you want to be successful, you need to keep up with changing technologies and trends. Try to find a program that gives you different opportunities to learn. For example, formal training along with internships can help you gain practical experience.
• Whether you’re a full-scale data scientist, or a data analyst or architect, the point is that data analytics will be an integral part of your job. Therefore, you need to acquire this skill as this will help your performance in the real world.
• Be up-to-date about changing regulations regarding data, its usage, and privacy. For example, the introduction of the GDPR within the European Union has strengthened the privacy rights for individuals. You should be aware of this type of legislation as this can have a significant impact on you as a data science expert.

The field of data science will continue to grow. But if you want to be successful, you need to acquire the right knowledge, and you need to apply this knowledge practically so that you understand how to apply theory into practice. By choosing the right degree program, and by constantly upskilling, you can improve your chances of success as a data scientist.