Top 9 Data Science Jobs Roles for Career Advancement in 2024

Top Data Science Jobs: Data science continues to offer an in-demand and lucrative career to skilled professionals worldwide. Its demand is projected to grow at an amazing rate of 26%, year-on-year. Owing to this ever-increasing growth in the field, a lot of tech professionals are considering a career switch to the data science domain.

Tech professionals can switch or transition from their present role to a more rewarding career in data science. They can either build on their experience to make a lateral move into a data science role or start at the lower level and rebuild their career with experience.

In the data science domain, job seekers have several roles to choose from. Often, organizations are flexible when it comes to assigning titles to these job roles with the same person handling multiple profiles.

In most cases, the very first step for skilled professionals seeking a career switch to data science is to pursue a relevant course.

They can consider the Data Science Course offered by Interview Kickstart, a premier career upleveling company. This comprehensive 48-week course provides practical skills to transform professionals even from non-technical backgrounds into skilled data scientists.

According to the estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), upcoming years will see strong growth for many data science-related jobs in the U.S. Globally, over 11.5 million jobs are expected to be created by 2026.

Top 9 Job Roles in Data Science Field

Based on the varied team structures they have, companies assign countless different job roles and job types in data science. However, the nine listed here are typical for a fully-staffed data science team. Let’s briefly look at the profiles of these professionals when they begin their careers as well as when they graduate in their job roles.

Data Scientist

Data Scientist is an obvious key job role in any data-driven organization.

Entry-level data scientists contribute to the development of new algorithms and machine-learning models. They create visualizations to illustrate how data is being utilized and conduct data analysis under the guidance of experienced professionals.

With experience, they play a more crucial role in uncovering insights into consumer behavior and actions. The information data scientists generate helps businesses design strategies and business plans to serve their customers, in a better way.

Among all the listed job roles, data scientists are the strongest in statistics, mathematics, and machine learning. They are also experts in programming languages namely R, Python, MATLAB, SQL and other associated technologies.

Data Scientist Experience – Entry level (0-3 Years) to Experienced (4-7 Years)

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Data Scientist Responsibilities

• Effectively tackle business challenges with procedures such as statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and predictive analytics.
• Analyze large amounts of datasets to unearth valuable insights essential for informed decision-making.
• Devise experimental methodologies to validate hypotheses and gauge the efficacy of proposed solutions.
• Collaborate with data analysts and engineers to gather and preprocess data, and establish data pipelines.
• Leverage data visualization platforms to clearly demonstrate insights and discoveries to stakeholders.

Data Scientist Average Salary Package: 

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Entry level: $80,360 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Experienced: $120,360 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Data Scientist Highest Salary Package: $192,450 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Data Scientist Eligibility Requirements:

• Undergraduate or postgraduate degree in mathematics, computer science, computer engineering or data science.
• Good understanding SQL, Python, R, and data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, etc.
• Strong grasp over machine learning algorithms like logistic stump, decision stump, etc.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Data Analyst

As beginners, data analysts work on small parts of large data projects. They assist their seniors to collect, clean, and process large sets of data. As the data scientists gain experience, they take up independent responsibilities of generating meaningful insights for business owners to make informed decisions. Unlike the job role of a data scientist, a data analyst typically involves reporting on the current state of business processes.

Data analysts have strong proficiency in SQL and various data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or QlikView. They usually have sound domain knowledge and problem-solving abilities. They are accepted in various industries including finance, criminal justice, medicine, and government-centric operations.

So, if you are fond of numbers and like problem solving, data analysis is the career you would enjoy.

Data Analyst Experience – Entry level (0-2 Years) to Experienced (5-6 Years)

Data Analyst Responsibilities:

• Gather and preprocess data to ensure consistency and accuracy across multiple parameters.
• Identify patterns and trends to report valuable insights for effective decision making.
• Work on visualization tools for effective communication of insights to stakeholders.

Data Analyst Average Salary Package: 

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Entry level: $49,472 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Experienced: $121,687 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Data Analyst Highest Salary Package: $77589 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Data Analyst Eligibility Requirements:

• Hold an undergraduate degree in computer science, business analytics etc..
• Familiar in understanding SQL and data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, etc.
• Have a strong understanding of data modeling and data preprocessing techniques
• Possess strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Data Engineer

Data is synonymous to people and data engineer is synonymous to a town planner for data. Data

engineers develop infrastructures such as data systems and pipelines to channel data within the system.

In this data science job type, data engineers start by learning to understand the business requirements of data and how to build data systems around it.

Senior data engineers graduate to develop the systems and tools required to support data science initiatives including data warehousing, ETL or ELT tools, and data integration solutions. They collect data, store it in an optimized fashion, and ensure that it’s easily accessible to data analysts and data scientists.

‍Data Engineer Experience: Entry level (0-3 Years) Experienced (5-7 Years)

Data Engineer Responsibilities:

• Move data from various sources to the target location by designing, building, and maintaining data pipelines.
• Ensure that the data sources are able to store data with accuracy and consistency.
• Regularly collaborate with data analysts, data scientists and other stakeholders to understand their business-specific requirements for informed decision making.

Data Engineer Average Salary Package:

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Entry level: $83,685 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)
Experienced: $128,271 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)

Data Engineer Highest Salary Package: $196,800 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)

Data Engineer Eligibility Requirements:

• Undergraduate or postgraduate degree in computer science, data science or related field
• Familiarity with database technologies such as SQL, NoSQL and Apache Beam and programming languages like Java, and Python.
• Strong understanding of data warehousing technologies like Redshift, Snowflake, or BigQuery.
• Sound knowledge of data modeling, data integration and computing frameworks like Apache Flink, Apache Spark and Hadoop.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Machine Learning Engineer

The machine learning job profile offers a blend of software engineering and data science roles. They work very closely with data scientists to identify and deploy the best algorithms for the machines to work autonomously.

At entry-level, machine learning engineers typically work on a wide range of skills including analysis of data sets, assisting their seniors in developing new algorithms and testing machine learning models.

With experience, they graduate to develop machine learning systems that mimic human intelligence. As compared to data scientists, machine learning engineers are more attuned to writing and implementing production codes.

‍Machine Learning Engineer Experience: Entry level (0-3 Years); Experienced (4-9 Years)‍

Machine Learning Engineer Responsibilities: 

• Design and deploy scalable machine learning solutions that align with the business objectives.
• Move data from various sources to the target location by designing, building, and maintaining data pipelines.
• Collaborate with all stakeholders to gather and preprocess data, and establish data pipelines.
• Design and develop scalable and reproducable machine learning workflows.

‍Machine Learning Engineer Average Salary Package:

‍‍‍Experienced: $165,535 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)

Machine Learning Engineer Highest Salary Package: $253,675 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)

Machine Learning Engineer Eligibility Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in computer science, engineering or related field.
• Strong familiarity with programming languages like Python, Java, or C++.
• Experienced in working with machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-learn) and distributed systems (Apache Spark, Hadoop, or Kafka.)
• Familiarity with database technologies such as SQL, NoSQL and Apache Beam
• Analytical mindset, efficient problem solving and communication skills.

‍Must Read: Advanced Machine Learning Interview Questions You Should Practice

Business Analyst

Business analysts work closely with stakeholders to understand business requirements and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. They work with datasets generated from various sources like market research reports and derive meaningful insights for informed business decisions.

In many organizations, the job roles of business analysts overlap with data analysts. However, there are various job responsibilities that differentiate between the two. At entry-level, business analysts focus on acquiring knowledge and understanding of the business processes and functions.

With experience, their job profile elevates to bridging the gap between business problems and the solutions that can resolve them.

‍Business Analyst Experience: Entry level (0-2 Years) to Experienced (3-5 Years)

‍Business Analyst Responsibilities: 

• Leverage data and deploy dashboards for data-driven insights.
• Analyze large business datasets to yield actionable insights for effective decision-making.
• Perform data analysis and recommend strategies for business growth, optimization and enhancements, quantitative analysis to business intelligence strategies.
• Collaborate across departments for data driven strategies.

Business Analyst Average Salary Package:

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Entry level; $54.905 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com) 
Experienced: $84,135 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com)

Business Analyst Highest Salary Package: $128,927 per annum (April 2024, Indeed.com) 

‍Business Analyst Eligibility Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in data science, business administrations or related field.
• Familiarity database tools like Excel and SQL and programming languages like R and Python to collect and analyze new data sets.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills
• Efficient strategy devising and problem solving skills

‍Must Read: Business Intelligence Engineer Interview Questions You Should Prepare

Risk Management Analyst

As the title suggests, risk management analysts identify data with potential risk to an organization’s operations, finances and overall reputation. Their work involves organizing and interpreting data sets to analyze and measure exposure that may harm businesses.

In the entry-level job role, risk management analysts assist their seniors in data gathering, documentation, risk reporting, compliance monitoring, and communication with departments and clients.

Once they’ve gained the required skills and experience, risk management analysts holistically support the technical side of the organization’s risk management initiatives.

‍Risk Management Analyst Experience: Entry level (0-2 Years) and Experienced (3-5 Years)

‍Risk Management Analyst Responsibilities:

• Evaluate, identify and prioritize risk management initiatives in an organization
• Coordinate with auditors to perform internal and external audits
• Collect and processes data for predictive analysis, decision support and proactive risk management initiatives
• Use advanced analytics to access risks and perform qualitative insights to decision maker

‍Risk Management Analyst Average Salary Package:

‍$63,389 for Entry Level; $85,949 for Experienced Candidates (Payscale.com, April 2024)

Risk Management Analyst Highest Salary Package: $107,000 per annum (Payscale.com, April 2024)

Risk Management Analyst Eligibility Requirements:

• Master’s or Doctorate degree in computer science or engineering.
• Strong understanding of programming languages like Python and R.
• Familiarity with data mining, machine learning, and statistical analysis.
• Ability to use data visualization tools like Excel, Power Bi, Tableau, etc
• Strong storytelling and data visualization skills

Data Modeler

In this data science job type, entry-level data modelers assist to create and maintain database structures to support business requirements. A few of their micro-tasks include creation of tables, columns, and relationships between tables and designing of indexes and triggers.

Experienced data modelers collaborate with data analysts and scientists to understand data requirements, implement data governance policies and procedures, and develop data integration and data modeling solutions using relational, dimensional, and NoSQL databases.

‍Data Modeler Experience: Entry level (0-2 years) and Experienced (3-4 years)

‍Data Modeler Responsibilities:

• Develop conceptual, logical and physical models to support business decision making.
• Collaborate with data analysts, data scientists and other stakeholders to understand data requirements.
• Create and maintain database repositories.
• Implement quality and compliance rules as per government rules and regulations
• Revise data models to implement changes required in business processes and technological advancements.

‍Data Modeler Average Salary Package:

$72,951 per annum for entry level to $100,806 per annum for experienced candidates (Indeed.com, April 2024).

Data Modeler Highest Salary: $139,297 per annum (Indeed.com, April 2024)

Data Modeler Eligibility Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science, information technology, information science, applied mathematics or a related field..
• Practical experience with SQL and programs such as Excel, Tableau and Power BI
• Proficiency in handling data modeling tools like Power Design and erwin
• Familiarity with logical and conceptual data models
• Basic understanding of platform technologies, data warehouses and big data platforms

‍Must Read: 90+ Data Modeling Interview Questions and Answers

Product Manager

Many times data science teams fail to identify how they can drive decision making for broader business objectives. To overcome this challenge, the job role of product owners comes into picture.

The product owner has the skills and expertise to understand the requirements of a product, define product objectives, perform appropriate gap analysis, and guide the data science to take appropriate action.

In this data science job role, product owners work with the stakeholders to bridge the gap between what is required and what is being delivered. They are excellent story tellers who motivate the teams to deliver according to expectations.

‍Product Manager Experience – Minimum 2 years of project management experience

Product Manager Responsibilities:

• Define and prioritize project related requirements according to customer needs.
• Effectively communicate project-related requirements to all stakeholders
• Develop and maintain project roadmaps considering timelines, resource constraints and feasibility quotient in perspective.
• Collaborate between cross-functional teams to deliver projects according to client requirement
• Ensure that the deliverables meet the desired requirements of the clients

Product Manager Average Salary Package:

$136,690  per annum (according to Glassdoor.com)

Product Manager Highest Salary Package: $127,031 per annum (according to Indeed.com)

‍Product Manager Eligibility Requirements:

• Undergraduate or postgraduate degree in business or informatics field.
• Skilled in statistical analysis, machine learning and data visualization.

• Experienced in agile coordination frameworks namely Scrum, Kanban, and data driven Scrum.
• Ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experienced in office productivity tools, flow diagram tools, and prototyping tools (like Sketch or Figma).
• Familiar with data governance and regulatory compliance requirements.

‍Must Read:  Mastering Product Manager Interviews

Tableau Developer

The core duty of a Tableau developer is to create solutions with the help of visualization software to enhance business processes. This data science job comprises various tasks including working with data scientists to create Tableau reports, bi visualizations, and participate in feedback sessions to improve workflow and processes.

Entry-level Tableau developers work under the guidance and supervision of senior developers and data visualization experts. As they gain proficiency with Tableau and other visualization concepts, they take up more responsibilities like contributing to projects that drive decision making.

‍Tableau Developer Experience – Entry level (0-2 years) for Experienced (4-5 years)

• Develop, maintain and manage advanced reporting, analytics, dashboards and other BI solutions.
• Perform and document data analysis, data validation, and data mapping/design.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to review, improve and integrate new systems
• Conduct unit tests and develop database queries to analyze the effects and troubleshoot any issues
• Create tools to store data within the organization.

Tableau Developer Responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain and manage advanced reporting, analytics, dashboards and other BI solutions.
• Perform and document data analysis, data validation, and data mapping/design.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to review, improve and integrate new systems
• Conduct unit tests and develop database queries to analyze the effects and troubleshoot any issues
• Create tools to store data within the organization.

Tableau Developer Average Salary Package

$65,000 to $110,714 per annum for entry level to $115,712 per annum for experienced individuals
Tableau Developer Highest Salary Package – $126,500 per annum(Data from ZipRecruiter and Vetvetjobs.com, April 2024)

‍‍‍Tableau Developer Eligibility Requirements:‍

• Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, computer science, information systems, or related field.
• Excellent understanding of SQL, rational databases, and normalization.
• Proficiency in use of query and reporting analysis tools.
• Develop, maintain and manage Tableau driven dashboards & analytics

‍Must Read : Top Tableau Interview Questions and Answers

Data Science Career Tracks

There are two tracks pursuing which tech professionals can progress in their data science career paths– individual contributor career track and management career track.

‍The career tracks encompass the following data scientist job roles:

‍Individual Contributor Career Track 
Entry Level Data Scientist → Mid Level Data Scientist → Senior Data Scientist → Staff/Principal Data Scientist → Senior Staff/Principal Data Scientist.

‍Management Career Track 

Entry Level Data Scientist → Mid Level Data Scientist → Data Scientist Manager → Data Scientist Senior Manager

The individual contributor works on technical aspects of data science jobs like working on complex algorithms, coding and regression models.

In the management career path, data scientists use their management skills to resolve conflicts, manage client-company relationships, mentor team members, etc.

Data Science Jobs: FAQs

‍What skills and qualities do employers look for in a data scientist?

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A data scientist is a professional who uses data to generate meaningful insights for companies to make informed business decisions. In most of the cases, an ideal data science candidate should have:

• Good coding skills.
• Good problem solving and analytical skills.
• Good knowledge of stats and possess good working knowledge of testing and deploying models.

Is machine learning a good career to pursue?

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Machine Learning is a relatively new job profile in the data science field. The profile offers professionals to work on innovative technology and rewards them with some of the best pay packages. So, a ML engineer’s work life is challenging, rewarding and fulfilling.

What are the differences between a data scientist and a data analyst job roles?

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Both the data scientist and the data analyst work on data to create a story around it. However, the data analyst communicates the present scheme of things to decision makers. On the other hand, a data scientist proposes solutions for more informed decision making.

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