The Keepers of Knowledge: The Data Scientist

Data scientists interact with and interpret large groups of data. Unlike sata analysts who use SQL or Excel to make sense of their data, data scientists use programming language, such as that found in Python.  These scientists not only use their scientific expertise but also their knowledge of society. The combination of these two backgrounds allows data scientists to discover trends and data. The goal is to use these trends to make informed decisions for companies.

Let’s explore more about the duties, responsibilities, and data scientist job outlook. 

Data Scientist Job Description

In the simplest of terms, a data scientist is one part statistician and one part software engineer. Analytical by nature, data scientists are required to make sense of seemingly chaotic data. These scientists are often required to find trends in a series of data that appear to be random. Data scientists use that trend and supply their team with information that can make them more successful.

Data Scientist Duties and Responsibilities

On any given day, data scientists are required to complete a variety of duties and responsibilities. These include interpreting open-ended questions and drawing outcomes. Additionally, they are tasked with solving the company’s largest problems through data analyzation and creating and discovering new algorithms to analyze said data.

These scientists are also in charge of discovering and interpreting holes in the data system and producing basic data charts and reporting dashboards. Finally, it is their job to present cost-effective changes to businesses and organizations based on data trends

Data Scientist Qualifications and Requirements

Most data scientists possess a Bachelor’s degree in data science, mathematics, statistics, or computer science. However, education is only one of the many qualifications and requirements individuals hoping to become a data scientists will want to obtain.

Data scientists are also experts in several different computer programming languages, machine learning software, and big data platforms.  Data scientists will hold a Bachelor’s degree in data science or a related field. In addition, they will have knowledge of coding languages such as Python, Java, MATLAB, and knowledge of machine learning concepts such as natural language processing, clustering, or deep learning. Finally, data scientists should have experience with big data platforms such as MongoDB, Oracle, or Microsoft Azure.

Data Scientist Job Outlook and Career Path

An entry-level position as a data analyst is a good stepping stone for those who hope to move on to become a data scientist later in life. A data analyst’s primary job is to look at the data of a business to answer questions that the business has.

If finding solutions based on results is something you enjoy, this might be a good career path for you. The average data scientist’s salary is about $118,000.  The average senior data scientist will make approximately $171,000 yearly.

Data scientists’ demand is at an all-time high and this is only expected to increase in the future. As a result, the demand for experienced data scientists could increase by as much as 20% over the next decade. This increase would make this profession one of the most sought-after and influential personnel in the coming years. Obtain the education, required skill set, and certifications needed today and you will build a much brighter tomorrow.