Data Scientists
What Data Scientists Do
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 1.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 4 of 5Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- NumPy
- Scikit-learn
- pandas
Other Software Used
- Amazon Simple Storage Service S3
- Amazon Web Services AWS SageMaker
- Apache MXNet
- Apache Pig
- BigQuery
- Business intelligence software
- Flask
- Geographic information system GIS systems
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- ArtisticLow
- RealisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where data scientists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Bloomington, IL4.00× national avg
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA3.16× national avg
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2.61× national avg
- 4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2.38× national avg
- 5Durham-Chapel Hill, NC2.28× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Operations Research AnalystsLateral Move
- StatisticiansLateral Move
- Computer and Information Research ScientistsAdvancement
- Statistical AssistantsLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$195,622
- DeVry University-Illinois (Lisle, IL)
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)grads earn ~$172,904
- University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
- New York University (New York, NY)grads earn ~$173,716
Computer Science
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$188,871
- University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, MO)
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$204,379
- Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)grads earn ~$121,405
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD)grads earn ~$137,931
Management Science
- Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)grads earn ~$180,186
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY)grads earn ~$116,859
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$180,530
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$158,632
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)