2021 Salary Guide to Careers in Data Science
The prevalence of the field of Data Science is often underestimated, as the necessity for this analytical skill set spans every industry in some capacity. Stemming from the undeniable success of companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google that thrive on data, organizations across the board believe that future growth is reliant on the success of their analytics. And in that search for corporate gold, data science professionals hold the metal detector. They are capable of collecting, sorting, and analyzing millions of grains of sand to uncover key trends that are integral to the future success of a company. The growing need for data science professionals is expected to create nearly 11.5 million jobs globally by 2026 (BLS) and the World Economic Forum predicted that data scientists and analysts would become the number one emerging role in the world by 2022.
A 2020 report by DICE showed significant salary increases for multiple roles, including systems architects, data architects, data engineers, data scientists, and business analysts. The median salary for all data and mathematical science positions was $94,280 annually in 2019 (BLS, 2021), with top earners making well into six figures. Bonuses, commissions and profit-sharing can add around $20,000 yearly on average.
Data scientists are one of the keystone posts of the entire data science and analytics (DSA) complex, and the crux of why related salaries are growing steadily. The cities with the fastest-growing tech salaries between 2019-2020 according to the DICE 2021 Tech Salary Report include Charlotte, NC (+13.8%), Orlando, FL (+13.4%), New York City, NY (+11.6%), Austin, TX (+9.7%), and Philadelphia, PA (+8.3%). Other top-ranking cities in this category were Detroit, Phoenix, Houston, Minneapolis, and Baltimore. In addition to the traditional “tech hubs” this list includes a number of emerging cities.
Taking a broad look at the many data science careers in our full guide exploring current trends, career development, growth projections, required skills and qualifications, and related degree programs, you’ll notice a great deal of fluidity, with overlapping backgrounds and credentials. A number of these positions also migrate into one another as those within the data science sphere progress in their careers. The takeaway is not to fixate on title and instead focus on the experience necessary for each individual job posting and the skills that can provide an edge in salary negotiations. Here you’ll find a more complete salary breakdown of several data science career paths.
Data Scientist
Data Analyst
Data Architect
Data Engineer
Statistician
Business Analyst
Market (Research) Analyst
Data Mining Specialist
Machine Learning Engineer
Database Administrator
Database Developer
Data And Analytics Manager
Business Intelligence Analyst
Data Scientist
Earning one of the top three spots on Glassdoor’s 50 Best Jobs in America five years running, data scientists play an integral role in the field of data science and analytics (DSA). By combining knowledge of statistics, business logic, and computer programming, data scientists design, create, and implement programs that make sense of complex data to inform corporate goal planning and decision making. Advancing technologies and the recognition by corporations of the value of their data has resulted in exponential growth in the need for skilled data scientists. A full guide to data scientist trends, career development, required skills and qualifications, and future outlook can be viewed here.
Salary Trends: Data Scientist
Ranking eleventh in The Bureau of Labor Statistics Top 20 Fastest Growing Occupations, employment numbers for data scientists are expected to increase 31% by 2029. Data Scientists also topped the charts at US News and World Report, placing second in Best Technology Jobs, sixth in Best STEM Jobs, and eighth in a roundup of the 100 Best Jobs. This is unsurprising as unemployment amongst data scientists is 3.5%, well below the current national unemployment rate and salaries are higher than the national average. On average, data scientists earn an estimated $98,230 per year, with a range of $52,950 for entry level employment and upwards of $165,000 for experienced candidates. PayScale.com reports that average salaries for candidates with five to nine years of experience garner salaries on average about 9% higher than entry-level employees.
Experience and Salary Growth: Data Scientist
In data science, experience and education are increasingly important, especially as it correlates to salary and career growth. As stated in a 2020 projection by Burning Glass, “Technologies change quickly. This reality requires a new type of workforce and attitude from both employers and employees around continuous learning and mastering skills that will enable employees to be prepared for not-yet-arrived jobs of the future. New graduates alone will not close this gap.” An estimated 88% of data scientists earn their master’s degree while 46% obtain PhDs in fields such as statistics, mathematics, engineering or computer science. While there are exceptions and an advanced degree isn’t required to be hired at the entry-level, it definitely gives candidates an edge in the hiring process and becomes essential as you advance your career according to Robert Half’s 2021 Technology Salary Guide. A growing workforce, 72% of data scientists have less than 10 years of experience, so while there is a need there is simultaneously a plethora of competition.
Whether an employee was a manager or individual contributor also factored into earnings. An individual with zero to three years of experience averaged $95,000 while an individual with nine or more years of experience netted an average of $165,000. Meanwhile, managers with 1-3 direct reports averaged $145,000 while a manager with more than 10 reports averaged $250,000. If the managerial track is not for you, another way to earn a higher salary is by gaining expertise and finding a niche. According to Burtch Works annual salary report, there has been a notable shift where employers once sought candidates who could do it all to finding applicants with background in a particular area. As data scientists are tasked with translating data into a digestible story, often in laymen’s terms, that can then be implemented to achieve corporate goals, strong communication skills and an understanding of the industry is essential.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industries where data scientists earn the most include aerospace, finance, computer systems design, technological consulting, and scientific research.
Geographic Variations in Salary: Data Scientist
In addition to education and experience, location plays a big role in salaries. General cost of living and economic conditions vary across the United States, from state to state and city to city. These variations have a consistent impact on pay scales in nearly all career categories, with few exceptions. The Burtch report found that employment opportunities that were once centered on the West Coast have now expanded nationwide, branching out beyond the tech industry to a myriad of industries from education and agriculture to health and law enforcement. While the data science industry is increasingly experiencing labor shortages, salaries for data scientists tend to fluctuate geographically in near lockstep to average salaries across all job descriptions. National cost of living changes by geography can be found here.
Highest paying states for data and mathematical scientists (BLS, 2019):
- New York
- North Carolina
- Maryland
- New Hampshire
- Washington
Top paying companies in 2020:
| Snap, Inc. | $238,000 |
| Airbnb | $223,000 |
| Netflix | $222,000 |
| $212,000 | |
| Lyft | $209,000 |
It is worth noting that each of the top ten highest paying companies are based in either New York or California and it’s important to factor the cost of living in a city into the equation when looking at earnings.
Industry Need: Data Scientist
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of data scientist has proven to be not only recession-proof but thriving. The top industries expected to need data science professionals include healthcare, technology, financial services, and government. With the right education, targeted experience, and continued curiosity, data scientists will have opportunities in a wide range of industries and command lucrative salaries for years to come.
Data Analyst
Depending on the employer, data analysts are asked to bring sense and direction to accumulated data to help drive both short- and long-term decision making. It’s a key foundational position in data science, and one that is currently in tremendous demand. A full guide to data analyst trends, career development, required skills and qualifications, and future outlook can be viewed here.
Due to the overwhelming need for data analysis, and the shortage of job candidates as compared to demand, data analyst salaries are strong and expected to continue to rise.
Experience and Salary Growth
Depending on level of seniority, data analysts earn between $44,000 and $103,000/year with early career analysts earning an average of $67,000/year and Senior Data Analysts netting an average of $94,153/year (Glassdoor). Several factors affect salary, including educational level, years of experience, certifications, and involvement in professional organizations.
Data analyst salaries are highly dependent upon the experience level of a job candidate, particularly in the first ten years of a professional’s career. Surprisingly, many data analysts with a bachelor’s degree have nearly equitable salaries to their colleagues who hold master’s degrees. Burning Glass also reports that 90.2% of open data analyst positions ask for a bachelor’s degree, suggesting that an advanced degree isn’t necessarily needed for placement. For those who don’t pursue advanced degrees, specialized certifications are often helpful in salary negotiation and career advancement.
Entry Level Data Analyst Salary based on Education (Burning Glass via Dice):
| Associate’s degree | $61,000 |
| Bachelor’s degree | $77,000 |
| Master’s degree | $77,000 |
PayScale.com reports that average salaries for candidates with five to nine years experience garner salaries on average about 24% higher than entry-level employees. On the other hand, the most veteran data analysts with 20+ years experience were only enjoying about 6% more income than workers with between five and nine years under their belts.
According to Springboard, while data analyst salaries increase steadily over the first five to 10 years, raises appeared to slow later on without the development of new skills. For this reason, there is a trend of data analysts migrating into other areas of data science midway through their careers.
Median Salary based on Experience (Burning Glass via Dice):
| 0-2 Years | $64,000 |
| 3 to 5 Years | $74,000 |
| 6 to 8 Years | $92,000 |
| 9+ Years | $96,000 |
Versatility is also essential as a data analyst. Gaining expertise in a variety of tools and languages can warrant higher earnings. These include but are not limited to Postgresql, RapidMiner, Knime, Datawrapper, Tableau, SAS Sentiment Analysis, Google Fusion Tables, Apache Hadoop, as well as experience in R, SQL, and Python. The most valuable of these skills according to Burning Glass has proven to be MapReduce (average salary of $115,907), PIG ($114,474), machine learning ($112,732), Apache Hive ($112,732), and Apache Hadoop ($110,562).
Geographic Variations in Salary
General cost of living and economic conditions varies across the United States. These variations have a consistent impact on pay scales in nearly all career categories, with few exceptions. While the data science industry in general, and data analysts in particular, are increasingly experiencing labor shortages, salaries for data analysts at present tend to fluctuate geographically in near lockstep to average salaries across all job descriptions. National cost of living changes by geography can be viewed at moneygeek.com.
Top Paying Cities for Data Analysts (Hired.com):
| San Diego, CA | $152,380 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $141,485 |
| San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $137,637 |
| Seattle, WA | $132,920 |
| Washington, DC | $126,062 |
Examples of higher-paying employers (SalaryList.com):
| Microsoft | $129,000 |
| $145,000 | |
| Amazon | $118,000 |
| Apple | $137,000 |
| $140,000 | |
| IBM | $113,000 |
| Capital One | $113,000 |
| Uber | $125,000 |
| $129,000 | |
| Zillow | $122,000 |
Industry Need
The World Economic Forum ranked data analysts (as well as data scientists) first among the top 20 job roles increasing in demand, just above AI and Machine Learning Specialists. BLS estimated employment in this field to grow 11 percent between 2014 and 2024. Burning Glass estimates this number to be 14.3 percent. This is unsurprising as according to a recent survey from Sisense, 49% of companies are using data analytics “more or much more” than before the pandemic, with 45% reporting they are using it to predict business outcomes.
According to Burning Glass, the three highest paying industries for data analysts are professional services ($75,000 average), finance and insurance (average $83,000), and manufacturing (average $73,000). Comparatively, the industries with the greatest need are
information technology, healthcare, finance, insurance and professional services.
Career Paths and Salary Impact
One of the big advantages of a career in data analysis is that there are so many different directions a data analyst can professionally migrate. Moving into more niche areas of data analytics in specific industries is an easy progression. Popular specialties today are social media data analytics, insurance underwriting and actuarial analytics, business product analytics, and fraud, credit or sales analytics.
Springboard recommends taking on freelance projects in addition to garnering in-house experience, and suggests frequenting platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Kaggle, and Toptal to search for projects. The basis for this recommendation is that supplementary work could provide you with the experience needed to enter the traditional job market at a more senior level and aid in negotiating a higher salary.
Another lucrative option is to leverage data analyst skills into more technically sophisticated roles. Learning to conceptualize, design and write the programs that create the data pools will give a data analyst career a significant financial boost. Data scientists and advanced analysts, for instance, have been found by Burning Glass to make about 25%-35% more than data analysts.
Climbing the corporate ladder to data analytics management positions is an even more lucrative career path for data analysts. Burning Glass reported that data analytics managers tended to be paid in the range of 50% more than data analysts, and often considerably more.
Data Architect
Overview: Data Architect
The role of a Data Architect is to design, develop and manage an organization’s electronic databases, determining how it will be collected, processed, stored, and accessed. They are responsible for creating the framework that will be utilized by the company at large.
Learn more about becoming a data architect here.
Salary Trends: Data Architect
On average, data architects earn between $80,000 and $160,000/year with most earning in the range of $110-$120,000 (Payscale/Glassdoor). Referred to as Computer Network Architects by BLS, the average salary was $116,780 per year in 2020.
Experience and Salary Growth: Data Architect
Entering into the field of data architecture requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and an advanced degree is preferred for many senior level positions. The most common are master’s degrees in computer science or data science. Data architects can expect to earn higher salaries with 10 or more years of experience. Specific areas of technological fluency also tend to result in higher earnings. Data architects at the top of the pay scale typically have expertise in Cloud Computing, Amazon Web Services, NoSQL, Apache Spark and Hadoop. Most companies also require experience with Oracle, SQL, and operating systems such as Unix, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Solaris.
Geographic Variations in Salary: Data Architect
Across the country, Data Architects earn more than the national average. The highest-paid data architects are in Silicon Valley, with other higher-than-average salaries in Washington, D.C. and New York City. In larger cities like New York, they can expect to earn up to 21.6% more, but it is important to factor in cost of living.
Top 5 States that Employ the Most Data Architects:
| California | $112,870 |
| Texas | $106,280 |
| New York | $109,760 |
| Virginia | $110,230 |
| Florida | $96,300 |
Top 5 Highest Paying States for Data Architects:
| New Jersey | $124,470 |
| Washington | $115,800 |
| District of Columbia | $113,760 |
| California | $112,870 |
| Massachusetts | $111,690 |
Industry Need: Data Architect
As technology evolves, so will the role of data architects. Employment is projected to grow 5% between 2019 and 2029, faster than average. Top candidates will be those who continue their technological education, staying up to date on the latest systems and languages. Businesses across a array of industries recognize the importance of a data architect’s ability to provide structure to the mass amounts of data streaming into their systems daily.
Top Employment Opportunity Industries:
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $108,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $103,040 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $100,670 |
| Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services | $107,880 |
| Academia | $83,490 |
Top Paying Industries:
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | $125,110 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $123,320 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $118,810 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, Financial Investments/Related Activities | $117,780 |
| Other Information Services | $117,380 |
Data Engineer
Overview: Data Engineer
Data Engineers are essential as companies intake increasingly more structured and unstructured data. In this role, they build and manage the infrastructure that will store, clean and archive data that Data Scientists and others within the organization can analyze and interpret to gain valuable business insight. This task continues to grow in complexity as data is collected from countless sources, including IoT devices, wearables, and POS dashboards.
Learn more about becoming a Data Engineer here.
Salary Trends: Data Engineer
Current trends suggest that data engineers now earn more on average than their data scientist colleagues. According to Quanthub, demand for data engineers has exceeded the number of candidates seeking employment for the past five years, and higher salaries are likely a result of a shortage of applicants and a need for companies to be competitive when courting the best talent. As with other data science roles, years of experience, location, industry and skills set all factor into to a candidate’s salary negotiation. Data Engineers can expect to earn between $75,000 and $163,000 (Glassdoor), with an average salary of $118,621, up 4.7% from 2019 (DICE 2020 Tech Salary Guide).
Experience and Salary Growth: Data Engineer
Data engineering is a field that rewards longevity, with Senior and Lead Data Engineers earning approximately $132,000/year. The highest-paid data engineers have honed their expertise in programs such as Python, SQL, Scala, Apache Hadoop, Java, as well as Extraction Transformation and Loading (ETL). Other notable skills include Data Warehouse Processing, Relational DataBase Management System (RDBMS), ElasticSearch, Apache Impala, and Apache Oozie.
Geographic Variations in Salary: Data Engineer
According to recent data from Payscale.com, the cities with the highest earning data engineers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Seattle, Washington.
Industry Need: Data Engineer
In 2021 Data Engineers have emerged as one of the “hottest” roles in data science, potentially taking the crown from Data Scientists. This assessment is supported by the 2021 Data Science Interview Report by interviewquery.com (an amalgamation of over 10,000 data science interviews). The report found that Data Engineering interviews grew by 40% in 2020 compared to data science interviews at only 10%. The Dice 2020 Tech Job Report also listed data engineer as the fastest growing job in technology, with 50% year-over-year growth in the number of open positions. Additional 2020 salary studies also reported high year-over-year job growth for the data engineering role including LinkedIn’s 2020 Emerging Job Report (33%), Burning Glass Nova Platform (88%), and Hired State of Software Engineers Report (45%). The need for experienced data engineers is projected to grow 11.5% over the next decade. According to TowardsDataScience, this overwhelming growth can be attributed to companies discovering the need for building a strong data infrastructure to support the analytical work of their data scientists. As a result, these companies are heavily investing in cloud infrastructure, data architecture and the hiring of data engineers.
Statistician
As businesses place increasingly more value on data-driven decision making, the role of Statistician has been solidified as an essential part of any successful technology team. In 2020, U.S. News and World Report ranked Statisticians among the top ten in their rankings of Best Business Jobs (#2), Best STEM Jobs (#5), and Best Jobs across all industries (#6). Responsible for analyzing and interpreting vast amounts of data from start to finish, Statisticians pinpoint a problem and determine what data is needed to solve it. Choosing the appropriate method(s) of data acquisition and designing collection tools, carrying out data collection, preparing data for analysis and finally interpreting and identifying trends in the data are all part of this process. Learn more about beginning a career as a Statistician here.
Salary Trends, Experience and Growth
Statisticians can expect to earn between $52,000-$110,000 per year. BLS lists a median salary of $92,270 while Glassdoor reports an average salary of $86,144. Salary will ultimately depend on a number of factors. Those with ten or more years of experience can net 30-50% more than entry level candidates. A typical Statistician holds a master’s degree in statistics or mathematics. However, as the role has branched out into the private sector, many statisticians are also expected to have a comprehensive knowledge of the industry they will be analyzing. Above-average pay also correlates with expertise in machine learning, data modeling, data mining, and the programming language Python.
Geographic Variations in Salary
Top-Paying States for Statisticians (US News and World Report):
| Massachusetts | $119,620 |
| New Jersey | $111,410 |
| Idaho | $111,000 |
| California | $110,240 |
| Maryland | $108,660 |
Top-Paying Metropolitan Areas for Statisticians (US News and World Report):
| Bridgeport, CT | $127,960 |
| San Francisco, CA | $125,970 |
| Boston, MA | $124,300 |
| San Jose, CA | $120,820 |
| Raleigh, NC | $112,920 |
A BLS report highlighting the top 20 fastest growing occupations projected careers in the field of statistics to grow 35 percent, adding nearly 15,000 new jobs between 2019 and 2029, faster than the average for other occupations. As there is a broad need for skilled statisticians, this is another area of data science experiencing a talent shortage, with unemployment remaining low at 3.5%, less than the national average.
The importance of quality data analysis is ubiquitous, placing qualified statisticians in high demand in businesses and organizations across all industries. A *recent salary survey conducted by the American Statistical Association (ASA) with Langer Research Associates found that the highest paid statisticians worked in the private sector.
Median base salaries ranked as follows (not including bonuses):
| Private “for-profit” business | $155,000 |
| Federal employees | $130,000 |
| Nonprofits | $120,000 |
| Academic | $113,500 |
| Self-employed consultants | $103,000 |
Those working in local and state government tended to earn less, but still more than the national average. Additionally, a majority of respondents working in academia and nonprofits reported not receiving any added compensation in 2019, while the majority of federal workers and those in the private sector reported receiving some form of additional compensation (ASA 2019-2020 Salary Survey). Payscale.com lists average bonuses between $1,000-$16,000.
*It is worth noting that the median base salary among respondents was $125,000 (higher than the national median income for statisticians as reported by BLS). The survey reported a range from $96,000 for those with less than five years of experience to $166,500 for those with more than 25 years of experience.
Top paying industries for Statisticians (BLS):
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $127,450 |
| Software Publishers | $116,330 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $115,780 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $115,270 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $113,630 |
The role of the statistician continues to add value across the board, thriving in the current job market according to a recent LinkedIn analysis with excellent placement growth opportunities. And, according to ThisisStatistics.org, the role boasts a great work/life balance. As companies search for new and innovative ways to interpret the vast amounts of data available to them to meet and exceed goals, statisticians will remain an integral part of this process.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst serves different functions depending on the organization, but the typical role entails working as a liaison between a company’s corporate side and the IT department.
As the power of information becomes increasingly evident and is held in higher regard by today’s organizations, those with the knowledge and skills to translate data into sound business decisions have become more valuable. As a result, business analyst salaries have been on the rise.
A full guide to business analyst trends, career development, required skills and qualifications, and future outlook can be viewed here.
Salary Trends: Business Analyst
According to Glassdoor, the base pay for a business analyst ranges from $54,000 to $104,000, with an average of $75,000 depending on experience. PayScale.com reports a slightly lower average salary of $68,000/year, but adds that bonuses, commissions and profit sharing can add another $13,000 on average.
An estimated 90.2% of business analyst jobs require only a bachelor’s degree, which indicates that employers are focusing on finding candidates with the right experience rather than advanced education. In fact, Burning Glass found that 71% of new job openings for business analysts required at least three years of experience. Salaries are also highly dependent upon level of experience, particularly in the first ten years of a professional’s career. That said, specialized certifications can set a candidate apart from other applicants as well as aid in raise and bonus negotiations. According to a 2020 survey by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), Business Analysts who held at lease one certification earned 13% more than non-certified respondents, and 12% higher than average.
In an interview with DICE, Jim Johnson VP of Tech and IT Staffing Solutions Specialist at Robert Half Technology, said that the most popular certifications were those from big names like Microsoft, Hadoop, and Oracle, but that the core certifications are Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) and Certified Data Science (CDS).
Median Salary by Education:
| Associate’s degree | $61,000 |
| Bachelor’s degree | $77,000 |
| Master’s degree | $77,000 |
Industry Need: Business Analyst
The analyst firm Burning Glass Technologies projects 14.3 percent growth in the role of business analysts over the next decade.
Industries that employ the highest number of business analysts (IIBA):
Information Technology (IT)
Banking/Finance/Insurance
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals
Government
Top Paying Industries (IIBA):
| Manufacturing | $87,057 |
| Government | $84,864 |
| Consulting/Professional Services | $82,906 |
| Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals | $81,609 |
| Transportation/Logistics | $77,000 |
Geographic Variations in Salary: Business Analyst
Payscale.com ranks San Francisco, CA as the top paying city for Business Analysts with salaries averaging 28% more than the national median.
Other Top Paying Cities (Indeed):
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,709 |
| Boston, MA | $88,570 |
| Houston, TX | $86,074 |
| Chicago, IL | $83,705 |
| New York, NY | $83,406 |
| Dallas, TX | $75,782 |
| Atlanta, GA | $75,638 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $74,489 |
Career Paths and Salary Impact: Business Analyst
Although business analysts don’t appear high on the corporate ladder, these are often key positions in companies that take business data and operational improvement seriously, particularly smaller companies. Because the role of a business analyst is so integral to understanding the key aspects of any business these positions can be, and usually are, used as launching pads, migrating to more advanced analytical roles is typical, as is moving up the corporate ladder into management roles. The one caveat to the business analyst role in modern business is that technology is evolving so quickly, particularly in data mining and artificial intelligence, that the traditional business analyst may be at risk of becoming irrelevant. As long as business analysts are still in high demand, and they still are, advice to current and incoming entry-level analysts would be to advance their analytical and/or programming skills as quickly as possible. This will enable transition to more technically advanced roles with less risk of long-term obsolescence.
Market Analyst (Market Research Analyst)
Joining the ranks of data scientists and statisticians, Marketing Analysts (or Market Research Analysts) are listed among the top 100 Best Jobs by U.S. News and World Report and ranked ninth in the Best Business Jobs category. This role is essential as companies seek to define their target audience, focusing on sales trends, consumer demographics and buying habits.
Learn more about becoming a marketing or market research analyst here.
Salary Trends: Experience and Growth
Salary growth among Marketing Analysts has been relatively steady since 2010, according to U.S. News and World Report. The median salary for a market analyst in 2020 was $65,810/year with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $35,380, and the highest 10 percent netting more than $127,410 (BLS). Payscale estimates annual bonuses and additional compensation to be between $618 and $8000. Salary will ultimately depend on years of experience as well as location (see below) and personal skill set. While many entry-level jobs do not require an advanced degree, job prospects are best for those with master’s degrees in market research, marketing, statistics, or business administration. Certifications also help a candidate’s resume stand out and can assist in salary negotiations. One of the most popular is the Professional Research Certification (PRC) exam. Payscale also suggests that specific skills can warrant higher salaries, including proficiency in SAS (21% more), Competitive Intelligence (19% more), Statistical Analysis (17% more) and SQL (17% more).
Industry Need
Companies across all industries understand that in order to be competitive, they must engage in market research through data-driven analysis. As a result, market research analysts remain in high demand, enjoying a lower-than-average unemployment rate of 3.1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth for this role between 2019 and 2029, adding an estimated 130,300 jobs. This growing need for experienced analysts is primarily driven by research companies, academic institutions, and government agencies.
Top Paying Industries:
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $119,590 |
| Telecommunications | $102,180 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $101,560 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $101,130 |
| Software Publishers | $96,510 |
Geographic Variations in Salary
States that Employ the Most Market Analysts:
| California | $83,150 |
| New York | $85,090 |
| Florida | $62,110 |
| Texas | $76,840 |
| Illinois | $68,270 |
Top Paying States:
| Washington | $92,350 |
| New Jersey | $91,290 |
| Delaware | $89,240 |
| New York | $85,090 |
| District of Columbia | $84,340 |
Top Paying Metropolitan Cities:
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $117,900 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $97,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $96,150 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $94,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $88,950 |
| El Centro, CA | $88,910 |
| Trenton, NJ | $87,860 |
| Peoria, IL | $85,930 |
| State College, PA | $84,550 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $84,320 |
Top Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas:
| South Central Tennessee | $75,480 |
| Lower Savannah South Carolina | $73,150 |
| Southwest Alabama | $72,820 |
| Maryland Nonmetropolitan Area | $70,460 |
| Southwest Mississippi Nonmetropolitan Area | $70,450 |
Career Paths and Salary Impact
Payscale suggests that marketing analysts with 10+ years of experience can net an average of 19% more than their less experienced counterparts, and those with 20+ years may earn up to 41% more. The most common career path for someone entering market research is to move from analyst into the title of Market Research Manager ($80,346), Senior Market Research Analyst ($72,217), or Data Analyst with the ultimate goal of becoming a Market Research Director ($113,521), Research Director ($103,418), or Director of Consumer Insights ($129,978). Exact titles will depend on individual companies and industries.
Data Mining Specialist
Data Mining Specialists search for patterns within large quantities of data and attempt to make connections and uncover trends in order to advise business strategy and predict future outcomes. The ultimate goal in this role is to develop a deep understanding of consumer behavior in order to offer actionable insights that will minimize cost and risk while increasing revenue.
Learn more about the role of a Data Mining Specialist and the qualifications necessary to enter the role here.
Salary Trends, Experience and Growth
The average salary for Data Mining Specialist ranges between $38,000 and $102,000 with an average base salary of $67,000/year (Payscale.com, 2021). Required skills will vary by employer, however the top-paid data mining specialists have strong skills in SAS and SQL. Other popular tools utilized in data mining include RapidMiner (Java), Weka, KNime, Apache Mahout and Hadoop, Oracle, TeraData, and Orange (Python).
Industry Need
According to BLS, a need for data mining specialists is expected to grow 15% between 2019 and 2019. Three areas outside of the tech industry driving demand for data mining specialists are finance, healthcare and criminal justice. Beyond these areas, education, retails, manufacturing, telecommunications, and insurance are also each searching for ways to optimize their business models with the help of data mining experts.
Career Paths and Salary Impact
Due to exponential growth in data collection by businesses there is an increasing demand for those with strong analytical skills within the tech industry and beyond. While salary does increase with experience, Data Mining is often viewed as a springboard into other areas of Data Science, and those who enter into this role may eventually move into other, more lucrative, areas of the field.
Machine Learning Engineer
Considered the bridge between data science and software engineering, Machine Learning Engineers design automated software that gives machines the ability to create predictive models. Placing 17th on Glassdoor’s list of the Top 50 Best Jobs in America for 2021, a recent report by Robert Half, Jobs and AI Anxiety, anticipates Machine Learning Engineers are on the precipice of becoming one of the hottest jobs in the field of Information Technology (IT).
Learn more about entering the field of Machine Learning here.
Salary Trends: Experience and Growth
Salaries among entry-level machine learning engineers (those with zero to four years of experience) range between $67,000 and $130,000 with an average base salary of $92,754. Additional compensation including bonuses and profit sharing can add between $3,000 and $26,000 to yearly earnings. A Senior Machine Learning Engineer (5-9 experience) can earn between $115,000 and $183,000 with an average compensation of around $155,000 with additional compensation between $3,000 and $49,000. Once reaching the pinnacle of their careers, Machine Learning Specialists may earn anywhere between $114,000 and $203,000 with an average salary of $162,000 (Payscale).
Personal skill set can also impact salary. Payscale reports that popular skills including data modeling and data analysis can earn an applicant an average of 29% and 27% more respectively. Fluency in Python and Deep Learning also resulted in above average salaries. In addition to Python, gaining expertise in coding languages R, Java, and C++ as well as an understanding of big data and analytics, Computer Vision, NLP, and Image Processing can aid in salary negotiations.
Industry Need
The Robert Half Jobs and AI Anxiety report revealed that 83% of managers surveyed are currently using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) or plan to implement these tools in the coming years. As a result of these ongoing and impending investments, companies are hiring Machine Learning Engineers with expertise in integrating these technologies into existing business platforms, and salaries in this role are among the highest in the field of data science. According to Indeed, growth in the number of job openings for machine learning engineers grew an overwhelming 344% between 2015 and 2018.
Geographic Variations in Salary
Salary as a machine learning engineer depends primarily on location, however it is important to factor in cost of living when comparing salaries in different areas. The cities with the greatest demand for machine learning engineers include New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, Boston, MA, Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, Il, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, and Atlanta, GA. Within these markets, the top paying cities are San Francisco, CA ($197,910), Cupertino, CA ($190,731), San Francisco Bay Area, CA ($186,378), Austin, TX ($168,818), and New York, NY $166,093).
Career Paths and Salary Impact
An opinion piece in TowardDataScience anticipates that the role of machine learning engineer will eventually be integrated into more general software engineering roles. This stems from the observation that machine learning engineers are similar to software engineers in their educational experience and skill set but with added machine learning expertise. Therefore, it is not unlikely that machine learning would eventually be integrated as a standard tool for software engineers. The role of a machine learning engineer is also similar to that of a data scientist and many applicants will come to find that at larger organizations these two roles are collaborative while smaller organizations tend to blend the two positions. Therefore, utilizing the skills honed as a machine learning engineer opens a natural migration into other areas of data science.
Database Administrator
Placing in the top 10 on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Technology Jobs 2021 and among their top 100 Best Jobs of 2021, Database Administrators (or DBAs) are in high demand across a variety of industries. These information technology professionals are responsible for utilizing specialized software to organize and store data. To ensure optimal database performance as well as seamless and secure access, these professionals are often tasked with designing the systems they maintain from the ground up and/or integrating old data into a new system. Find a complete career overview here.
Salary Trends, Experience and Job Growth
The annual wage of a database administrator ranges from $82,300 to $107,059, with a median income of $98,860 (BLS). Entry-level employees can expect to earn an average of $54,000 while those with decades of experience can net more than $155,000 on average, with salaries fluctuating based on level of education, certifications held, personal skill set, and number of years of experience. Database Administrators usually hold a bachelor’s degree in information driven areas like computer science, and companies will typically seek candidates with advanced degrees in computer science, information systems or information technology, often with a focus on data or database management. Additionally, certifications in specific database systems, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), are highly desirable and may be required by some companies.
Geographic Variations in Salary
States with the highest average data administrator salaries:
| New Jersey | $124,470 |
| Washington | $115,800 |
| District of Columbia | $113,760 |
| California | $112,870 |
| Massachusetts | $111,690 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest paying data administrator positions:
| San Jose, California | $140,580 |
| Bridgeport, Connecticut | $116,780 |
| Seattle, Washington | $114,960 |
| Dover, New Hampshire | $113,220 |
| New York, New York | $113,040 |
Industry Need: Database Administrator
The need for qualified database administrators is expected to grow 10 percent by 2029, a rate much faster than the average occupation. This anticipated growth is driven by the increased data needs of companies across all industries as well as the increasing popularity of database-as-a-service providers (DBaaS) such as Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services and IBM Db2, where a third party is responsible for hosting, processing, and organizing a company’s data. At small to medium-sized companies that don’t necessarily employ their own information technology (IT) team, data administrators at cloud computing firms such as Microsoft Azure and Salesforce are also in high demand. While demand is increasing, so is the shortage of qualified candidates, so depending on geographic area and level of experience and expertise, those with the right qualifications will be aggressively recruited.
Database Developer
Database developers, also referred to as database designers or database programmers, are responsible for the design, programming, construction and implementation of new databases, as well as modifying existing databases for platform updates and changes in user needs. Discover what it takes to become a successful Database Developer here.
Salary, Experience and Growth
The role of database developer nets between $65,000 and $121,000 depending on skill set, industry and experience (Payscale). The average salary among those in this role is $83,500 (Payscale). The Economic Research Institute (ERI) estimates 13% salary growth by 2024, with average earnings reaching $94,406/year.
Beyond years of experience, expertise in specific tools and languages can result in higher salaries. For example, those with experience with Oracle 11g earn an average of 39% more and those with experience with Informatica earning 33% more according to Payscale. Overall, database developers with expertise in SQL, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) tend to earn more than their counterparts without these skills. The majority of database developers (71%) have earned a master’s degree.
Geographic Variations in Salary: Database Developer
Top Paying Cities for Database Developers (Indeed.com, 2021):
| Houston, TX | $115,328 |
| Washington, DC | $108,749 |
| New York, NY | $106,678 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $105,866 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | $87,959 |
| Louisville, KY | $84,231 |
| Dallas, TX | $80,582 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $80,503 |
Industry Need: Database Developer
Due to increasing demand across a number of industries, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects demand for database administrative roles to grow by *10% between 2019 and 2029.
*It is important to note that database developers are grouped with database administrators in determining these statistics.
Data And Analytics Manager
A Data and Analytics Manager is responsible for the coordination of an organization’s data science team, understanding the nuances of each team member’s expertise and liaising between departments to oversee different projects. Typically considered a senior administrative position, those in this role tend to have 7-10 years in the field, and higher salaries are reflected in this experience.
Follow the path to becoming a data and analytics manager here.
Salary Trends, Experience and Growth
The average salary for a Data and Analytics Manager falls between $70,000 and $140,000/year including bonuses and other additional compensation, with an average salary of around $97,500 annually. Experience in SQL, Big Data analytics, and SAS often result in higher earnings. According to Payscale, those with expertise in Artificial Intelligence can expect to earn up to 34% more than their counterparts. Other skills that can impact salary include experience in Machine Learning (18% increase) and Apache Hadoop (15% increase). Outside of the mathematical scope, those with strong leadership skills may net up to 19% more. This is due to the fact that in order to be successful, data and analytics managers must navigate the complexities of running a large team of highly specialized individuals.
Industry Need: Data And Analytics Manager
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics categorizes Data and Analytics Managers as a subset of Operations Research Analysts. This broader category includes data and business analysts and managers, and is an area of specialization that is expected to grow by 27% between 2016 and 2026.
Geographic Variations in Salary: Data And Analytics Manager
The highest-paid data and analytics managers are in San Jose, California. San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Seattle, and Dallas all offer higher-than-average salaries as well for data and analytics managers.
Career Paths and Salary Impact: Data And Analytics Manager
Many begin their careers as data analysts or database developers, transition into data management after 1-5 years before ultimately taking on the role of data and analytics manager. Considered a mid-level position, those in this role may advance to titles such as Director of Analytics, VP or SVP of Analytics. Moving into this next career phase, salaries have the opportunity for a large increase. Moving into a Director of Analytics role, salaries range from $87,000 to $193,000 with a median of $129,000 annually. The median salary for a VP falls around $153,500/year with a generous range of $114,000 to $235,000 while the SVP title offers a pay upgrade of $156,000 to $328,000 with a median annual salary of around $207,000.
Business Intelligence Analyst
A Business Intelligence Analyst’s ultimate goals are to improve market position, increase efficiency, and grow profit margins. By examining a company’s data against its primary competitors and the industry at large, Business Intelligence Analysts are able to offer guidance in how to leverage data to achieve corporate goals.
Salary Trends, Experience and Growth
Business Intelligence Analysts earn between $59,000 and $117,000 per year, with an average salary of $83,252 (Glassdoor). Payscale estimates base salary around $70,000 but with additional compensation of $1,000 to $14,000 annually. Based on a 2021 salary study by DICE, these numbers reflect a 5.3% increase between 2019 and 2020.
Earning potential increases with proficiency in highly sought after skills. Since 2018, job postings requiring experience with the Node.js platform have increased 120%, and those with expertise in this system reported earning 91.37% higher than average (Indeed). Other reported skills that impact salary are data processing (53%), Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) (37%), market analysis (27%), Looker (26%), web analytics (25%), Amazon Redshift (23%), Google Analytics (22%), Apache Hadoop (20%), Amazon Web Services (AWS) (15%), Informatica (15%).
While advanced degrees are not typically required for entry-level employment, holding an advanced degree can impact both advancement within the field and earning potential.
Certifications may also prove advantageous in salary negotiations as a verification of experience in specific in-demand skills.
Industry Need
According to a BLS study the demand for business intelligence professionals is expected to grow 21% between 2014 and 2024, while the DICE 2021 Annual Tech Salary Report projects an additional 9.1% growth for the role of business intelligence analyst over the next ten years. This is unsurprising due to increasing demand in a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, and online retail.
Geographic Variations in Salary
The top paying cities in United States for Business Intelligence Analysts according to Indeed are Phoenix, AZ ($115,879), Boston, MA ($113,615), San Antonio, TX ($104,558), San Francisco, CA ($103,279), Chicago, IL ($86,918), Nashville, TN ($85,097), New York, NY ($84,779), Indianapolis, IN ($83,011). Payscale also highlighted cities where Business Intelligence Analysts earned salaries exceeding the national average, including San Francisco, CA (33.7%), Washington, DC (18%), Seattle, WA (16.1%), Boston, MA (12%), and New York, NY (14.5%) to name a few.
Career Paths and Salary Impact
Experience is an important factor in salary growth, as those with 10-20+ years in the industry can average between 20-32% more than those just entering the field. The typical career trajectory for a business intelligence analyst is similar to other areas of data science, where, as individuals garner experience they eventually move into other areas of the field. Senior Business Analysts with one to four years of experience can earn between $72,000 and $125,000 with a median income of around $90,000. In lieu of a more senior role, some analysts may shift to Business Intelligence Developers, a different career path with similar earning potential. Others may advance into Managerial roles, earnings between $78,000 and $146,000. The average salary for a Business Intelligence Manager according to Payscale is around $102,000. At the Director level, Business Intelligence Analysts can expect to earn an average of approximately $130,500, with those in the top percent of earners netting up to $184,000/year.
While this guide covers many of the most popular roles in data science today it is important to note that as a developing field, new roles are frequently emerging as the existing roles simultaneously evolve.
Continue exploring your Data Science career options with our Data Science Career Guide.
