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Data Scientist

Technology AI-Augmented

Data Scientist roles use technology, systems, and problem-solving skills to build, improve, or support digital products and business operations.

A
🟢 Strong Demand
Data Scientist is a growing field with active hiring and strong AI resilience. A strong long-term choice.
88
/ 100
See all grades →

Work Profile

Stress
4/10
Work-Life
7/10
Future Outlook
9/10
Hours / Week
42

Salary Growth

Starting
$95,000
Year 5
$123,250
Year 10
$145,000
Top Earners
$250,000
Promotion Path: A common path is Data Scientist to Senior Data Scientist, then to lead, principal, manager, or director-level responsibility in related work.

Thinking about college for this career?

Will this salary actually cover your expenses, loans, and lifestyle? Most people never calculate this — and it can cost them years.

Use our Financial Reality tool to see: • Real take-home income • Loan impact • Cost of living by city • Whether this path actually works financially

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Core Skills and Tools

These are the practical tools, systems, math, and AI skills used in Data Scientist roles.

AI & Automation

AI ethics and responsible data use
AI model evaluation
Machine learning libraries
Reinforcement learning

Core Skills

Engineering testing

Industry Knowledge

Autonomous driving and robotics industry
Security clearance eligibility
TS/SCI clearance

Math & Analysis

Applied research publication
Data science modeling
Predictive models and experimentation frameworks

Requirements

Bachelor's degree requirement
Degree field requirement
Master's degree requirement
PhD / Doctoral degree requirement

Systems & Software

Control systems and navigation algorithms
Excel
Graph databases
Looker / Hex BI tools
Power BI
Python
Tableau

About to graduate?

Are you ready for that first position?

Career Accelerator helps you build a portfolio of skills that validates you are ready for the hiring company. We even give you the bullet points you need to add to your resume.

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Thinking about switching into Data Scientist?

Answer a few skill questions and see your personalized skill gap, recommended projects, and a step-by-step plan to get closer to this role.

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Other Potential Career Pivot Paths

Many professionals start in Data Scientist roles and later move into higher-paying or more specialized careers by developing additional skills.

Astronomer

Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.

Typical Salary: $110000-$170000

Skills Needed: python,statistics,machine learning,data visualization

Difficulty: 🟡 Moderate

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Physicist

Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.

Typical Salary: $120000-$180000

Skills Needed: Python, machine learning, data visualization, statistics

Difficulty: 🟡 Moderate

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Physical Oceanographer

Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.

Typical Salary: $120k-$175k

Skills Needed: Python, modeling, data analysis, visualization

Difficulty: 🟢 Easy

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Biometrician

Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.

Typical Salary: $110k-$160k

Skills Needed: statistics, programming, modeling, data analysis

Difficulty: 🟡 Moderate

View Career →

How to Get Hired

This section focuses on practical readiness: what skills matter, what tools or certifications may help, and what you can do now to become more employable.

Unlock the Full Getting Hired Plan

See the exact skills, certifications, projects, and step-by-step plan to break into Data Scientist.

  • Real projects to build experience
  • A 30–60 day action plan
Unlock Full Getting Hired Plan

AI Impact & Task Breakdown

AI-Augmented

AI may automate some routine research, documentation, analysis, or communication tasks in this career, but human judgment, context, quality review, and stakeholder communication remain important.

How to Stay Valuable

  • Develop judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills
  • Learn how AI tools can support this career instead of ignoring them
  • Move toward strategy, interpretation, and higher-value work over time

AI Scores

Automation Risk: 0.0/10 Human Value: 0.0/10 AI Leverage: 0.0/10

Based on 5 analyzed tasks

More likely automated

  • Research job requirements and identify the most important tools and proof employers expect.
  • Create a portfolio-ready project or work sample that demonstrates practical ability.

Still requires human judgment

  • Research job requirements and identify the most important tools and proof employers expect.
  • Create a portfolio-ready project or work sample that demonstrates practical ability.

How AI Affects This Job

This career includes a mix of tasks. Some are becoming more automated, while others are becoming more valuable because they require human expertise.

Research job requirements and identify the most important tools and proof employers expect.

Research job requirements and identify the most important tools and proof employers expect.

Low Automation Risk
Automation: 0/10 • AI Leverage: 0/10 • Human Value: 0/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

Create a portfolio-ready project or work sample that demonstrates practical ability.

Create a portfolio-ready project or work sample that demonstrates practical ability.

Low Automation Risk
Automation: 0/10 • AI Leverage: 0/10 • Human Value: 0/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

Analyze a realistic scenario related to the career and summarize findings.

Analyze a realistic scenario related to the career and summarize findings.

Low Automation Risk
Automation: 0/10 • AI Leverage: 0/10 • Human Value: 0/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

Communicate recommendations clearly to a manager, client, user, or stakeholder.

Communicate recommendations clearly to a manager, client, user, or stakeholder.

Low Automation Risk
Automation: 0/10 • AI Leverage: 0/10 • Human Value: 0/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

Document process, assumptions, tools used, and lessons learned for resume and interview use.

Document process, assumptions, tools used, and lessons learned for resume and interview use.

Low Automation Risk
Automation: 0/10 • AI Leverage: 0/10 • Human Value: 0/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

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