What Is a Data Scientist? | Job Description & Career Outlook

Data scientists are in high demand across the U.S., and for good reason. These experts take raw data and turn it into something businesses can use. They work in numerous roles across many different industries.

To become a data scientist, you'll need a broad skill set. Keep reading to learn more about what data scientists do.

What Is a Data Scientist?

Data scientists are professionals who gather and process data to extract meaningful insights that can improve businesses. The field of data science is broad and interdisciplinary, combining aspects of business, computer science, information technology, and statistics.

Data scientists may work in various fields, such as business, finance, healthcare, and marketing. They spend most of their time in an office setting.

Job Description of a Data Scientist

Data scientists are responsible for collecting, storing, sorting, and analyzing data, as well as developing and maintaining the systems and tools used for these processes. Below, we've broken down the key responsibilities and required skills for data scientists.

Key Responsibilities

The core responsibilities of a data scientist may vary slightly depending on their area of specialization. Generally, their job duties include:

• Data collection and cleaning: Data scientists need to gather useful data, then ''clean'' that raw data, meaning they fix or remove inaccurate, incomplete, or duplicate data from a dataset.
• Data analysis and exploration: Once they have a clean data set, data scientists perform data mining, which is the process of shifting through large data sets to identify patterns. They then analyze that data to find insights companies can use to make business decisions.
• Model building and machine learning: Data scientists use artificial intelligence to improve the quality of their data as well as to automate processes and create predictive models.
• Data visualization: Data visualization refers to taking the information obtained from the data analysis and putting it into a visual format, like a graph or chart.
• Collaboration with stakeholders: Data scientists take their data visuals and present it to stakeholders and business analysts who will use that information to solve business problems.
• Staying updated with industry trends: Technology evolves rapidly, and data scientists need to stay up-to-date on the latest tools and strategies.

Required Skills

To be successful in the industry, data scientists need a vast skill set that includes both technical skills and soft skills. These include:

• Programming Languages: Data scientists use programming languages, such as Python, R, and SQL, to create and maintain data processing tools and algorithms. Other languages, like Java and JavaScript, are good to know as well.
• Statistical Analysis: A strong knowledge of statistics and probability is required to create learning models, process large amounts of data, and make predictions.
• Machine Learning: As mentioned above, machine learning is used heavily in data science, and data scientists need to understand deep learning, regression, and general machine learning techniques.
• Data Manipulation: Data manipulation might sound shady, but it's actually the process of changing or adjusting data to make it more organized and readable, and to prepare it for analysis and presentation.
• Communication and Presentation: Data scientists need strong communication skills so they can present their data in a way that helps shareholders with decision-making and business strategies.
• Problem-Solving: Data scientists are constantly solving problems, whether that be issues with data sources, database management, or machine learning algorithms.

Education and Training for Data Scientists

Typically, data scientists hold at least a bachelor's degree, if not a master's, and these provide them with the knowledge and skills needed for a career path in data science. Below, we've listed some common education and training requirements for data scientists.

Common Degrees

The best major to help you reach your goal of becoming a data scientist is a data science major. These majors cover various topics, including data mining, database frameworks, and more. You can find bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and even doctoral degrees in data science.

Learn more: What Is a Data Science Major?

Other common majors for data science include:

• business analytics
• computer science
• cybersecurity
• data analytics
• informatics
• statistics

Some data science degrees offer specializations, which allow you to focus your studies on your career goals. Common specializations include machine learning, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, data management, and project management.

Certifications and Bootcamps

Certification and bootcamps are shorter programs that don't lead to a degree. These programs usually include a small number of courses, and sometimes you can get college credit for these courses.

Some of these programs are intended to give you a crash course on the foundations of data science, while others focus on a particular area within the field, like cybersecurity or big data management. Others will focus on particular data science tools, like Tableau or Hadoop.

Career Outlook for Data Scientists

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, data scientist jobs are expected to increase by 36% over the next ten years. This is much higher than the average occupation, putting data scientists in high demand.

Occupations in related fields and sub-fields are expected to show growth as well. For example:

• financial analyst: growth of 9%
• market research analysts: growth of 8%
• operations research analysts: growth of 23%
• statisticians: growth of 12%

Read more: What Can I Do With a Data Science Degree?

Is a Career as a Data Scientist Right for You?

If you love working with computers, diving into research, and solving problems, a data science job may be the right one for you. You may also want to look into closely related careers, like data analyst or data engineer.

Keep in mind that the education needed to become a data scientist typically includes a lot of technical skills and is very math-heavy. If you struggle with these areas, you may want to choose another option. But, if you know these are your strengths, you could have a very successful career.

Earn Your Data Science Degree Today

If a career in data science is calling you, check out the accredited data science degree programs featured on Learn.org. Reach out to individual schools to learn more about their program offerings.