Career profile · 15-2051
Data Scientists
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.
What the work can involve
- Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software.
- Create graphs, charts, or other visualizations to convey the results of data analysis using specialized software.
- Test, validate, and reformulate models to ensure accurate prediction of outcomes of interest.
- Deliver oral or written presentations of the results of mathematical modeling and data analysis to management or other end users.
- Recommend data-driven solutions to key stakeholders.
- Identify business problems or management objectives that can be addressed through data analysis.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for substantial preparation, often including a bachelor’s degree or considerable relevant experience. An introductory vocational course alone may not provide an entry route.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Working with Computers
- Processing Information
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others about half the time | 56.0%08/2026 · sample 25 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 95.7%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 100.0%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 100.0%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 76.0%08/2026 · sample 25 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 56.5%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 44.0%08/2026 · sample 25 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 52.0%08/2026 · sample 25 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 100.0%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 84.0%08/2026 · sample 25 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics, Kubeflow, Mathematical software, Mlflow
- Application server software: Docker, GitHub, Kubernetes
- Business intelligence and data analysis software: Alteryx software, Apache Spark, Business intelligence software, Google Looker Analytics
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS SageMaker, Google Cloud software
- Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra, Apache Hadoop, Apache Hive, Apache Pig
- Data base reporting software: Reporting software
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2, Amazon Redshift, Amazon Web Services AWS software, BigQuery
- Data mining software: Snowflake
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka, C, Flask, Go
- Enterprise application integration software: Jenkins CI
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Management information systems MIS
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for data scientists
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 50 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $103,120 | $49.58 | 1,740 |
| Alaska | $84,110 | $40.44 | 230 |
| Arizona | $107,240 | $51.56 | 4,560 |
| Arkansas | $109,390 | $52.59 | 530 |
| California | $141,590 | $68.07 | 39,310 |
| Colorado | $117,400 | $56.44 | 6,280 |
| Connecticut | $126,340 | $60.74 | 1,760 |
| Delaware | Not published | Not published | 770 |
| District of Columbia | $126,490 | $60.81 | 2,680 |
| Florida | $115,820 | $55.69 | 10,240 |
| Georgia | $104,340 | $50.16 | 9,260 |
| Hawaii | $102,130 | $49.10 | 300 |
| Idaho | $89,380 | $42.97 | 1,350 |
| Illinois | $106,560 | $51.23 | 10,520 |
| Indiana | $91,470 | $43.98 | 3,580 |
| Iowa | $95,830 | $46.07 | 2,300 |
| Kansas | $98,130 | $47.18 | 490 |
| Kentucky | $91,760 | $44.12 | 1,540 |
| Louisiana | $78,760 | $37.86 | 1,300 |
| Maine | $90,880 | $43.69 | 1,210 |
| Maryland | $136,370 | $65.56 | 3,340 |
| Massachusetts | $131,750 | $63.34 | 9,420 |
| Michigan | $100,590 | $48.36 | 7,360 |
| Minnesota | $128,800 | $61.92 | 4,020 |
| Mississippi | $69,490 | $33.41 | 440 |
| Missouri | $97,090 | $46.68 | 4,730 |
| Montana | $100,490 | $48.31 | 220 |
| Nebraska | $98,230 | $47.23 | 1,980 |
| Nevada | $98,540 | $47.37 | 1,680 |
| New Hampshire | $100,620 | $48.37 | 1,100 |
| New Jersey | $135,280 | $65.04 | 6,430 |
| New Mexico | $95,850 | $46.08 | 560 |
| New York | $130,460 | $62.72 | 23,970 |
| North Carolina | $119,090 | $57.25 | 11,430 |
| North Dakota | $81,900 | $39.37 | 210 |
| Ohio | $102,630 | $49.34 | 6,100 |
| Oklahoma | $86,310 | $41.49 | 1,900 |
| Oregon | $125,990 | $60.57 | 2,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $106,850 | $51.37 | 13,810 |
| Rhode Island | $102,440 | $49.25 | 1,160 |
| South Carolina | $91,990 | $44.23 | 3,750 |
| South Dakota | $96,150 | $46.22 | 220 |
| Tennessee | $100,330 | $48.24 | 2,790 |
| Texas | $122,090 | $58.70 | 25,860 |
| Utah | $108,090 | $51.97 | 4,360 |
| Vermont | $127,070 | $61.09 | 200 |
| Virginia | $126,430 | $60.79 | 8,920 |
| Washington | $163,350 | $78.54 | 9,600 |
| West Virginia | $85,090 | $40.91 | 390 |
| Wisconsin | $106,680 | $51.29 | 4,370 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 373 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
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Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 15-2051.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.