Technology
Data Scientist
Data scientists use statistics, programming, and machine learning to turn raw data into decisions and products. The role sits between engineering, math, and business communication.
Median salary (BLS)
$119,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$80k – $190k
Job outlook
+35% (much faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $109,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Data Scientist
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Master's is common; strong portfolios can substitute for some roles.
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Data Scientist Intern
Internship
$40,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Data Scientist
Entry / Junior
$80,000
~2 yrs to advance
Data Scientist
Established
$119,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Data Scientist
Senior
$154,500
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •Clean and analyze data
- •Build and validate models
- •Present findings to stakeholders
Fields of study
Data Science · Statistics · Computer Science · Mathematics
Top colleges for Technology
Explore all- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- Carnegie Mellon University11% admit · $109,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- Georgia Institute of Technology16% admit · $99,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics), not by job-title guessing.