Starting a career as a data scientist — someone who analyzes and interprets data points in order to help drive decision making — can be a great career choice for many people, with both high employment outlooks and potential salaries. As a matter of fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that available jobs in this field will grow by 35% from 2022–2032, “much faster” than the national average. But in this career, you’re not stuck within one track with one prescribed salary. By adding certain skills, you can grow your pay even further. According to PayScale, these are the top 10 skills that will give your data scientist salary the biggest boost.
1. C++ Programming Language
- Average pay for a data scientist with C++ programming language skills: $142,456/year
- 43% boost*
2. Cybersecurity
- Average pay for a data scientist with cybersecurity skills: $141,773/year
- 38% boost*
3. Research analysis
- Average pay for a data scientist with research analysis skills: $124,947/year
- 25% boost*
4. PyTorch software library
- Average pay for a data scientist with PyTorch skills: $123,000/year
- 23% boost*
5. Forecasting
- Average pay for a data scientist with forecasting skills: $121,481/year
- 22% boost*
6. Biotechnology
- Average pay for a data scientist with biotechnology skills: $119,607/year
- 20% boost*
7. Apache Kafka
- Average pay for a data scientist with Apache Kafka skills: $119,498/year
- 20% boost*
8. Bioinformatics
- Average pay for a data scientist with bioinformatics skills: $118,367/year
- 19% boost*
9. Data warehouse
- Average pay for a data scientist with data warehouse skills: $117,916/year
- 18% boost*
10. Artificial Intelligence
- Average pay for a data scientist with AI skills: $117,233/year
- 18% boost*
Data scientist fast facts
- In addition to the base data scientist salary, you could also earn an additional bonus that ranges from $3,000–$19,000, according to PayScale.
- Surveyed data scientists were, on average, “highly satisfied” with their job.
- The average cost of a data science bootcamp is $12,000, and it can take from 3–9 months to complete — additionally, many schools offer free introductory courses to help people get a taste of data science before committing to a full program!
Looking to find out more about data science training before moving forward in your career?
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