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Data Scientist

Data Scientist Job Description

Data scientists develop innovative solutions to business challenges by applying their mathematical and analytical skills to detect patterns in very large datasets. Their work improves the performance of information systems and databases and leads to technological advancements and efficiencies, such as better networking technology, faster computing speeds and improved data security. Candidates must have strong analytical, data mining, multivariate statistical modelling and quantitative analysis skills, as well as experience in programming languages — commonly Python or Java — and writing SQL queries for data manipulation. In addition, they require experience querying databases and using statistical computer languages (R, Python, SLQ, etc.) and working with distributed data/computing tools (Map/Reduce, Hadoop, Hive, Spark, Gurobi, MySQL, etc.) Most employers require five to 10 years of experience in Computer Science or Information Systems, as well as a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or Ph.D. in a quantitative discipline.

Typical Data Scientist Duties:

Assessing the effectiveness and accuracy of new data sources and data gathering techniquesDeveloping and executing technical visions, including planning, technical decision making and project management in order to support business decisions and company growthDeveloping custom data models and algorithms to apply to data setsPresenting complex analyses as action-oriented recommendationsManaging and merging data from multiple sources and generating reportsReviewing applications, data sets and models for anomalies to ensure accuracyApplying effective algorithms to large-scale data modelling

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Salary for Data Scientist
104250 - 156750
Low
104250
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
131250
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferrable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
156750
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.
Projected salaries for related positions Job title Low Mid High ML Developer 85000 116750 165000 AI Architect 109250 147250 164500 AI Engineer 89000 115000 140000

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Our starting salary projections come from a rigorous, multistep process so that our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Starting compensation—pay for someone new to a role—can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our salary data in three levels: low, mid and high.