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Data scientist: the path

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. Description from O*NET

Typical pay$120,230Median yearly pay, BLS 2025
Job outlook+34.6% jobsProjected change, 2025–35. All jobs: +3.5%.
Time after high schoolAbout 4 to 6 yearsTypical full-time study and training
  1. Step 1Bachelor’s in math, statistics, or computer science4 years
  2. Step 2Optional master’s degreeMany data scientists earn one, about 1 to 2 years
  3. Step 3Entry-level job

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree · More on the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

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Colleges for this path

Related majors: Computer and Information Sciences, General · Computer Science · Computer Software and Media Applications · Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology · Mathematics · Applied Mathematics · Statistics · Applied Statistics · Mathematics and Statistics, Other · Mathematics and Computer Science · Computational Science · Economics and Computer Science · Linguistics and Computer Science · Data Science · Data Analytics · Chemistry · Economics · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

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1,431 colleges match

College Scorecard, 2024 data. Earnings are the median for graduates of the related majors, 4 years after graduating. All figures are estimates.

Best value = earnings ÷ (net price × years of study). Net prices under $1,000 count as $1,000.

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