Data analysis and data science are not the same thing. Here’s a general way to think about it:
- Data analysts examine big data sets to identify trends and create visualizations to help businesses make decisions. They build reports using the tools and materials provided to them using predetermined models. The scope is very focused.
- Data scientists concern themselves with the tools, materials, and models provided for analysts. It’s up to the data scientists to design and construct new processes to unearth new pathways to organizational insights. The scope is very broad.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning jobs in the field of data science often requires a master’s degree in computer science or something similar.
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BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.
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