Data Scientist
Also advertised as: Applied Scientist, Data Analyst (Advanced), data engineer, data expert, data research scientist, Data Scientist
Uses statistics and modelling to answer business questions from data.
What the job involves
Data scientists analyse complex datasets to find patterns, build predictive models and answer questions that simple reporting cannot. You combine statistics, programming and business understanding to test hypotheses and communicate findings. Many roles expect a numerate degree, though bootcamps and portfolios are increasingly accepted.
Typical responsibilities
- Analyse datasets to answer business questions
- Build and evaluate predictive models
- Clean and prepare data for analysis
- Communicate findings to non-technical stakeholders
- Work with engineers to deploy models
Common employers
- Banks
- Technology companies
- Retailers
- Consultancies
- Pharmaceutical companies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£32,000 – £42,000 a year
With experience
£55,000 – £85,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours
Working environment
Office or remote
Remote working
remote
Demand for this work
competitive
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Python or R
- Statistics
- Machine learning
- SQL
- Data visualisation
- Communication
Transferable skills you may already have
- Analytical or research experience
- Statistical reasoning
- Explaining complex ideas simply
Requirements employers ask for
- Python or R
- Statistics
- Machine learning
- SQL
- Data visualisation
- Communication
- A numerate degree is common, though a strong portfolio can substitute
- information categorisation
- data mining
- online analytical processing
- deliver visual presentation of data
- resource description framework query language
- information extraction
- query languages
- develop data processing applications
- design database scheme
- build recommender systems
- normalise data
- collect ICT data
- execute analytical mathematical calculations
- handle data samples
- visual presentation techniques
- report analysis results
- perform data cleansing
- data models
Useful but not essential
- Analytical or research experience
- Statistical reasoning
- Explaining complex ideas simply
- Master's in data science or statistics
- Level 6 Data Scientist apprenticeship
- Relevant Kaggle or project portfolio
- create data models
- manage data
- MDX
- LINQ
- manage ICT data classification
- perform data mining
- data quality assessment
- business intelligence
- LDAP
- N1QL
- XQuery
Helpful qualifications
- Master's in data science or statistics
- Level 6 Data Scientist apprenticeship
- Relevant Kaggle or project portfolio
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Data Scientist (Level 6)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Maths
- Related subject: Statistics
- Related subject: Computer science
- Related subject: Physics
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Data Scientist
next
Machine Learning Engineer
next
Head of Data Science
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Intellectually engaging problem solving
- Strong salaries at senior level
- Work influences real business decisions
What people find hard
- Entry-level roles are highly competitive
- Findings can be ignored if not communicated well
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a data scientist?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. required
- How much does a data scientist earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £32,000 to £42,000 a year, rising towards £85,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Analytical or research experience, Statistical reasoning, Explaining complex ideas simply.
Related careers
Data Analyst
Turns raw data into dashboards and answers that guide business decisions.
Database Administrator
Keeps an organisation's databases secure, fast and available.
Data Engineer
Builds the pipelines that move and prepare data for analysis.
Machine Learning Engineer
Builds and deploys machine learning models into production systems.
Business Intelligence Analyst
Builds dashboards and reports that help a business make decisions.
Analytics Engineer
Transforms raw data into clean, tested datasets ready for analysis.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 16 September 2026.
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