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What Can You Do With a Data Science Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: A data science degree feeds several occupations, not one. Data Scientists earned a median annual wage of $120,230, Software Developers $135,980, Database Architects $139,500, Actuaries $130,000, Computer Systems Analysts $105,850, Statisticians $105,650, Operations Research Analysts $88,940, and Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $78,760 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Data science is the fastest growing of them at 33.5 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). No license gates any of these titles except actuarial credentialing, which runs on exams rather than on the degree.
Data science trains three things at once: statistics, programming, and the judgment to connect them to a question someone actually asked. That combination is why graduates scatter across occupational codes. The same person can be hired as a data scientist at one company, a machine learning engineer at the next, and a research analyst at a third, with similar work behind all three titles. Read the duties in a posting, not the header.
Jobs you can get with a data science degree
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Projected growth, 2024-2034 |
|---|---|---|
| Database Architects | $139,500 | 8.7 percent |
| Software Developers | $135,980 | 15.8 percent |
| Actuaries | $130,000 | 21.8 percent |
| Data Scientists | $120,230 | 33.5 percent |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $105,850 | 8.7 percent |
| Statisticians | $105,650 | 8.5 percent |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,940 | 21.5 percent |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $78,760 | 6.7 percent |
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Software Developers | 115,200/yr |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 87,200/yr |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 34,200/yr |
| Data Scientists | 23,400/yr |
| Operations Research Analysts | 9,600/yr |
| Database Architects | 4,000/yr |
| Actuaries | 2,400/yr |
| Statisticians | 2,000/yr |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians, and BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. Median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Wages vary widely by industry, metropolitan area, and years of experience.
Data Scientists. The occupation the degree names. Work spans metric definition, experimentation, predictive modeling, and building the pipelines that feed all three. The national median annual wage was $120,230, with the 10th percentile at $67,240 and the 90th at $199,130 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 245,900 in 2024, projected to grow 33.5 percent through 2034, with 23,400 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). The percentile spread is the important number: an entry-level analyst-facing role and a senior modeler in a high-cost metro are both counted here.
Software Developers. Data science graduates who lean toward engineering often land here, particularly in machine learning engineering and data platform work. The median annual wage was $135,980, with the 10th percentile at $82,460 and the 90th at $214,670 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 1,693,800 in 2024, projected to grow 15.8 percent, with 115,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). That is by far the largest pool of openings on this list. Employers screen on code, so a data science graduate targeting these roles needs software practice beyond notebooks. See computer science if that is the direction.
Database Architects. The highest median on this list, at $139,500, with the 10th percentile at $86,240 and the 90th at $204,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 66,900 in 2024, projected to grow 8.7 percent, with 4,000 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). These roles design storage and data models rather than analyze data, and they usually go to people with substantial data engineering experience rather than to new graduates.
Actuaries. Actuaries price and model risk, mostly in insurance and pensions, at a median annual wage of $130,000 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), with 21.8 percent projected growth and 2,400 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Entry does not run through a data science degree. It runs through professional exams administered by the actuarial societies, usually begun during or shortly after college. A quantitative degree helps you pass them; it does not substitute for them.
Computer Systems Analysts. These roles sit between business requirements and technical systems, at a median annual wage of $105,850 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), with 8.7 percent projected growth and 34,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Data science graduates who like the requirements-and-translation half of the job often find this a comfortable fit.
Statisticians. Statisticians design studies and analyze data in research, government, pharmaceutical, and survey settings, at a median annual wage of $105,650, with the 10th percentile at $64,000 and the 90th at $174,050 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 32,200 in 2024, projected to grow 8.5 percent, with 2,000 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). It is a small occupation and many roles want a graduate degree in statistics specifically.
Operations Research Analysts. Optimization, simulation, scheduling, and logistics modeling, at a median annual wage of $88,940, with the 10th percentile at $57,060 and the 90th at $159,910 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 112,100 in 2024, projected to grow 21.5 percent, with 9,600 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). If linear programming and simulation were your favorite courses, this is the occupation that uses them daily.
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists. The largest occupation on this list by employment, 941,700 in 2024, at a median annual wage of $78,760, with the 10th percentile at $43,390 and the 90th at $155,480 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Projected growth is 6.7 percent with 87,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Many business-facing analytics jobs are coded here, which is why the median is lower than the data scientist title suggests. Compare data analytics if this is the work you want.
What the degree level changes
Nothing in data science is licensed, so degree level changes which postings consider you rather than which titles you may legally hold.
The online bachelor’s in data science supplies the math and computing core and is the typical entry-level education BLS lists for Data Scientists. Graduates often start with an analyst title and move into modeling work as the portfolio grows.
The online master’s in data science is most useful to career changers converting a degree in another field, and to analysts moving toward modeling. Many research-facing postings ask for it. It is not required, and it does not replace demonstrated projects.
A doctorate is the path into research roles and into some senior modeling work at research-heavy employers. It is a research apprenticeship, not a faster route to an industry title.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a data science degree?
Data scientist, machine learning engineer, data analyst, business intelligence analyst, quantitative analyst, research analyst, data engineer, and operations research analyst are common titles. In BLS terms the associated occupations include Data Scientists, Software Developers, Statisticians, Operations Research Analysts, Computer Systems Analysts, Database Architects, Actuaries, and Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists.
How much do data science majors make?
BLS May 2025 OEWS national medians are $120,230 for Data Scientists, $135,980 for Software Developers, $139,500 for Database Architects, $130,000 for Actuaries, $105,850 for Computer Systems Analysts, $105,650 for Statisticians, $88,940 for Operations Research Analysts, and $78,760 for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists. Entry-level pay sits well below these medians.
Which data science career is growing fastest?
Data Scientists, at 33.5 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034, with 23,400 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Actuaries at 21.8 percent and Operations Research Analysts at 21.5 percent follow. Software Developers grow more slowly in percentage terms, 15.8 percent, but generate 115,200 openings per year, the largest absolute pool here.
Do you need a master’s degree?
Not by rule. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for Data Scientists. Many postings ask for a master’s, particularly for modeling and research roles, and it is a common route for people changing fields. Demonstrated projects and SQL fluency carry a large share of the screening either way.
Is a data science degree worth it?
It is worth it if you complete the math and computing core and finish projects you can show, and if the work you want is analysis and modeling rather than software engineering or business reporting. The is a data science degree worth it page walks through the trade-offs, including how much of this material you can learn without the degree.
Keep exploring
- Start at the data science program hub, then compare levels: online bachelor’s and online master’s.
- Walk through how to become a data scientist, or weigh the trade-offs on is it worth it.
- Find programs near you at the state index.
- Compare related fields: data analytics, statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer science.
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.