How To Become A Data Management Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a data management specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Joel Stevenson

Data management specialists are tasked with handling data following company guidelines. Their duties include analyzing and validating data, updating records, storing documents, and ensuring data security. Also, they assist staff with data entry tasks. They submit data for audits and oversee team members in performing assigned projects and tasks. They define the framework and process flow of data management activities. These include metadata management and tagging, data quality, data cataloging, reference data management, master data management, and information life cycle management. Also, they analyze and resolve complex data issues.

For this role, you need a bachelor's degree in computer science, data management, or a related field. Applicants must have a minimum of seven years of experience in a similar role. You must possess analytical, communication, teamwork, interpersonal, organization, data management, and computer skills. These specialists make an average annual salary of $53,488. This varies from $32,000 and $89,000.

What general advice would you give to a data management specialist?

Joel Stevenson

Founding Director USC Columbia Technology Incubator, Associate Director Faber Entrepreneurship Center, Senior Lecturer Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, University of South Carolina

I would not enter the job market at this time. I would apply to the Masters of Human Resources Program at U of SC. If I could not get into the program, I would take an HR job and apply again to the Master's Program. Reason...with a Master's in HR, the starting salary is right at $85,000 per year. Cost and amount of time it takes to get your Master's, $25,000, and 15 months.

ScoreData Management SpecialistUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,699

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate 31%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.22%

Asian 22.75%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 7.59%

Unknown 4.95%

White 59.43%

Gender

female 64.46%

male 35.54%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a data management specialist

Explore data management specialist education requirements

Most common data management specialist degrees

Bachelor's

61.7 %

Associate

16.9 %

Master's

11.0 %

Start to develop specific data management specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	6.84%
Data Quality	6.38%
Data Collection	6.25%
Data Analysis	5.93%
Database Systems	3.66%

Complete relevant data management specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New data management specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a data management specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real data management specialist resumes.

Research data management specialist duties and responsibilities

Lead key marketing partner events from PMI and MPA.
Ensure that the CRF's are transmit to data entry staff and manage timely data entry.
Manage and communicate proper usage of data to a wide variety of QA testers which result in improve data request submissions.
Manage the collection, double entry, comparison edit, and locking of clinical trial database in accordance with FDA guidelines.

Prepare your data management specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your data management specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a data management specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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