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The differences between data scientists and senior computer scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a data scientist and a senior computer scientist. Additionally, a senior computer scientist has an average salary of $139,644, which is higher than the $106,104 average annual salary of a data scientist.
The top three skills for a data scientist include python, data science and visualization. The most important skills for a senior computer scientist are python, java, and software development.
| Data Scientist | Senior Computer Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,104 | $139,644 |
| Hourly rate | $51.01 | $67.14 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 106,973 | 68,226 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Data Scientist analyzes information from multiple sources in order to gain maximum insight that can give the company a competitive advantage. They work in different domains, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and finance.
A senior computer scientist is extensively involved in conducting research and solving various computer problems. They work as a part of a research team with programmers, IT professionals, and software engineers to create new products. Their primary goal is creating software that can interact with people and other computers.
Data scientists and senior computer scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Scientist | Senior Computer Scientist | |
| Average salary | $106,104 | $139,644 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $148,000 | Between $102,000 And $190,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Internet |
There are a few differences between a data scientist and a senior computer scientist in terms of educational background:
| Data Scientist | Senior Computer Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between data scientists' and senior computer scientists' demographics:
| Data Scientist | Senior Computer Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 18.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 18.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |