Highlights
- To become a Data Scientist, it is not necessary to have a degree in Data Science, but candidates with degrees in Economics, Statistics, Psychology, Computer Science and Finance are equally eligible to become a Data Scientist
- As per AmbitionBox, the starting salary of a Data Scientist in India can range between INR 4.50 LPA – 6 LPA, while the highest salary of a Data Scientist in India can go up to as much as INR 60 LPA – 1.30 Crore
- According to the Times of India, India has witnessed a 29% hike in job positions for Data Scientists and is the second-highest Data Scientist recruiting country in the world
- The same report by the Times of India has predicted that there will be approximately 11 lakh job openings by 2026 in India alone for Data Scientists
Data Scientists use information to comprehend, explain, and contribute to the decision-making of businesses. Being a Data Scientist may be intellectually demanding and analytically fulfilling, whereby it can put candidates at the forefront of various new technological developments. The Qualifications to Become a Data Scientist include candidates having pursued an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Data Science Courses or computer science courses from Top Data Science Colleges. Admissions are done on the basis of various Engineering Entrance Exams such as JEE Main, JEE Advanced and GATE. Candidates can also pursue certificate courses, diploma or postgraduate diploma courses in order to gain in-depth knowledge and inculcate relevant programming and technical skills. The average data science course fees range between INR 70,000 - 4,50,000.
On average, for candidates who have no prior experience in coding or are not from mathematical backgrounds, it usually takes around 7 – 10 months of intensive studying, to become an entry-level Data Scientist. Apart from the theoretical knowledge, some of the other essential technical skills required to become a Data Scientist include; Python, R, Statistics & Math, SQL & NoSQL, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing.
The average Salary of a Data Scientist is INR 9.44 LPA. There are a number of crucial factors such as experience skills, location, designations and many others that play a major role in determining the salary of a Data Scientist. Some of the top recruiters for Data Scientists include IBM, Deloitte, Google, Microsoft and Amazon.
Table of Contents
- Who are Data Scientists
- How to Become a Data Scientist: Quick Facts
- Data Scientist Eligibility Criteria
- Steps to Become a Data Scientist
- Data Science Courses
- Top Data Science Colleges
- Skills Required to Become a Data Scientist
- How to Become a Data Scientist in India
8.1 How to Become a Data Scientist After 12th
8.2 How to Become a Data Scientist After BCA
9.1 Data Architect
9.3 Business Intelligence Manager
9.4 Data Analyst
Who are Data Scientists?
Data Science is an interdisciplinary academic subject that uses scientific techniques and methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from clustered, structured, and unstructured data. Data science is the study of data with the goal of gaining important business insights. It analyzes massive volumes of data that integrate ideas and techniques from the domains of mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, and computer engineering.
Data Scientists are qualified and skilled professionals who collect and analyze enormous sets of structured and unstructured data. Data Scientists process, model, and analyze data before interpreting the outcomes to develop workable plans for businesses and other groups. A Data Scientist typically works in identifying legible forms of jumbled, unstructured data from sources like smart devices, social media feeds, and emails that don't neatly fit into a database.
How to Become a Data Scientist: Quick Facts
| Eligibility | Candidate must complete 10+2 from a recognized board with a minimum aggregate score of 50% or above with Mathematics, Computer Science or Statistics as one of the main subjects. |
| Employment Opportunities | Data Architect, Data Administrator, Business Intelligence Manager and Data Analyst |
| Required Skills | Data Visualization, Programming, Data Wrangling, Deep Learning, Machine Learning |
| Starting Salary | INR 5.75 LPA |
| Average Salary | INR 11.44 LPA |
| Highest Salary | INR 34 LPA & above |
Data Scientist Eligibility
To become a Data Scientist, candidates are required to fulfil certain eligibility criteria. Some of the essential eligibility criteria that need to be fulfilled are discussed below for reference,
- To pursue a course in data science, candidates are required to complete 10+2 from a recognized board with a minimum aggregate of 60% or above
- Candidates must complete class 12th in the science stream with Physics, Computer Science, and Mathematics as their compulsory subjects
- Candidates need to clear the Engineering Entrance Exams in order to get into the top data science colleges in India, such as JEE Main, JEE Advanced and GATE
- Candidates must pursue undergraduate degrees in Data Science, Computer Engineering, or another relevant discipline
- Candidates must also pursue certification programs offered by Coursera, Udemy and Google to gain relevant skills
- Candidates must also pursue post-graduate degrees such as M.Sc Data Science, and M.Tech Data Science.
Steps to Become a Data Scientist
The steps below would help students understand the various procedures and steps that must be followed to become a Data Scientist in 2025.
Step 1: Pursue Bachelor’s Degree
Employers typically prefer to see proof of a candidate's academic accomplishments to make sure they have the relevant skills to handle a data science position. That said, candidates aspiring to become Data Scientists must consider pursuing a relevant bachelor's degree in data science, statistics, or computer science.
Candidates who have already pursued a bachelor's degree can choose to pursue a Master's degree and gain a better understanding of statistics, machine learning, algorithms, and modelling.
Step 2: Sharpen Relevant Skills
Candidates can consider enrolling in an online course or a suitable boot camp if they could improve their hard data skills. The following are some of the abilities they should possess. Explore: Skills Required to Become a Data Analyst
Programming Skills
Data scientists might anticipate utilizing various programming languages to handle vast amounts of data, sort through them, and perform other management tasks. Some of the common programming languages for data science are SQL, R, Python, SAS, etc.
Data Visualization
A key skill for a data scientist is the ability to design graphs and charts. They should be ready to complete the assignment if they are familiar with various tools such as Tableau, PowerBI, and Excel.
Machine Learning
When candidates use machine learning and deep learning in their work as data scientists, they might potentially forecast the results of future datasets and continuously improve the quality of the data they collect. They can learn the fundamentals of machine learning by enrolling in a course.
Communication
Even the most talented data scientists won't be able to make a difference if they can't effectively convey their findings. One frequently sought-after quality for data scientists is the capacity to communicate concepts and findings both orally and in writing.
Step 3: Bag an Entry-level Data Analytics Job
Although there are various ways to become a data scientist, getting a Data Scientist Jobs at an entry-level in a similar field might be a great starting point. Candidates can consider careers as a Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Statistician, Data Engineer, or in a similar job. From there, as their knowledge and abilities grow, they can progress to becoming a data scientist.
Step 4: Prepare for Interviews After Gaining Substantial Experience
Candidates can feel prepared to transition into data science after a few years of working with data analytics. They can prepare responses to likely interview questions once you've landed an interview. They may encounter technical and behavioural questions because data scientist employment might be very technical. They can prepare for both and practice answering out loud.
Data Science Courses
Apart from undergraduate or postgraduate courses, candidates also have the option to pursue various online courses both certification or diploma. These are short-term courses with a duration ranging between 30 days to 3 months.
Apart from the above-discussed Data Science certifications, some of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses that can be pursued in order to become a Data Scientist are discussed below.
Top Data Science Colleges
There are more than 200 data science colleges in India. Out of these around 167 colleges are private colleges and 34 are government colleges. Apart from that, there are more than 3900 computer science colleges. Some of the best colleges in India for data science are the Indian Institute of Technology, Jain University, BITS Pilani, etc.
Tabulated below are some of the top Data Science colleges in India along with their fees.
| Name of the Colleges | Location | Average Course Fees (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras | Madras | 1,08,000 |
| Loyola College | Chennai | 34,000 |
| Vellore Institute of Technology | Vellore | 89,000 |
| Fergusson College | Pune | 23,000 |
| Symbiosis International University | Pune | 92,000 |
| Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies | Mumbai | 37,800 |
| Jain University | Bangalore | 31,020 |
| Cochin University of Science and Technology | Kochi | 42,711 |
| Manipal Academy of Higher Education | Manipal | 56,234 |
| Indian Institute of Science Education and Research | Bhopal | 70,009 |
Skills Required to Become a Data Scientist
Data Science falls among one of the most advanced subject fields. To become a data scientist, there are specific soft and technical skills that will help the candidate stand out amongst their peers. These skills can be earned by pursuing certification courses. Candidates with these skills will help the candidates to land high-paying jobs.
Some of the relevant skills to becoming a data scientist are tabulated below for your reference.
| Command over Programming Language Python or R, SQL | Advanced Knowledge of Mathematics and Statistics | Advanced Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence Model |
| Data Visualizations | In-depth Knowledge of Database | Exposure to tools Big Data tools such as Hadoop, Spark or MapReduce |
| Experience in Data Wrangling, Data Cleaning, and Data Mining | Proficiency in Microsoft Excel | Machine Learning Skills |
How to Become a Data Scientist in India
To become a Data Scientist in India, candidates are required to clear 10+2 from a recognized board in Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. After that, they are required to pursue undergraduate as well as postgraduate degrees in relevant disciplines such as Data Science, Computer Application, Mathematics and Statistics. Some of the courses include BSc Data Science and BTech Data Science. Apart from that, candidates can also choose other areas such as business information systems, economics, information management etc.
To gain knowledge of programming languages like R, Python, and SQL candidates can pursue certification courses specializing in programming languages. Apart from that, there are several diploma or postgraduate diploma courses which will help in gaining knowledge about data mining, information extraction, computer vision, speech processing, optimization, information and decision theory etc. These courses will help the candidate in landing a high-paying job.
How to Become a Data Scientist After 12th
Undergraduate Preparations: Some of the most important steps that must be followed to Become a Data Scientist After 12th are as follows:
- Candidates must have completed 10+2 from a recognized board in the science stream with Math, Statistics or computer application as one of the main subjects.
- Candidates need to clear the entrance exam such as JEE Main, BITSAT, and JEE Advanced.
- Candidates must choose the area in which they want to pursue undergraduate courses such as BSc Data Science, BTech Data Science, B.Tech in Information Management and BCA.
- Apart from this, candidates are also required to pursue certification courses which are of 30 days to 3 months duration to learn programming languages such as SQL, R, Python, SPSS and SAS.
Postgraduate Preparations: Some of the most crucial steps that must be taken after completion of an undergraduate degree in order to become a data scientist are as follows.
- Post the completion of an undergraduate degree, it would be very beneficial for the candidates to pursue a master’s degree in data science or other related fields.
- Candidates need to clear the entrance exams like GATE to take admission to master’s programs.
- Candidates will also have a choice to select their specialization depending on their niche, interest and knowledge.
- Along with that, candidates can also pursue various internships, attend seminars, workshops etc to gain relevant experience in the field of data science and learn managing databases, analyze data or design databases, Hadoop, Apache Spark, Hive & pig
How to Become a Data Scientist After BCA
In order to become a Data Scientist in 2025, it is not always mandatory to have a BTech degree. Candidates who have completed BCA are also eligible to pursue their careers as Data Scientists. Some of the crucial steps that must be followed to become a Data Scientist after BCA are listed below.
- Candidates must enrol for postgraduate courses such as MCA Data Science or MBA Data Science or MBA Data Analytics.
- Along with that, they must pursue certification or diploma courses related to data science.
- Candidates must also give preference to learning various programming languages such as R, Python, Java, Hadoop, Pig, Hive, Spark, SQL, SAS, data modelling, machine learning etc.
- Candidates must also focus on learning optimization, Information and Decision Theory.
- Candidates must also get into internships and attend workshops which will give them basic as well as advanced knowledge of a typical corporate set-up.
Types of Data Scientists
There are various designations and bifurcations made as per the job requirement for a Data Scientist. Discussed below in detail different types of data scientists working in the industry.
Data Architects
| Job Profiles | A Data Architect is an IT professional who uses his knowledge of computer science and skills to manage the data of an enterprise, analyze the data, and implement strategies to secure classified data. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 16.20 L |
Data Administrators
| Job Profiles | A Data Administrator is responsible for organizing data and storing it in specialized software. This process includes many steps and decisions like capacity planning, installation, configuration, security, and troubleshooting. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 7.96 L |
Business Intelligence Managers
| Job Profiles | A Business Intelligence Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating and supervising the design, development and implementation aspect of organizational and analytical reports. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 17.00 L |
Data Analysts
| Job Profiles | A Data Analyst stores and collects data and then analyze the data to study consumer behaviour, conduct market research, study sales numbers and other logistical data. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 4.30 L |
Data Scientist Jobs
After completing relevant degrees in Data Science and its associated courses, candidates can look forward to working across various departments and designations as tabulated below.
| Job Profiles | Job Description |
|---|---|
| Data Analyst | A Data Analyst examines data to find significant customer insights and potential uses for the information. They also advise the company's management and other stakeholders of this information |
| Business Analyst | Business Analysts evaluate an organization's performance and work with it to enhance its systems and processes. In order to find solutions to business challenges, they perform research and analysis. They then assist in introducing these solutions to businesses and their customers |
| Statistical Analyst | Statistical analysts gather, analyze, and present data to help businesses make decisions. Before presenting their assessments to corporate managers and stakeholders, they may work on a range of files and use their mathematical expertise to understand data trends |
| Data Architect | Data Architects are IT specialists who utilize their knowledge of computer science and database architecture to assess and analyze an organization's data infrastructure, create future database plans, and put into practise ways to store and manage data for both businesses and their users |
| Business Intelligence Manager | A business intelligence manager is a specialist tasked with offering data solutions to issues pertaining to corporate business strategies. |
| Data Administrator | Data Administrators or Database Administrators create mechanisms for storing and protecting different types of data, like financial data and customer shipping records |
Salary of a Data Scientist
According to Glassdoor, the average Salary of a Data Analyst is INR 9.44 LPA. Candidates with 1 - 4 years of experience can expect a starting salary inclusive of bonus etc is INR 3.96 LPA while candidates with 5 - 9 years of experience can make up to INR 7.03 LPA. This salary is however dependent on many factors such as job profile, experience, skills, academics, etc.
Tabulated below is the salary of a Data Scientist based on the job profiles.
| Job Profile | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| Data Analyst | 4.72 L |
| Data Solutions Analyst | 11.51 L |
| Business Analyst | 6.00 L |
| Statistical Analyst | 6.02 L |
| Data Architect | 16.20 L |
| Business Intelligence Manager | 17.00 L |
| Data Scientist | 9.44 L |
| Data Administrator | 7.96 L |
Benefits of Becoming a Data Scientist
The job of a data scientist is very much in demand these days probably because of the perks this job offers. Being a data scientist ensures candidates a lucrative pay package, reputed career, stable future, personality development and a versatile profession. But though there are advantages to being a data scientist, there are some cons as well. These have been discussed below in detail for your reference.
Advantages of becoming a Data Scientist
Some of the advantages of being a data scientist are listed below.
- Handsome salary: The six-figure salary of a data scientist is definitely a major attraction because the requirement for data scientists is increasing day by day and there’s not enough supply. The average salary of a data scientist in India is around INR 10 LPA. This surely is an attraction for many.
- High demand: The demand for data scientists is extremely high and the supply is low. Moreover, this is a very lucrative career option not only in India but abroad. The times that are coming will surely need more and more data scientists. Therefore, this profession is very high in demand.
- Multiple job opportunities: Being a data scientist requires a bunch of skills that are not possessed by all. Therefore, there are multiple job positions and opportunities for people who aspire to become data scientists and have the necessary skills.
- Reputed career: Being a data scientist is a highly reputed career because almost all big businesses seek the help of data scientists to provide them with better results to reach out to their clients. This gives data scientists a dominant position in a company.
- Freedom to work: Candidates who are data scientists need not stay at a particular place and keep working on the same thing. Data scientists have the freedom of working in different industries and yet retain a dominant position there.
Disadvantages of Becoming a Data Scientist
However, everything comes with its own set of challenges. The following are the challenges of being a data scientist:
- Blurry Term: Though being a data scientist is a renowned profession and one can easily earn a handsome salary from it, it is still difficult to describe the profession. There is no definite definition for the term data scientists.
- Arduous Job: This profession requires its candidates to possess a lot of knowledge and skill. The candidate must be at the top of Data Science, Mathematics and Computer Science to completely master this profession and therefore, it is nearly impossible to do so. Moreover, with the new technologies that are coming in, it has become an ever-evolving profession.
- Not Cost Effective-: The tools and software that are used in data science are expensive and not all companies can afford them. Also, they must have experts who can operate on those tools and mechanisms and yield results.
- Data Privacy: For data scientists, data is their main weapon. For companies, data is their main source of information and on the basis of this data, they make decisions. However, the data that is utilized in this process can lead to data privacy issues for many consumers.
- Unexpected Results: The data scientists analyze data to make any predictions and sometimes the data provided can be arbitrary and therefore, it can lead to unexpected results.
How to Become a Data Scientist: FAQs
Ques. What are the qualifications to become a data scientist?
Ans. In order to become a data scientist, candidates are required to pursue class 12th with mathematics, science, technology or engineering background.
Ques. How long does it take to become a data scientist?
Ans. On an average , it takes 3 - 4 years to complete graduation and after that 1- 2 years to get into a job and start earning.
Ques. Is it hard to become a data scientist?
Ans. Yes, Data science is one of the toughest courses to pursue as candidates might face challenges and knowledge of advanced programming.
Ques. Is Python necessary for data science?
Ans. It would be advantageous for the candidates to have knowledge about Python or other programming languages for candidates to pursue a career in data science.
Ques. Which degree is best for a data scientist?
Ans. B.Sc in computer science or B.Sc in data science is one of the best degrees for data science along with other certification programs.
Ques. Do I need to learn coding to become a Data scientist?
Ans. Yes, to be a successful data scientist, candidates are required to learn coding and programming language.
Ques. What is the highest salary of a Data scientist?
Ans. According to ambitionbox, the highest salary of a data scientist is around INR 25 L- 30 LPA.
Ques. What are the course fees of a data science course?
Ans. The average course fees of data science courses are INR 30000 - 4,00,000.
Ques. What skills are required to become a data scientist?
Ans. Some of the top skills required to become a data scientists are:
- Statistical analysis and computing
- Machine learning
- Data visualization
- Data Wrangling
Ques. Which country pays the highest to data scientists ?
Ans. The United States of America pays the highest amount of salary to Data scientists.
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