Principal Data Scientists: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of principal data scientists about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for principal data scientists to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of principal data scientists expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for principal data scientists.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Principal Data Scientists?
Do principal data scientists need a degree? What kind of experience do principal data scientists typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for principal data scientists to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Principal Data Scientists
Jobs Postings for Principal Data Scientists By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 173,896 (47%)
- Master's degree: 77,833 (21%)
- No Education Listed: 76,965 (21%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 26,999 (7%)
- High School or GED: 15,957 (4%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of principal data scientists. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 47% of positions. In 21% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 21% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Principal Data Scientists
Jobs Postings for Principal Data Scientists By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 15,597 (8%)
- 2-3 Years: 55,708 (29%)
- 4-6 Years: 66,705 (35%)
- 7-9 Years: 27,770 (15%)
- 10+ Years: 25,350 (13%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for principal data scientists. In 35% of job postings for Principal Data Scientists, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 29% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 15% of job postings for principal data scientists.
What Kind of Degree Do Principal Data Scientists Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for principal data scientists, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 23 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective principal data scientists, and in 2023 a total of 85,175 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective principal data scientists.
Top Degree Programs for Principal Data Scientists
Top 5 Degree Programs for Principal Data Scientists (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics, General. | 26,754 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. | 22,925 |
| Statistics, General. | 8,285 |
| Financial Mathematics. | 5,552 |
| Business Analytics. | 5,235 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics, General. | 26,754 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. | 22,925 |
| Statistics, General. | 8,285 |
| Financial Mathematics. | 5,552 |
| Business Analytics. | 5,235 |
| Applied Mathematics, General. | 4,571 |
| Data Science, General. | 4,387 |
| Computational Science. | 2,149 |
| Data Analytics, General. | 1,256 |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics. | 786 |
| Financial Analytics. | 729 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other. | 671 |
| Applied Statistics, General. | 541 |
| Computational Mathematics. | 399 |
| Computational Biology. | 319 |
| Applied Mathematics, Other. | 280 |
| Mathematical Economics. | 139 |
| Economics and Computer Science. | 89 |
| Data Analytics, Other. | 44 |
| Data Visualization. | 30 |
| Data Science, Other. | 29 |
| Linguistics and Computer Science. | 4 |
| Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics. | 1 |
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What Skills Do Principal Data Scientists Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by principal data scientists to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for principal data scientists, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Principal Data Scientists
Based on 283,789 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Principal Data Scientists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Data Analysis | 107,273 | 38% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 89,800 | 32% |
| Computer Science | 85,532 | 30% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 78,866 | 28% |
| Data Science | 67,413 | 24% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Principal Data Scientists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 120,866 | 43% |
| Management | 87,842 | 31% |
| Leadership | 66,226 | 23% |
| Problem Solving | 62,809 | 22% |
| Research | 58,654 | 21% |
Based on 283,789 job postings related to principal data scientists, data analysis was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 38% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for sql (programming language), computer science, python (programming language), data science and machine learning were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for principal data scientists, followed by management, leadership, problem solving, research and operations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Data Analysis | 107,273 | 38% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 89,800 | 32% |
| Computer Science | 85,532 | 30% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 78,866 | 28% |
| Data Science | 67,413 | 24% |
| Machine Learning | 54,259 | 19% |
| Statistics | 54,094 | 19% |
| Project Management | 48,489 | 17% |
| R (Programming Language) | 45,347 | 16% |
| Tableau (Business Intelligence Software) | 44,041 | 16% |
| Business Process | 43,004 | 15% |
| Business Requirements | 38,709 | 14% |
| Dashboard | 37,695 | 13% |
| Power BI | 37,248 | 13% |
| Finance | 36,498 | 13% |
| Data Visualization | 35,738 | 13% |
| Business Intelligence | 35,546 | 13% |
| SAP Applications | 33,801 | 12% |
| Data Modeling | 33,222 | 12% |
| Agile Methodology | 33,103 | 12% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 120,866 | 43% |
| Management | 87,842 | 31% |
| Leadership | 66,226 | 23% |
| Problem Solving | 62,809 | 22% |
| Research | 58,654 | 21% |
| Operations | 55,016 | 19% |
| Mathematics | 46,152 | 16% |
| Writing | 46,126 | 16% |
| Presentations | 44,358 | 16% |
| Microsoft Excel | 42,994 | 15% |
| Detail Oriented | 41,300 | 15% |
| Planning | 40,719 | 14% |
| Innovation | 37,351 | 13% |
| Customer Service | 31,705 | 11% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 30,456 | 11% |
| Consulting | 29,802 | 11% |
| Decision Making | 29,125 | 10% |
| Information Technology | 28,825 | 10% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 28,695 | 10% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 27,367 | 10% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about principal data scientists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for principal data scientists.
What do principal data scientists do?
How much do principal data scientists make?
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