Your Big Data Career Path

Big data is a growing industry that helps companies and organizations in many different industries make smarter decisions based on analyzing massive data sets that include both structured and unstructured data. Companies can collect more data than ever before and need sophisticated tools to manipulate and analyze this information. Big data professionals work with data to help these organizations unlock meaningful insight from the data they collect. 

If you want a career working with data in a growing field, explore the career path for a big data professional, starting with examples of entry-level job titles and work you’ll complete and the education and experience you’ll need to advance your career.

What is big data? 

Big data is a word you can use to describe a complex and massive set of data. Collecting and analyzing data is an activity that humans have participated in for hundreds of years. You can explore historical records and find evidence of data collection and analysis tracing back to the invention of paper. The phrase “data science” may have been first used in the 1960s as data professionals began to talk about the scientific processing they could apply to data. But the field of big data as you know it today is a relatively new idea built on advances in technology like artificial intelligence, connectivity, and robust data management systems that can process and store tremendous amounts of data. 

Big data can include structured data, such as an inventory list, or unstructured data, such as data from social media posts. They are “big” because traditional data management tools, like spreadsheets, for example, are too simple to manage them effectively. To work with big data, you need tools like machine learning, real-time analytics, and other types of AI-powered analytics. Big data is an important tool in industries like marketing, sales, entertainment, finance, health care, transportation, education, and more. 

What is the big data career path? 

If you want to work in big data, you will likely start in an entry-level position to gain experience in the industry. Over time, as you gain experience working in big data, you may decide to earn more credentials, such as a master’s degree or certifications that demonstrate your mastery of data science skills. As you gain both new skills and experience in the field, you may be able to move into roles requiring more responsibility or leadership. These roles often include a higher salary, as well. 

In some cases, you may come to data science from another industry or career, such as business, marketing, science, or math, where you gained experience. Big data is relevant for companies and organizations in nearly every industry, and you can find roles working with data in different ways. For example, you could focus on becoming a data architect and designing and implementing the infrastructure needed to accomplish data science tasks, or you could become a business analyst or data visualization expert to explain business concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Big data job outlook 

The job outlook is positive for careers in big data. Jobs in the field will grow by 36 percent from 2023 to 2033, resulting in an increase of 73,100 available jobs over the decade [1]. Another statistic you can consider to demonstrate the career potential in big data is the market size of the industry. The global market for big data will be worth $401.2 billion in 2028, with a compounded annual growth rate of 12.7 percent from 2023 to 2028 [2]. These figures help demonstrate how quickly the field of big data is growing and suggest that you will likely find job opportunities in the market in the future. 

Entry-level jobs in big data 

To start an entry-level job in big data, you generally need a bachelor’s degree in big data or a related field like data science, computer science, or statistics. In some cases, you may need to gain experience to begin an entry-level job in big data. An internship or similar program is one way for you to gain resume experience before you start your first job. 

Some of the entry-level big data jobs you might qualify for include data analyst, junior data engineer, statistical assistant, data manager, or junior business analyst. In these roles, your responsibilities will vary depending on the industry you’re part of, but some key responsibilities for junior big data professionals include: 

• Collecting data

• Storing and cleaning data 

• Validating data

• Assisting senior analysts

• Uncovering and analyzing patterns found within data

• Following best practices for working with data 

Entry-level big data career salary: 

You will likely find many different job titles for entry-level big data professionals. A few careers to consider, along with their average salary, include: 

* All salary data comes from Glassdoor as of January 2025 and represents base pay. This number does not include additional pay such as bonuses, profit-sharing, or commission. 

• Data analyst: $85,875 [3]

• Junior data engineer: $101,439 [4]

• Statistical assistant: $73,271[5]

• Data manager: $72,560 [6]

• Junior business analyst: $79,451 [7]

Mid-level roles in big data

After earning your bachelor’s degree or gaining experience in an entry-level big data job, you may be ready to move forward in your career. You can learn more skills with data analytics certifications and courses, or you can decide to pursue your master’s degree to qualify for roles with responsibilities that require more skill. 

Mid-level big data jobs include data engineers, data scientists, business analysts, and statisticians. Jobs in this category may require you to have more education or experience in the field. In some cases, mid-level jobs will require you to have additional specialized skills, such as programming skills or competency with data technologies. You may be working with entry-level data professionals, or, in some cases, you may be directing the work of a team of entry-level professionals. 

Mid-career, some of the responsibilities you’ll have as a big data professional include: 

• Determining what data you’ll need and how you will collect it 

• Writing surveys or designing experiments to better understand or collect data

• Using big data software to manipulate data and look for patterns

• Creating visualizations that demonstrate your findings

• Making recommendations to leadership and senior stakeholders based on data

Mid-level big data career salary

After you’ve gained experience, specialized skills, or a master’s degree, you may qualify for a wide range of big data jobs. A few choices to consider include: 

• Data engineer: $106,482 [8]

• Data scientist: $118,016 [9]

• Business analyst: $93,561 [10]

• Statisticians: $100,093 [11]

Advanced roles in big data

Later in your big data career, you may decide to step into a senior or leadership role. For advanced roles in big data, you may need to earn industry certifications that demonstrate you’ve continued learning new skills or a master’s degree in data science. You should also have several years of experience working with data. 

Some senior or leadership roles in big data to consider include senior data scientist, big data architect, lead data engineer, and chief data officer. The exact work you complete day-to-day will vary based on your role, but some of the responsibilities you can expect in a leadership big data job include: 

• Overseeing a team of junior data professionals or leading a department

• Developing or planning data architecture

• Leading your team while implementing new technology or policies

• Planning overall data strategy

Senior-level big data career salary: 

When you're ready to move into a senior or leadership role working in big data, you will likely earn a higher salary. A few senior data positions to consider, along with their average salary, include: 

• Senior data scientist: $158,861 [12]

• Big data architect: $141,269 [13]

• Lead data engineer: $97,763 [14]

• Chief data officer (CDO): $209,381 [15]

Start your big data career path with Coursera

You can start your career in big data with careers like junior data engineer and data analyst before gaining the skills and experience you need to land a more senior role like big data architect. To learn more about a career in big data or build job skills to pursue a higher-paying role, you can explore courses and Professional Certificate programs on Coursera. For example, you could enroll in the Meta Data Analyst Professional Certificate to build job-ready skills to start working as a data analyst, or you can choose a program like the IBM Data Warehouse Engineer Professional Certificate to start working in an entry-level position as a data warehouse engineer.