Role report · Data & AI
Data Scientist: what employers ask for
Of 1,521 Data Scientist postings from 531 employers in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 84% ask for Python, 81% for Machine Learning, 75% for Statistics, 69% for SQL and 35% for A/B Testing.
From 1,521 Data Scientist postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings read
- 1,521from 531 employers
- Remote
- 24%of postings
- Most common level
- Mid33% of postings
- Experience asked
- 4 yearsmedian, from 1,164 postings that state it
- Advertised pay
- $179,000median a year, from 807 postings in US dollars
The skills employers ask for most
The share of Data Scientist postings that name each skill, and how often a posting that names it lists it as required rather than nice to have.
| Skill | Share of postings | Required when named |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 88% | |
| Machine Learning | 87% | |
| Statistics | 88% | |
| SQL | 89% | |
| A/B Testing | 86% | |
| LLMs | 69% | |
| Data Visualization | 79% | |
| R | 76% | |
| Generative AI | 72% | |
| AWS | 53% | |
| AI Agents | 71% | |
| MLOps | 77% | |
| ETL/ELT | 85% | |
| Deep Learning | 83% | |
| GCP | 51% | |
| Data Quality | 92% | |
| Operations Research | 79% | |
| Causal Inference | 82% | |
| Apache Spark | 72% | |
| Time Series Forecasting | 84% |
Taking a larger share
Month on month, comparing like with like; only moves clear of noise are named.
Taking a smaller share
Named in fewer of these postings than before, beyond the month-to-month noise.
Seniority
| Level | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Mid | 496 | |
| Senior | 433 | |
| Staff | 129 | |
| Principal | 115 | |
| Manager | 108 | |
| Lead | 88 | |
| Director+ | 82 |
Professional skills
Asked for alongside the technical ones.
- Stakeholder Management74%
- Communication64%
- Leadership36%
- Collaboration19%
- Product Sense8%
Advertised pay
807 of these postings state pay in US dollars. The middle half of their ranges' midpoints runs from $146,000 to $218,000 a year, with a median of $179,000. Pay by level, and what each skill adds to it like for like, is in the app.
Employers with the most postings
- Capital One60 postings
- The Home Depot60 postings
- Amazon51 postings
- Intuit23 postings
- JPMorgan Chase22 postings
- Micron20 postings
- Peraton19 postings
- Google17 postings
Quick answers
What skills does a Data Scientist need?
The skills named most often in Data Scientist postings are Python, Machine Learning, Statistics, SQL and A/B Testing. Python appears in 84% of them.
Are Data Scientist jobs remote?
24% of the 1,521 Data Scientist postings in the last 180 days were remote.
How much experience do Data Scientist jobs ask for?
Postings that state it ask for a median of 4 years. The most common level is Mid (33% of postings).
What does a Data Scientist earn?
Postings that state pay advertise a typical $146,000 to $218,000 a year, with a median of $179,000, from 807 postings in US dollars.
Which skills are growing for Data Scientist roles?
Databricks is taking a larger share of Data Scientist postings, month on month and comparing like with like.