Big Data Career Opportunities: Ultimate Guide [2024]

Big data is the term used for the data, which is either too big, changes with a speed that is hard to keep track of, or the nature of which is just too complex to be handled by traditional data handling techniques. Big data is omnipresent, and every human on earth leaves a trail of data that encapsulates their online presence.

Due to the low computational power and the fear of missing out on some crucial insights, data generated was stored until the turn of this century, which is when this industry started gaining its footing in the world. The importance of the sheer volume of big data career opportunities cannot be ignored. Google AI (which is found on every smartphone), advertisements that you see online, and all the various recommending engines (like Amazon and Netflix) are fueled by the big data you generate. 

Needless to say, Big data is transforming the world that we see and soon will take the driving seat in propelling the global economy. To suffice Big data’s growing nature, the need for trained personnel will only increase according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They estimate that career opportunities in big data will see a boom of about 12% by the end of the year 2028, creating more than 500,000 jobs.

Finding people with the right skill set is the real challenge due to the lack of people having the required expertise. Thus, increasing the pay of the people substantially who have the right skillset. Pursuing a big data career is a good option, especially if you possess the skills needed to be in the industry.

Are Big Data Careers in Demand?

Due to technological advancements and the proliferation of digital platforms, big data has experienced significant growth. Regardless of your location or industry, the term “big data” is frequently encountered in business circles. Enterprises actively seek efficient ways to process and analyze these vast datasets, leading to numerous career opportunities in big data.

The demand for professionals skilled in handling big data career opportunities is soaring globally, as organizations heavily rely on it to maintain a competitive edge in the market. As a result, the number of job openings for data experts will continue to rise in the coming years. If you aspire to secure a position in the big data domain, obtaining a BS in Data Science or pursuing a Master’s in Big Data Analytics would be your most advantageous path to be eligible for big data analytics job.

Reasons to Choose a Career in Big Data 

1. Increased Job Opportunities for Big Data professionals 

As technology advances, it is evident that Big Data is becoming a prominent buzzword and an essential requirement for organizations in the foreseeable future. However, Data is useless without the skill to analyze it.

In the present day, there is a tremendous demand for Big Data professionals across organizations globally. Companies are extensively leveraging big data career opportunities to gain a competitive advantage, leading to a high demand for big data job for candidates with expertise and skills in this field. 

2. Salary Growth

The high demand for big data job is influencing the salaries offered to qualified individuals. The remuneration for these professionals is directly linked to various factors such as their acquired skills, level of education, experience in the field, proficiency in relevant technologies, and more. Additionally, a thorough understanding of real-world Big Data challenges and proficiency in utilizing various tools and technologies also significantly determine their earning potential.

3. Usage Across numerous firms/industries

In the present day, big data job finds applications in nearly every organization. The top five industries that extensively hire Big Data professionals are Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (27%), Information Technology (19%), Manufacturing (15%), Finance and Insurance (9%), Retail Trade (9%), while other sectors account for 21% of the recruitment.

Read: Big Data Interview Questions

Career in Big data: What career opportunities in big data are there, and what can you expect?

There is no denying the increase in the sheer strengths of the computers, and its presence, the data generated, has also increased. It is also estimated that almost 90% of the big data that we have has been generated in the past few years. To derive insights and use the data to our advantage, a number of big data career opportunities have opened in the big data sector.

So, listed below, you will find a few of the plethora of career opportunities in big data:

1. Big Data Engineer

Big data engineers are tasked with developing the solutions which the big data architect has designed for the company. They are supposed to be the backbone of the big data pipeline of any organization. They are the ones who maintain, create, develop, and simultaneously test the solutions that they build. A big data engineer’s toolkit must contain tools that are based on Hadoop technology like Hive MongoDB, MapReduce, or Cassandra.

Not only this, but a big data engineer should also have a profound knowledge of data warehousing solutions because they have to work in creating the required pipeline (from start to end), which is needed to process data on a large scale in any organization. They are generally also responsible for maintaining the hardware infrastructure, mainly ensuring that the team has enough processing power to tackle huge data volumes each day. If you think Big data engineering is your preferred career in big data, the money you would make would be in the range of 130K to 220K US dollars. 

Read: Data Science vs Big Data: Difference Between Data Science & Big Data

2. Data Architects

The main job of any data architect is to design and build intricate data frameworks like databases. They usually are a part of the team, which is called for whenever there is a need for databases. A data architect would look at the problem, the data that is available to them with its help they would create a blueprint. This blueprint which they have created would encapsulate all the phases that the database has to go through like, creation, testing, and how that database would be maintained.

The blueprint that these architects have created would then be passed onto the big data engineers who would do all the heavy lifting in implementing the architect’s vision. Data architects work with a variety of data, the data that they get can be personal records, the information which is used in marketing or financial records. They, however, also have to work alongside data administrators and data analysts to ensure that the architects are provided with all the data that they need. From this data, they would need to come up with the databases which would be used to store all the information in.

They also need to think in a way to make the stored data accessible based on the clearance that any user has, and create a fail-safe mechanism in case the company is attacked for ransomware or any natural calamity. All this information should be neatly presented in the blueprints that these data architects are responsible for. The big data architects make roughly in the range of 120K to 200K US dollars.

3. Data Warehouse Manager

The job of a data warehouse manager is to oversee the team, which is responsible for designing, maintaining, implementing, and supporting the systems designed for data warehousing. They also manage the data’s design, how the database architecture is being created, and the various data repositories are needed in any organization. They have to strive to ensure that perfect harmony is being made between the front end and the back end of data processing.

They are also supposed to install processes that measure and ensure the quality of the data in question. Typically, a bachelor’s degree is needed to be a data warehouse manager, and you would usually report to the top of management on a daily basis. Since it is a managerial job, a data warehouse manager not only has to manage the data warehousing solutions, but they also have to manage all the subordinates on a daily basis and assess the performance of the staff.

They usually have autonomy over their department, and hence all the personnel actions are directly supervised by the data warehouse manager. They might also be the ones who would have to check for potential risks in the process of data storage and transfer, and the steps needed to be done to mitigate the potential risk to the data. A data warehouse manager can earn anywhere in the ballpark of 80-160K US dollars. 

4. Database Manager

A database manager is responsible for maintaining the database results by enforcing the standards, checks, and balances. They are the ones who prepare the database for expansion. They make sure that the database is ready for the development by studying the plans that there are and going through the requirements to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. They also advise the senior technical managers on the design and programming by coordinating with the technical management’s upper echelon.

Upgrading the piece of hardware and the software that the team has also falls under a database manager’s job category. They are supposed to devise policies, procedures, and controls that would ensure the databases’ safety and security. A good database manager would not only manage the databases but also would update his knowledge by continually participating in learning big data career opportunities.

They should develop a habit of reading through tech publications and maintain an excellent professional circle. They should also have a keen eye on any new research in the field of data and think of the ways in which they can implement them at their workplace. If you believe a database manager is the career opportunity in big data for you, then you can earn in the neighborhood of 111-190k US dollars.

Learn about: 9 Exciting DBMS Project Ideas & Topics For Beginners

5. Business Intelligence analyst

The big data analytics job is responsible for evaluating the company’s data they are currently employed. They are supposed to take this data and then find or collect the industry data and the competition’s data. They should take all this data and derive some meaningful insights. These insights should be aimed at improving the position in the market of the company for which they are currently working. They would also look deep into the base core of the company.

They would look and evaluate the company’s system, the way they get things done in the company, and the functions that they perform. This analysis should be aimed to weed out the areas where the company is ineffectively using its resources to ensure substantial profit margins. Any good business Intelligence analyst would also look into the ways in which the company can make new data collection and data analysis policies.

They should also make sure that the data is not tinkered and its integrity is preserved. They might also be tasked with some human resource work like hiring other professionals such as data architects or some other data specialists. If you want to be a business intelligence analyst, you can expect to earn in the neighborhood of 89-185k US dollars.

6. Data scientist

Data scientists are supposed to be the ones who design and construct any new processes for any data related query like, they are responsible for modelling a process, and thought to improve the data mining and data production processes. They are also tasked to conduct studies on the data and experiment with the product through which they are supposed to develop algorithms. These models are used for prediction, custom-made analysis, etc. Additionally, a data scientist’s job is to find and extract meaning from the data.

They spend most of their time collecting, cleaning the data using various techniques, doing exploratory analysis, and then munging the data. The data which went through this process is then used to develop mathematical models that are then used for various machine and deep learning techniques to create a production-ready model which they are tasked to deploy and keep track of its performance.

A good data scientist should be skilled in different styles, such as clustering, and have a statistical background to be adept in statistical learning. A good data scientist would spend a great deal of time in exploratory analysis using various graphs and charts. These analyses are usually shared with the team to devise action plans to tackle creating and deploying these machines and deep learning models. A data scientist can earn about 105-180k US dollars.

7. Data Modeler

These professionals transform large volumes of data into insightful insights, which include micro and macro patterns and are then compiled into business reports. Data modellers need a fusion of information science understanding, statistical analytic prowess, and strong coding abilities. They frequently focus on specific business fields, which enables them to uncover essential data patterns for their employers more successfully.

8. Database Developer

The primary role of database developers involves analyzing existing database processes to modernize, streamline, or remove inefficient coding. Additionally, they monitor database performance, create new databases, and address any troubleshooting issues. These professionals collaborate closely with other development team members and are typically expected to possess prior experience in database development, data analysis, and unit testing.

How To Start a Career in Big Data

Big data is a fast-growing industry with intriguing career prospects for individuals across various global sectors. This is an excellent opportunity to enter the employment market because of the rising need for qualified big data specialists.

If you feel that big data career opportunities are in line with your goals, there are several actions you can take to be ready and position yourself for desirable positions in the sector. You must evaluate the knowledge and abilities necessary to impress potential employers.

Since big data occupations are so technical, extensive training and practical learning experience are frequently required. One of the best methods to build the necessary competence and demonstrate your knowledge to potential employers is to pursue a graduate degree in your chosen field of study. Programmes like upGrad’s Big Data courses, for instance, are especially created to give students strong analytical and technical abilities while also providing big data jobs for freshers and possibilities for networking with peers and industry experts.

Also Read: Big data Project Ideas

Conclusion

The field of big data is expanding at a blinding rate. New opportunities are being created for professionals in all industries. The beauty of big data is that it is not industry dependent. Yes, it is true that career opportunities in big data are usually in the tech sector. Still, now we see an emerging trend of the job opening in every industry, making a big data industry career independent.

There is a wide variety of options to choose from if you have decided that big data is the sector for you. Unfortunately, there is a huge skill gap that is slowly becoming the industry standard in hiring professionals to handle their big data needs. So, you should start by improving your data handling skills and gain some industry exposure to get one of these highly sought-after big data jobs for freshers.

If you are interested to know more about Big Data, check out our Advanced Certificate Programme in Big Data from IIIT Bangalore.

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