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Image of career: Data Scientist

Data Scientist

Overview

Data scientists are data detectives with coding superpowers! They collect, analyse, and interpret lots of data to build smart solutions for business problems.

Description

  • Clean and organise data for analysis.
  • Create charts and visuals to present your findings.
  • Think of new questions that could help the business grow.
  • Develop machine learning models and innovative ways to analyse data.
  • Check that data solutions support business goals.

Entry requirements

  • You should have a Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related fields. It is also good to have work experience in the field.
  • You should also have knowledge on machine learning algorithms.

Salary

$6,400 – 11,300

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

Did you know that GovTech used data science to find the train that caused a series of breakdowns?

What to expect

Being good at advanced mathematics will help you understand algorithms and build effective predictive models.

Soft
skills

Problem-Solving

Able to look at data, find patterns, and solve tricky problems.

Critical Thinking

Ability to analyse data, methods, and results, ensuring they are correct and useful.

Transdisciplinary Thinking

Knowledge of different disciplines to better understand and analyse data.

Machine Learning Skills

Ability to design machine learning models to study complex data and predict trends.

Programming Languages

Familiarity with Python, R, or Java to work with data, analyse statistics, and create algorithms.

Deep Learning

Knowledge of deep leaning tools like TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Hard
skills

Songyu, Data Scientist
"Don't see errors as failures, be positive. These are important lessons to help you improve over time."

Songyu, Data Scientist

National Youth Council

Frequently asked questions

Data scientists try to predict the unknown, while data analysts look at existing information in new ways. Sometimes their roles may overlap.

Yes. As companies collect more data every day, they need people who can turn that information into useful insights for their business.

Yes, coding is essential. They will use code to analyse data, build machine learning models, and create visualisations.

They use Python, Structured Query Language (SQL), R, and Jupyter Notebook.

Data science is a step-by-step process. Data scientists will continuously test and improve their models.