Data Science vs. Data Analytics: Understanding the Differences

August 2, 2021

As more organizations recognize the need to understand and manage the data they produce, demand for data scientists and data analysts continues to grow. Students who are interested in a career that makes use of data modeling, statistics, programming, and other analytical skills have likely seen data science bachelor degree online and job listings that focus on data science or data analytics. However, while the data science and data analytics fields both involve working with and manipulating data, they are not interchangeable.

When it comes to data science vs. data analytics, what are the differences, and how can a student choose the right one?

Data science vs. data analytics

How do organizations use data science and data analytics to inform decisions and increase efficiency and profitability?

Data science

Data scientists use programming, math, and statistics to gain insights and drive organizational strategy. Data scientists are highly adept at machine learning, data modeling, and the use of algorithms to automate processes. Since meaningful data is field-specific, data scientists also must have domain expertise, the understanding of their industry or company, to provide context for the data they work with. For example, data science research in healthcare can drive diagnoses, help prevent disease, or teach computers to read X-rays or MRIs.

Data scientists work closely with sales and marketing, product development, information technology, finance, and business leaders to help identify trends, spot issues, understand consumer behavior, and present solutions that support strategic decision-making.

Data analytics

Data analytics professionals are responsible for data collection, organization, and maintenance, as well as for using statistics, programming, and other techniques to gain insights from data. The role of a data analyst is to spot trends and help solve problems. Examples of data analytics in retail include order tracking, recommendation features, and identification of store locations.

Data analysts tend to respond to requests from decision-makers rather than drive the decision-making process.

Similarities between data science and data analytics

The fields of data science and data analytics are similar in many ways. Both use data to help understand an organization’s operations, which in turn supports decision-making. Both fields are heavily STEM-focused, and both are in high demand across many industries. Here are some of the ways in which the two fields overlap.

Massive quantities of data

Professionals in both data science and data analytics manipulate huge data sets with millions of data points. These massive databases may have low-quality data that must be wrangled (cleaned), maintained, and organized so that any analysis is accurate.

Technical skills

Both fields require programming skills (such as in R, Python, Tableau, and SQL), as well as statistics, Excel, and data visualization and modeling proficiency. Professionals in both fields must be highly analytical and have a methodical approach to problem-solving and project management.

Communication skills

Data scientists and data analysts work with colleagues across departments, many of whom may not have a tech background. Professionals in both fields are responsible for presenting their findings in a clear and effective manner.

Differences between data science and data analytics

The major difference between data science and data analytics is scope. A data scientist’s role is far broader than that of a data analyst, even though the two work with the same data sets. For that reason, a data scientist often starts their career as a data analyst.

Here are some of the ways these two roles differ.

Responsibilities

Data scientists model data to make predictions, identify opportunities, and support strategy. They use data to understand the future. The role of the data analyst is to solve problems and spot trends. They work with the data as a snapshot of what exists now.

Database manipulation and management

Data scientists use algorithms and machine learning to improve the ways that data supports business goals. Data analysts collect, store, and maintain data and analyze results.

Questions and answers

Data scientists identify the questions and determine the best way to get at the answers. Data analysts receive questions and use data analysis to provide answers.

Data science vs. data analytics: education and skills required

A typical curriculum for data science and data analytic degrees includes math, statistics, computer modeling, programming, and foundational courses in big data and data science. In Maryville University’s online bachelor’s in data science, courses include Introduction to SQL, Probability, and Machine Learning. The program can also lay the groundwork for an advanced degree in data science or data analytics.

The following are some of the requirements for a career in data science or data analytics.

Data science technical skills

A bachelor’s in data science will teach the following “hard” or technical skills:

Computer science
Programming languages
Data modeling and visualization
Statistics

Data analytics technical skills

A bachelor’s in data analytics will focus on these skills:

Data warehousing and analytics
Predictive modeling
Data mining
Data visualization tools

Other skills

Also highly recommended for a career in data science or data analytics are “soft” or people-facing skills. A data scientist must have domain expertise, critical thinking, and communications skills. A data analyst will need reporting, problem-solving, and data-wrangling expertise.

Data science vs. data analytics: career and salary outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for data scientists and related occupations is expected to grow more than 30% between 2019 and 2029. Data scientists and data analysts are found in a wide variety of industries and in a number of different jobs.

Data scientists

The following are just a few examples of the roles data scientists can fill. They work in multiple industries and are responsible for driving an organization’s strategy and decision-making.

Actuary. Sometimes called the first data scientists, actuaries evaluate risk through financial, statistical, and mathematical analyses. The median wage for actuaries was $111,030 in 2020, per the BLS.
Computer systems analyst. Computer systems analysts work closely with both management and IT and use data analysis to solve problems, identify trends, and make recommendations to senior leaders. The median wage for computer systems analysts was $93,730 in 2020, according to the BLS.
Pricing analyst. Pricing analysts use data modeling and algorithms to test pricing models and make recommendations. According to PayScale, the median pay for pricing analysts was just over $58,000 as of April 2021.

Data analysts

The following are some data analyst roles.

Management analyst. Management analysts examine financial and operational data and look for ways to make improvements. The median wage for business analysts was $87,660 in 2020, according to the BLS.
BI analyst. Business intelligence analysts, classified as operations research analysts, use data modeling and advanced data science techniques to turn data into actionable insights for business. The median wage for operations research analysts was $86,200 in 2020, according to the BLS.
Financial quantitative analyst. Also known as “quants,” quantitative analysts are best known for building the algorithms that drive stock trading, but they also work in many industries to provide the data to support strategic business decisions. The median wage for financial analysts was $83,660 in 2020, per the BLS.

Data science vs. data analytics: Two paths in big data

The demand for data scientists and data analysts is only continuing to grow as data transforms global economics. Explore Maryville’s data science bachelor degree online to begin your journey in this exciting field.

Recommended Reading

Data Science Degree vs. Statistics Degree: Analyzing the Difference

Key Careers in Data: Comparing Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist vs. Data Engineer Professions

The Top Data Science Skills to Develop for Business

Sources

CIO, “What Is a Business Analyst? A Key Role for Business-IT Efficiency”

CIO, “What Is a Business Intelligence Analyst? A Role for Driving Business Value with Data”

CIO, “What Is Data Analytics? Analyzing and Managing Data for Decisions”

DataRobot, “What Is Data Science?”

Datumize, “How Do Global Retail Leaders Use Big Data? (5 Real-Life Examples)”

HealthCatalyst, “Data Science for Healthcare: What Today’s Leaders Must Know”

IBM, “What Is Data Science?”