Salary for Senior-level / Expert Data Lead during 2023

Salary details

The average senior-level / expert Data Lead salary lies between USD 80,000 and USD 200,000 globally. It represents the overall compensation/gross salary amount for the working year (before deductions like social security, taxes and other contributions), not including equity/stock options or similar benefits.

All data shown are full-time equivalent (FTE) salaries. Part-time salary information has been extrapolated to its FTE value.

Last updated: Dec. 29, 2024

Salary trend

Top 20 Job Tags for Senior-level / Expert Data Lead roles

The three most common job tag items assiciated with senior-level / expert Data Lead job listings are SQL, Engineering and Data management. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job tags in 2023 and the number of open jobs that where associated with them during that period:

SQL | 17 jobs Engineering | 17 jobs Data management | 13 jobs Architecture | 10 jobs Data strategy | 10 jobs Pipelines | 10 jobs Machine Learning | 9 jobs Power BI | 8 jobs Data governance | 8 jobs Data quality | 8 jobs ETL | 7 jobs Finance | 7 jobs Security | 7 jobs Snowflake | 7 jobs Computer Science | 7 jobs Python | 6 jobs BigQuery | 6 jobs Data pipelines | 6 jobs Excel | 6 jobs Tableau | 5 jobs

Top 20 Job Perks/Benefits for Senior-level / Expert Data Lead roles

The three most common job benefits and perks assiciated with senior-level / expert Data Lead job listings are Career development, Flex vacation and Flex hours. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job perks or benefits in 2023 and the number of open jobs that where offering them during that period:

Career development | 14 jobs Flex vacation | 11 jobs Flex hours | 9 jobs Startup environment | 9 jobs Parental leave | 8 jobs Health care | 8 jobs Equity / stock options | 6 jobs Home office stipend | 6 jobs Insurance | 5 jobs Salary bonus | 4 jobs Team events | 3 jobs Gear | 2 jobs Competitive pay | 2 jobs 401(k) matching | 1 jobs Wellness | 1 jobs Conferences | 1 jobs Snacks / Drinks | 1 jobs Medical leave | 1 jobs Pet friendly | 1 jobs Unlimited paid time off | 1 jobs

Salary Composition

The salary for a Senior-level or Expert Data Lead in AI/ML/Data Science typically comprises a base salary, performance bonuses, and additional remuneration such as stock options or equity, especially in tech companies. The base salary often forms the largest portion, accounting for 70-80% of the total compensation. Bonuses can vary significantly based on company performance and individual achievements, ranging from 10-20% of the base salary. Additional remuneration, such as stock options, is more common in larger tech firms or startups and can significantly increase total compensation, especially in regions like Silicon Valley. In contrast, companies in other regions or industries might offer less in terms of equity but compensate with higher base salaries or bonuses.

Increasing Salary

To increase your salary further from this position, consider the following strategies:

• Specialization: Develop expertise in a niche area of AI/ML, such as natural language processing or computer vision, which can command higher salaries.
• Leadership Skills: Enhance your leadership and management skills to transition into roles like Chief Data Officer or Head of AI, which offer higher compensation.
• Networking: Build a strong professional network to access opportunities in high-paying industries or companies.
• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest technologies and methodologies in AI/ML to remain competitive and justify salary increases.

Educational Requirements

Most Senior-level or Expert Data Lead positions require at least a master's degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or Mathematics. A Ph.D. can be advantageous, especially for roles that involve research or are in academia. Employers often look for candidates with a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical skills, which are typically developed through advanced education.

Helpful Certifications

While not always mandatory, certain certifications can enhance your profile and demonstrate your commitment to the field. Some valuable certifications include:

• Certified Data Scientist (CDS)
• Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
• AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate

These certifications can help validate your skills and knowledge, making you a more attractive candidate for higher-level positions.

Required Experience

Typically, a Senior-level or Expert Data Lead role requires at least 7-10 years of experience in data science or related fields. This experience should include hands-on work with data analysis, machine learning model development, and deployment. Leadership experience, such as managing a team of data scientists or leading significant projects, is also crucial. Experience in a specific industry can be beneficial, as it provides domain knowledge that can be applied to data-driven decision-making.

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