Salary for Senior-level / Expert Data Specialist during 2023

💰 The median Salary for Senior-level / Expert Data Specialist during 2023 is USD 85,950

✏️ This salary info is based on 10 individual salaries reported during 2023

Salary details

The average senior-level / expert Data Specialist salary lies between USD 71,500 and USD 111,600 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.

Job title: Data Specialist

Experience: Senior-level / Expert

Region: global/worldwide

Salary year: 2023

Sample size: 10

Top 10%: $ 132,000

Top 25%: $ 111,600

Median: $ 85,950

Bottom 25%: $ 71,500

Bottom 10%: $ 60,000

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

Last updated: Dec. 15, 2024

Salary trend

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

The three most common job tag items assiciated with senior-level / expert Data Specialist job listings are SQL, Python and Engineering. 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:

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

The three most common job benefits and perks assiciated with senior-level / expert Data Specialist job listings are Career development, Flex hours and Health care. 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:

Salary Composition

The salary for a Senior-level or Expert Data Specialist in AI/ML/Data Science typically comprises a fixed base salary, performance bonuses, and additional remuneration such as stock options or profit-sharing. The fixed base salary is the most substantial component, often accounting for 70-80% of the total compensation package. Bonuses can vary significantly depending on the company's performance and individual achievements, usually ranging from 10-20% of the base salary. Additional remuneration, such as stock options, is more common in tech companies and startups, especially in regions like Silicon Valley. In larger corporations or financial sectors, profit-sharing or other incentives might be offered. Regional differences also play a role; for instance, salaries in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York are generally higher than in other regions.

Increasing Salary

To increase your salary from a Senior-level 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 make you more valuable.
Leadership Roles: Transition into managerial or leadership roles, such as a Data Science Manager or Director of Data Science, which typically offer higher salaries.
Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest technologies and methodologies in AI/ML to remain competitive and justify salary increases.
Networking: Engage with professional networks and communities to discover new opportunities and negotiate better compensation packages.
Consulting: Consider offering consulting services, which can provide additional income and enhance your professional reputation.

Educational Requirements

Most Senior-level Data Specialist roles 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 advanced algorithm development. Employers often look for candidates with a strong foundation in quantitative skills and a deep understanding of machine learning algorithms and data analysis techniques.

Helpful Certifications

While not always mandatory, certain certifications can enhance your credentials and demonstrate your expertise:

Certified Data Scientist (CDS)
Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
TensorFlow Developer Certificate

These certifications can validate your skills and knowledge, making you a more attractive candidate for senior roles.

Required Experience

Typically, a Senior-level Data Specialist position requires 5-10 years of experience in data science or a related field. This experience should include hands-on work with data analysis, machine learning model development, and deployment. Experience in leading projects or teams is often preferred, as it demonstrates your ability to manage complex tasks and collaborate effectively.

Related salaries

Data Specialist @ $ 80,900 (global) - Mid-level / Intermediate Details

Data Specialist @ $ 83,400 (global) Details

Data Specialist @ $ 83,400 (United States) Details

Data Specialist @ $ 80,900 (United States) - Mid-level / Intermediate Details

Data Specialist @ $ 85,950 (United States) - Senior-level / Expert Details

Want to contribute?

📝 Submit your salary info

Enter your own salary data for the current or past work year. It's quite simple and doesn't take more than a minute to fill out.

Go to salary survey

📢 Share our salary survey

Share our "in-less-than-a-minute survey" with others working in the field of AI, ML, Data Science. The more data we have the better for everyone.

💾 Download the data

All collected information will be updated into a public dataset regularly and provided as a download free for anyone to use.

Go to download page

🚀 Search for jobs & talent

If you're thinking about a career change or want to hire fresh talent quickly check out the jobs page.

Go to frontpage

About this project

We collect salary information anonymously from professionals and employers all over the world and make it publicly available for anyone to use, share and play around with.

Our goal is to have open salary data for everyone. So newbies, experienced pros, hiring managers, recruiters and also startup founders or people wanting to switch careers can make better decisions.

Add your salary info Download all salary data