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How many data scientists are there in the U.S.? How many globally? Which employers (actual names & categories) have the largest data science teams?
Hello! Thanks for your question about the number and employers of data scientists in the US and globally. As definitions for this profession vary, and statistics are not centrally accumulated, I used several different sources to estimate a range of 13,280 to 25,600 data scientists, with 55% being located in the United States. Below you will find a deep dive of my research / findings along with all the details for how I came to this answer.
SOURCES
I researched a variety of sources and found that they approached this number from different perspectives. For instance, Wanted Analytics included all computer programmers with the appropriate data science skills in their numbers. RJMetrics used LinkedIn as their source, which of course does not have all professionals included. The Bureau of Labor Statistics use a category of jobs which incorporates Computer and Information Research Scientists - most likely including computer scientists not typically included in the Data Scientist definition. All of these suffer from some deficiency, leading me to the conclusion that calculating a range would lead us to the most reasonable number.
CALCULATION
The range was calculated as follows:
Wanted Analytics = 13,280
RJMetrics = 15,400 (average of 11,400-19,400)
Bureau of Labor Statistics = 25,600
RJ Metrics calculates 55% of Data Scientists are located in the US, leading to 6,270 in the US and 5,130 outside the US.
COMPANIES
Data Science Central indicates that the top 20 companies now amount to 7.5% of data scientists, proving that data science adoption is exploding faster in small companies. The top companies include Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Glaxo/Smith/Kline, Booz-Allen-Hamilton, Nielsen, GE Teradata, HP , Intel and Twitter. The full complement can be found in the Data Science Central link.
IN SUMMARY
Differing views of what comprises a Data Scientist make the calculation of the numbers challenging. Including several resources and using an average to offset the deficiencies leads to a range of 13,280 to 25,600, over 50% being located in the United States. Large employers hold less than 10% of the market for Data Scientists, indicating the value of this skill is seen as necessary by a number of smaller
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