What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Data Scientists in the U.S. earn more than $120,230 a year — the middle 80% land between $67,240 and $199,130. About 262,440 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Data Scientists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$120,230typical pay / year
262,440people in this work
$199,130+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record4
Develop and manage databases
+Build and version a validated study database for the outpatient hypertension trial, mapping each case report…
Develop and manage databases
+Build and version a validated study database for the outpatient hypertension trial, mapping each case report form field to the master data dictionary, include audit trails, and hand over a test-ready copy to the biostatistician by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Set up data collection systems
+Design the electronic case report forms for the phase II diabetes study, include validation rules for range…
Set up data collection systems
+Design the electronic case report forms for the phase II diabetes study, include validation rules for range checks and required fields, pilot the forms with two clinic users and report usability issues by next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Draft data management plans
+Draft the data management plan for the rheumatoid arthritis study covering data flow, coding standards,…
Draft data management plans
+Draft the data management plan for the rheumatoid arthritis study covering data flow, coding standards, database lock criteria, and QC schedule, then circulate to the PI and QA lead for signoff within five business days.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Monitor data quality and compliance
+Perform source-to-database reconciliation for the first 100 randomized subjects, run edit checks, escalate…
Monitor data quality and compliance
+Perform source-to-database reconciliation for the first 100 randomized subjects, run edit checks, escalate unresolved queries to clinical monitors, and deliver a compliance summary to the QA manager by Friday close of business.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Analysing1
Analyze data and prepare reports
+Run the locked dataset derivations for visit 6, generate the safety and efficacy tables with missingness…
Analyze data and prepare reports
+Run the locked dataset derivations for visit 6, generate the safety and efficacy tables with missingness checks, create an executive summary slide deck for the steering committee meeting on Friday.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Coordinate1
Coordinate with research and regulatory teams
+Coordinate with Dr. Santos in clinical operations and Maria from regulatory to resolve the discrepant adverse…
Coordinate with research and regulatory teams
+Coordinate with Dr. Santos in clinical operations and Maria from regulatory to resolve the discrepant adverse event coding, attach the coding rationale and updated form to the regulatory submission tracker before Monday's compliance review.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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The daily work15
Generate queries for data discrepancies
+Generate and send site-level data queries for the 27 patients with missing baseline weight and conflicting…
Generate queries for data discrepancies
+Generate and send site-level data queries for the 27 patients with missing baseline weight and conflicting medication start dates, assign each query to the submitting coordinator, require resolution within five business days, and include CRF line references and coding guidance.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Integrate data from various sources for analysis
+Consolidate inpatient vitals, lab extracts, and eCRF entries for the cardiology cohort, map fields to the…
Integrate data from various sources for analysis
+Consolidate inpatient vitals, lab extracts, and eCRF entries for the cardiology cohort, map fields to the analysis dataset, flag mismatches, produce a reconciled dataset ready for statisticians, and document ETL rules used.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLIBM SPSS StatisticsWikipedia
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Make data available at appropriate quality and cost
+Compare current data supply costs and turnaround times across vendors, propose the minimum dataset and QC…
Make data available at appropriate quality and cost
+Compare current data supply costs and turnaround times across vendors, propose the minimum dataset and QC level that meets protocol needs at lowest cost, and produce an implementation plan to deliver that dataset reliably by quarter end.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ProjectWikipedia
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Participate in early discussions about data collection options
+Attend next protocol design meeting prepared with three data collection options for adverse events, list…
Participate in early discussions about data collection options
+Attend next protocol design meeting prepared with three data collection options for adverse events, list trade-offs in burden, data quality, and coding complexity, and recommend the option that meets safety reporting and monitoring needs.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
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Design case report forms (CRFs) for data collection
+Draft CRF modules for demographics, concomitant meds, and AE capture that enforce required fields, include…
Design case report forms (CRFs) for data collection
+Draft CRF modules for demographics, concomitant meds, and AE capture that enforce required fields, include coding prompts and units, and circulate the mock CRF to clinical leads for sign-off by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
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Monitor data quality throughout the trial
+Run weekly data quality checks comparing eCRF entries to source extracts, log completeness and discrepancy…
Monitor data quality throughout the trial
+Run weekly data quality checks comparing eCRF entries to source extracts, log completeness and discrepancy rates by site, escalate sites with persistent issues to the clinical monitor, and update the QA dashboard.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia
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Collaborate with study teams to resolve data discrepancies
+Review the data discrepancy log for Study 214, meet with Dr. Patel and the study coordinator at 10 AM…
Collaborate with study teams to resolve data discrepancies
+Review the data discrepancy log for Study 214, meet with Dr. Patel and the study coordinator at 10 AM Wednesday to walk each query, update the source data annotations, and mark resolved queries closed with evidence attached by end of day Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia
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Oversee the daily operations of information systems used in a medical institution
+Check system health reports for the clinical data environment, prioritise any failed nightly jobs, inform IT…
Oversee the daily operations of information systems used in a medical institution
+Check system health reports for the clinical data environment, prioritise any failed nightly jobs, inform IT and nursing leadership of outages with impact assessment, and schedule a patch window next Tuesday after confirming backups are successful.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft ExcelESCO
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Carry out research using their understanding of clinical practices
+Design the retrospective analysis of medication error rates using the last 12 months of coded clinical…
Carry out research using their understanding of clinical practices
+Design the retrospective analysis of medication error rates using the last 12 months of coded clinical records, define the variables and inclusion criteria, meet Infection Control for clinical input next Monday, and deliver a draft dataset description and analysis plan by the following Friday.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsESCO
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Prepare data sets for analysis
+Prepare the analysis-ready data sets from the locked case report forms and laboratory feeds: reconcile…
Prepare data sets for analysis
+Prepare the analysis-ready data sets from the locked case report forms and laboratory feeds: reconcile discrepant patient IDs, derive visit windows and baseline flags, apply coding dictionaries, create the final flat files and a data dictionary, then run the validation checks and save exports for the biostatistics team by Tuesday noon.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptionsO*NET
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Sort and organize clinical data
+Sort and organise the incoming clinical records and electronic feeds: standardise patient identifiers, split…
Sort and organize clinical data
+Sort and organise the incoming clinical records and electronic feeds: standardise patient identifiers, split datasets by study arm and visit, tag records with coding status, produce a master index and a change log, then hand the organised files to the trial programmer before end of day Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia
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Ensure regulatory compliance
+Ensure regulatory compliance for the study data by reviewing audit trails, confirming source-to-database…
Ensure regulatory compliance
+Ensure regulatory compliance for the study data by reviewing audit trails, confirming source-to-database traceability, checking that coding meets ICD standards, compiling required validation reports and preparing the regulatory binder entries for the monitor visit next Monday.
The tools that do the workMEDITECHjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Supervise the work of data management project staff.
+Supervise the data management project staff this week: assign reconciliation, coding and CRF entry tasks,…
Supervise the work of data management project staff.
+Supervise the data management project staff this week: assign reconciliation, coding and CRF entry tasks, review two closed queries per analyst, hold a 30-minute stand-up Tuesday to clear bottlenecks and produce a one-page status update for the project lead by Wednesday afternoon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Develop or select specific software programs for various research scenarios.
+Develop or select the data handling program for the next trial: list required functions—import CRF exports,…
Develop or select specific software programs for various research scenarios.
+Develop or select the data handling program for the next trial: list required functions—import CRF exports, map fields to CDISC standards, perform derivations and validation checks—compare three candidate solutions and recommend one with a cost/time rationale to the PI by Friday.
The tools that do the workC#O*NET
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Oversee data processing cycle
+Oversee the full data processing cycle for the active study: confirm inbound feeds, supervise cleaning and…
Oversee data processing cycle
+Oversee the full data processing cycle for the active study: confirm inbound feeds, supervise cleaning and query resolution, run nightly reconciliations, approve final exports, and prepare a post-cycle report summarising outstanding issues for the sponsor on Monday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptions
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses