INSCMagazine: Get Social!

By Joao Pedro De Sousa

Big data analytics is the next frontier of new technologies and it is easy to see a future where analytics will be ubiquitous and essential to almost every industry. What’s even more compelling about this field is that most of the data available still hasn’t been mined yet, and there is a huge shortage of skilled professionals to analyze it. This is one of the reasons the field of analytics is boiling hot right now with more and more students considering analytics as a career choice.

But is a degree in science analytics really worth it? In this article, we’re going to explore five reasons every student should consider getting a degree in analytics.

1. Increasing Demand

According to Jeanne Harris of the Accenture Institute for High Performance, “data is useless” if there are no skilled professionals to analyze it. The number of jobs in the analytics sector keep soaring and many IT professionals have considered entering the field because of the promising job prospects.

2. Great Salaries

Skilled data scientists make between $90,000 and $125,000 per year on average. This definitely surpasses salaries in fields such as IT, marketing, sales and finance. According to Payscale, people who hold a master’s in big data analytics make between $64,786 and $154,603 on average, which is way above the national average, even in STEM related fields.

3. Work-Life Balance

Contrarily to what many people may think, a career in analytics is far from stressful. As a matter of fact, according to Glassdoor, the job of data scientist was considered to have the best work-life balance out of all jobs in their data bank. Data science jobs are usually non-invasive and won’t require that you work too many extra hours. Most analytics projects can last between 1 to 6 months, giving workers plenty of flexibility to organize their schedule.

4. Versatility

One of the best aspects of holding a degree in analytics is that you can work across many sectors. And what’s even better is that tons of institutions are accepting students who obtained their MSA degree online, provided that the online MSA degree is accredited. You could work in finance one day, and analyze data for a dating site the next. This exponentially expands the number of job opportunities available to analytics students. You also have the chance to work on independent contracts and work your own hours.

5. More Businesses are Implementing Big Data Solutions

There is no denying that big data will continue to take an increasingly larger place in our lives, and there is nobody more conscious of this fact than new businesses. Startups understand the importance of data, and this is especially true when it comes to tech related companies. This opens a whole new set of possibilities to analytics students and is one of the reasons why jobs prospects are so amazing at the moment.

If there’s one thing we can say with certainty, is that the world of big data will continue to grow in the next few years, giving data analytics students a leg up on the competition. If you’re looking for a low competition field with tons of jobs prospects and above average pay, then you should definitely consider pursuing a degree in analytics.