Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers are Data Science professionals with different skillset and responsibilities. So, if you are confused about how a Data Scientist differs from a Machine Learning Engineer, this article is for you. In this article, I will introduce the difference between a Data Scientist and a Machine Learning Engineer based on role and responsibilities, skillset, education, and salary.
Difference Between a Data Scientist and a Machine Learning Engineer
A Data Scientist is a Data Science professional who works with data to solve business problems with the data generated by the business. And a Machine Learning Engineer is a Data Science professional who uses data and algorithms to build intelligent systems.
Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers are different but not completely. As in some companies, there is only one data professional responsible for all the roles you will find in a Data Science team.
So below is how we can differentiate a Data Scientist and a Machine Learning Engineer based on their role, skillset, education, and salary.
So this is how Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers are different. I hope it will help you decide which career is better for you according to your skillset, education, and expected income.
| Data Scientist | Machine Learning Engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Role and Responsibilities | Working closely with the data team and management. Analysing the business environment and identifying growth opportunities. Creating Reports and Dashboards. Applying the latest data science techniques and ensuring data quality. | Research, design, and develop machine learning models. Finding the most relevant features to build machine learning models. Testing the performance of machine learning models and improving their performance. Retraining and maintaining machine learning models. |
| Skills Required | Data Analysis, SQL, Python/R, Tableau/Power BI,  Advanced Excel, Statistics, Data Visualization and Reporting, Storytelling, Business Intelligence, and Machine Learning algorithms. | Python, Data Mining, Machine Learning and Deep Learning Algorithms, mathematics, data modelling, Probability and Statistics, and the Google Cloud AI platform. |
| Preferred Educational Background | Computer Science, Management, Business, or Statistics | Computer Science, Engineering, or Statistics. |
| Salary as a Fresher | Average Salary in the US: $92,000 /yr Average Salary in India: ₹5,66,000 /yr | Average Salary in the US: $1,15,000 /yr Average Salary in India: ₹5,00,000 /yr |
| Salary as an Experienced Professional | Average Salary in the US: $1,05,000 /yr Average Salary in India: ₹8,50,000 /yr | Average Salary in the US: $1,32,000 /yr Average Salary in India: ₹7,20,000 /yr |
Summary
Data Scientists are Data Science professionals who work with data to solve business problems with the data generated by the business. And Machine Learning Engineers are Data Science professionals who use data and algorithms to build intelligent systems. I hope you liked this article on the difference between Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers. Feel free to ask valuable questions in the comments section below.
