Data Scientist Salary in India

Introdcution

"The sexiest job of the 21st century", "hottest job of the decade", "top tech job", etc., are just some of the many popular catchphrases for Data Science. After all, it is a fact that the volume and relevance of data for practically every industry in the world will only increase in the future. And where there is data, there is data science.

Thus, it is not uncommon to see hordes of tech graduates and working professionals gravitate toward the various opportunities and prospects a career in data science promises. And why not?

Competitive pay, an abundance of demand, immense room for growth, and a chance to work with the latest technologies are only a few of the several benefits that a career in data science brings.

And since you are reading this article, we bet you are even eyeing a data scientist role at a prestigious firm. However, like other jobs, the data scientist's salary is a prime factor of consideration for a job seeker, right?

That's why we have put together this article to brief you about the data scientist salary, with our geographical scope limited to India (for obvious reasons).

So, here you go, all you need to know about the data scientist salary in India with some additional info on the skills you need to become a data scientist.

Data Scientist Salary in India

For several years, the Indian IT industry has maintained the reputable designation of the world’s IT powerhouse. Every year, the country produces talented techies that empower global and domestic tech landscapes with hard work.

And today, Indian IT professionals are dipping their hands deep in almost every emerging technology and job field, among which data science holds a prominent position.

In other words, India is a fertile ground for data scientists in terms of demand, allowance and scope.

A quick search on LinkedIn with the keyword “data scientist” will present you with over 1 lakh (a hundred thousand) job postings, which is a lot we tell you.

Talking about allowance, the average data scientist salary in India hovers around the INR 11L per annum mark, with the ceiling amount being INR 27L pa.

And along with the salary, most companies also offer additional performance bonuses starting from INR 73 k and going up to INR 4L, with INR 2L being the average bonus amount.

So, if you are planning to score a gig as a data scientist in India, these are the salary numbers you can expect.

Data Scientist Salary in India’s Top Tech Cities

If we look at it objectively, the national average can sometimes be too vague for our purpose.

So, to offer you a more accurate outlook of the salaries of data scientists in India, we have also curated a list of the data scientist salaries in India’s top tech cities.

Data Scientist Salary Banglore

Bangalore is India’s leading tech city and a haven for tech giants such as Google, IBM, Oracle, etc. It is also a city with an abundance of IT parks to provide a dedicated environment for tech companies and their employees to work.

For a data scientist, Bangalore is a promising city, offering superb job opportunities. The average data scientist salary in Bangalore is INR 13L pa, going up to INR 29L for professionals with adequate experience. The additional bonuses offered range from INR 85K to INR 5L.

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Data scientist salary Mumbai

Mumbai holds historical significance for India’s IT industry as the first IT firm in India —Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) — was established here in 1968.

Today, the IT landscape in Mumbai has only grown, with several global and Indian heavyweights as well as startups choosing it as their preferred location.

For data scientists, Mumbai is an opportune city, offering average salary packages averaging INR 12L per annum which can go upto INR 22L with experience and seniority. The additional bonuses start from INR 50k and can go up to INR 3.98L.

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Data scientist salary Chennai

Chennai is another foremost Indian tech city that has played a significant role in putting Tamil Nadu on India’s map of prominent IT hubs.

Home to some of the most valuable Indian startups, including Zoho and FreshWorks, and a strategic choice for companies such as Amazon and Walmart Global Tech, Chennai is an abode for IT professionals looking to make it big.

For data scientists, Chennai is again a prime location, with companies here offering INR 10 L per annum as the average data science salary package. And this number can easily go up to INR 21L for the deserving.

Coming to the bonuses, data scientists in Chennai take home anywhere from INR 61k to INR 3.11 L as additional remuneration.

Data scientist salary Pune

Along with being home to several automobile firms, Pune also houses offices and headquarters of several Indian and international tech firms, such as IBM, TCS, NVIDIA, etc.

Hence, data scientists will find ample opportunities in this city along with attractive pay packages.

Companies in Pune offer on an average INR 10.5L per annum to data scientists which can go upto INR 18L per annum, with bonuses ranging from INR 49.9 k to INR 3.64L.

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Data scientist salary Kolkata

Kolkata has a well-established IT landscape with companies like Cognizant, IBM and TCS, as well as a great startup culture.

Thus, safe to say data scientists can land some pretty sweet roles at tech firms in Kolkata. And in return, they can earn an average salary of INR 8L per annumreaching upto INR 18L per annum as you progress in the your career. Additional bonuses in Kolkata go from INR 10.7k to INR 3.38L.

Data scientist salary Hyderabad

The last city on this list, Hyderabad, is easily one of the top rankers among all tech cities in India. Boasting an exclusive tech township that goes by the name of HITEC City, Hyderabad sports offices of several MNCs and Indian tech giants as well as startups, including Microsoft, Amazon, TCS, Cognizant, Wipro, Cyient, etc.

Thus, data scientists seeking job prospects in Hyderabad can find a good number of data science job openings with good pay.

On average, data scientists in Hyderabad can earn a salary of INR 10L per annum reaching upto INR 30L per annum on upper heirarchy levels, with additional benefits hovering between INR 1.06 L to INR 4.51L.

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Data Science Salaries Based on Industry Experience

Now that we have a good idea of how salaries vary according to geography in India, it is time to move on to the next salary factor for data scientists — industry experience.

It is a fact that experience is a significant driver behind salary increments, especially in the corporate sector. And with data science being one of the most popular job fields and a challenging profession, industry experience is a significant deciding factor behind pay raises, sometimes even overriding prestigious educational qualifications like a PhD.

So let us look at how experience dictates a data scientist's salary in India.

Data Scientist Salary in India For Freshers

If you're fresh out of college, just completed an extensive data science course, have done a few data science internships or are planning to change job fields, you know it's finally time to get the job you've always wanted — a data scientist.

Now, data science is a relatively well-paying field (as we have seen above). However, as an entry-level data scientist, your pay will be typically somewhat lower than the national average.

In India, data science freshers (less than or equal to a year of experience) get paid INR 5.7 L per annum. The bonus amount for data science freshers ranges from INR 8k to INR 2L.

Once you spend 1-4 years as a data scientist, you will climb up the career ladder and earn the designation of “early-career” data scientist. And your pay, too, will go up, placing itself at the INR 8.06L per annum mark.

Data Scientist Salary For Mid-Career Data Scientists

So, it's been a good number of years since you took a dive into the data science industry. Now, you are well-versed in the data science fundamentals and have a solid groundwork to base your professional work upon.

In short, you possess a set of data science skills that most companies covet, and they will readily pay you an adequate remuneration for the same.

A mid-career data scientist can earn around INR 14.38L per annum, with a bonus anywhere between INR 50k and INR 4.16L.

Data Scientist Salary For Late-Career Data Scientists

Late-career data scientists (i.e. data scientists who switch to a data science career after having a prolific experience in any other field) are probably the most knowledgeable and proficient players in any industry. And having them at a company can prove highly beneficial to its data science infrastructure.

As such, their pay is on the brighter side of life, with a late-career data scientist earning INR 24L per annum on an average in India.

And the bonuses are also generous, starting at INR 52k and going up to INR 5.1L.

Salaries for Various Data Science Job Titles

Data science is an expansive domain comprising a myriad of job roles and responsibilities. And while we use "data scientist" as an umbrella term for all these job roles for simplicity, each of them carries an appropriate title according to their specialisation and, you guessed it, a salary package.

So, let us look at the salaries different data science job titles earn in India.

Industry-wise Salaries for Data Scientists

Although we primarily associate data science with the IT industry, data science is a vast concept, finding applications in virtually every industry on this planet.

From manufacturing to education, aviation to the maritime industry, e-commerce to retail, etc., data science implementations are far and wide. And data scientists are working in various capacities in every industry to empower it with the power of data. And they are paid pretty well to do it, too.

Let us look at some of the prominent industries harvesting the benefits of data science and how much they are paying data scientists for their work.

Company-wise Salaries for Data Scientists

All companies can leverage data science in some or the other way. But, some distinguished companies deal with data more than others. And they require a many data science professionals for their purpose.

So, let us shift our focus to leading firms in India that employ a good number of data scientists and the salary packages they offer.

Top Skills Required to Become a Data Scientist

Now that we have listed all the “types” of salaries data scientists can earn in India, let’s look at the skills you need to pocket such salaries (in no particular order).

1. Mathematics and Statistics

   Mathematics and statistics are two areas of study that are pivotal to data science. These two disciplines form the foundation of every data science method (since data science is a collection of scientific methods).

   For instance, calculus and linear algebra are two mathematical concepts used in data science algorithms, while statistics finds usage in the data analysis.

2. Computer Programming Fundamentals

   Programming is an essential data science skill that data scientists use to translate mathematical algorithms into practical software programs for their implementation.

   To become a data scientist, one needs to know Python (a personal favourite of data scientists and a highly in-demand programming language), R (another programming language used for statistical computing), SAS (same purpose as R), and software engineering principles.

3. Machine Learning

   Machine Learning is slowly becoming a must-know skill at many firms, and data scientists are expected to have at least fundamental familiarity with machine learning and its concepts.

   After all, Machine Learning makes the design and implementation of many data science algorithms possible.

4. Data Wrangling

   Before extracting valuable details from loads of data, data scientists need to collect and process data — transform raw data into an understandable format by cleaning and organising it. And this is where data-wrangling comes into the picture.

   Thus, data wrangling is an important skill to know for data scientists.

5. Data Visualisation

   In simple terms, data visualisation is the process of visual demonstration of the insights extracted from data using graphs.

   Hence, data scientists need a sound knowledge of data visualisation techniques and tools.

6. SQL

   Data is at the core of every data science process. Hence, its storage and retrieval are two essential operations every data scientist needs to carry out in variable capacity.

   And since data is stored in massive and complex databases, SQL — the language used to operate on databases — is a must-know for all data scientists.

7. Analytics and Analytical Tools

   Analytics is a crucial data science skill that forms the basis of examining data and distilling usable information out of it.

   Thus, apart from the theory behind analytics, data scientists also need a good knowledge of the various tools such as Zoho Analytics, Apache Spark, etc.

Skills That Affect Data Scientist Salaries

Apart from the core skills discussed above, there is a host of additional data science skills that, although not mandatory currently, will gain relevance in the future.

However, when we talk about data science salaries, these bonus skills can make a significant difference in a data scientist's pay even today.

So let's look at what these data science skills are.

1. A solid understanding of Big Data, with industry experience as a bonus
2. A strong grip on (and work experience with) the concepts involved in Deep Learning — neural networks, data structures, algorithms such as decision trees, regression, etc
3. Proficience in aspects of Artificial Intelligence slightly outside of the domain of data science (for a broader perspective)
4. A penchant for learning as a relentless exercise
5. Excellent communication and presentation skills
6. Creative thinking
7. Adaptability to a myriad of professional and technical circumstances

Other important skills include deployment of data science models and productionizing them.

Data Scientist Salary Deciding Factors

So far, we have discussed everything to know about working and earning as a data scientist in India (albeit briefly). But, a few factors can still affect a data scientist’s salary regardless of how passionate you are about this field.

1. Educational Qualifications such as a Masters and a PhD
2. Data science certifications offered by AWS, MIT, IBM, etc.,
3. Work experience (of course)
4. Stints in reputable companies
5. Knowledge of future technologies
6. Excellent business acumen

Additional Resources

1. Data Scientist Interview Questions