Career comparison
Computer Systems Analyst vs. Data Scientist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Data scientists earn more at the median ($120,230 vs. $105,850), while computer systems analysts usually get to work faster (4 years of training). Computer systems analysts bridge business needs and technology by designing better computer systems. Data scientists turn data into insights and predictions that guide decisions.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Computer Systems Analyst | Data Scientist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $105,850 ($50.89/hr) | $120,230 ($57.80/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $67,340 – $167,710 | $67,240 – $199,130 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +7.9% (much faster than average) | +34.6% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 32,900 | 24,800 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years | 4–6 years |
| Key credential | Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) | Google Advanced Data Analytics Certificate |
| Work setting | Analysts work in offices or remotely, meeting with business teams and IT staff. | Data scientists work in offices or remotely at computers, collaborating with engineers, analysts and business teams.. |
What each job does
Computer Systems Analyst
- Interview users and gather requirements
- Map current and future processes
- Analyze system problems and options
- Write specifications and user stories
- Work with developers and vendors
Data Scientist
- Gather and clean data from many sources
- Explore data with statistics and visualizations
- Build predictive and machine learning models
- Design and analyze experiments
- Deploy and monitor models
How they’re similar
Both careers involve desk work, working with information, problem-solving, and remote-friendly work. Both are part of the technology field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose computer systems analyst if…
- I like understanding how things work
- I enjoy talking with people about their problems
- I like organizing complex information
Choose data scientist if…
- I love working with numbers and data
- I enjoy statistics and coding
- I like finding patterns
Still torn? Take the Computer Systems Analyst fit quiz and the Data Scientist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, computer systems analyst or data scientist?
Data Scientists earn more at the median: $120,230 versus $105,850 for computer systems analysts, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Computer Systems Analysts typically train faster (4 years) than data scientists (4–6 years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects data scientists to grow +34.6% from 2025–35, compared with +7.9% for computer systems analysts.