Data Science vs business analytics which is a better career option?

To know which is better between data science and business analytics, you first have to understand them. I know it sounds corny but the reason I’m saying it is because they are similar in so many ways. The principles in both of these subject courses are similar, they have many similar electives plus even the average median salaries of graduates from both degrees are close together.

See, what I want you to understand is how data science differs and does it suit your interests or not? The same goes for business analytics. So to start know that both of these subjects are related to study of data. The major difference is on what ground it is done and for what it is for?

Data science basically uses algorithms, techniques and statistics to analyze data. The task here can be anything like analytics, sampling, finding insights etc. But data science is more of a concept than a degree program. Because there are many specializations under data science like data analytics, business intelligence, data engineering and many more. With a data science degree, you are open to pursuing a very range of professions.

Business analytics on the other hand is a subset of data science. In other words, a niche under data science that you can master. Compared to data science, here you don’t require coding skills. Generally in business analytics, data is studied to maximize the efficiency of the organization. The goal here is not to use it for any other matter but for the organization's benefit.

If you are not so aware of your goals and still figuring out what to pursue, I would suggest data science. In case you are well informed and ready to make a career in analytics, business analytics is a good choice. Keep in mind that here you have to be well familiar with business and marketing techniques. The average salaries of graduates from both of these degrees is around 55-70 lakhs annually based on the university.

Now it's up to you to decide which one you prefer. There are more than enough career options in both data science and business analytics. Coming days we keep hearing how thousands of jobs are projected to grow in the data niche. You are all set there. Just make a decision based on your interests and career goals. If you need any more information to make a decision, let me know.