UX Researchers vs Data Scientists
Median pay is about $4k higher for Data Scientists. The usual entry education is bachelor's for UX Researchers and bachelor's or Master's for Data Scientists.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | UX Researchers | Data Scientists |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $116,580 | $120,230, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $79,370 | $85,660, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $157,500 | $158,880, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.1% Growing fast | +35% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 27,000 | 24,800 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Bachelor's | Bachelor's or Master's |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Very high | Very high |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 100th pct | 97th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only UX Researchers
- Monitoring
Only Data Scientists
- Active Learning
Both lean on reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, writing, speaking.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.