Data Visualization Career Insights: Skills, Salaries and Growth

Data Visualization Career Insights: Skills, Salaries and Growth

12 mins read1.4K Views Comment
Rashmi
Rashmi Karan
Manager - Content
Updated on May 20, 2024 10:51 IST

Organizations of all sizes are dependent on data for making informed business decisions. Data visualization has emerged as a key to drawing valuable insights from data and contributing to business decision-making.  Companies are emphasizing more on using data visualization to communicate insights effectively and tell compelling stories to stakeholders. Considering the emerging demands of data visualization professionals, it can be a good idea to learn the concepts of data visualization by getting your hands dirty with some interesting data viz projects and online courses. If you are considering a career or looking for details about the data visualization career path, this blog can help.

2023_01_Career-in-Data-Visualization.jpg

Must Read – What is Data Visualization?

Table of Content

Explore – Data Visualization Courses

Factors Driving Growing Demand for Data Visualization

Data visualization accelerates the process of decision-making by offering a convenient representation of data for easier communication. Below are some of the crucial factors growing demands for data visualization.

Increasing need for interactive data representation in industries 

Data visualization enhances data presentation and makes it easy to comprehend. Various data visualization elements such as graphs, charts, tables, and tools are widely used to communicate data insights, which also helps in fast decision-making. Furthermore, cloud computing adds flexibility to managing and scaling high-volume data and deriving practical value from it. Hence, rising demand for quick decision-making and rapid adoption of cloud computing are key factors that can boost market revenue.

Captivating businesses need to maintain a competitive advantage

Data visualization is critical to businesses for developing new competitive strategies and decision-making. The benefits of visualizations are critical for survival in the marketplace. Dominant e-commerce portals have been managing massive volumes of operational data daily, regulating supply chains, and evaluating delivery plans. 

Similarly, service industries such as hospitality, airlines, car rentals, etc., can maximize revenue by building better business models because data visualizations allow companies to pre-emptively analyze competition, compare availability and pricing with capacity, design marketing campaigns, and design business strategies.

Availability of Huge Data Volume

With the growth of digital technology and the internet, organizations collect more data than ever. This has increased the need for tools and techniques to make sense of this data and extract insights.

Advancements in Technology

Developing new and more advanced data visualization tools and techniques has made it easier and more affordable for organizations to create and share visual representations of their data.

Communication of Data Insights

Data visualization allows the user to drill down and transform the data into many different visualizations. These features are also more intuitive than traditional methods, and users can quickly manipulate data into desired settings. With data visualization, organizations can easily communicate data insights to a wider audience, including management and non-technical stakeholders, enabling them to make better business decisions.

Understanding the Customer

Businesses use data visualization to better understand customers by identifying and analyzing their behaviour, preferences, and needs.

Explore these online degree programmes–

Online MBA Programmes

Online BTech Programmes

Online MSc Programmes

Online MTech Programmes

Recommended online courses

Best-suited Data Visualization courses for you

Learn Data Visualization with these high-rated online courses

Free
4 weeks
1 K
4 weeks
– / –
110 hours
1.2 L
2 years
– / –
4 weeks

Why Learn and Build Your Career in Data Visualization?

  • Better Employment Opportunities: Data has extensive scope across businesses. The availability of huge volumes of data has led to an increasing demand for professionals with good data visualizing skills.
  • Career Advancement: Pursuing a career in data visualization can lead to positions such as data visualization specialist, data scientist, business intelligence analyst, or data engineer.
  • High Salaries: Careers in data visualization often command high salaries due to their level of expertise and the value they bring to organizations. The average salary for a data visualization analyst in India ranges between Rs. 2.6 – 17.0 Lakh. The average annual salary is Rs. 6.0 Lakh.
  • Cross-functional Skill: Since data has become the key to business success, learning data visualization can be a good idea. Data visualization is applied across business functions like marketing, operations, and finance.

How to Start Your Career in Data Visualization?

Data visualization is not a career per se. Still, it is a highly desirable skill required in business, statistics, and data science to communicate raw and complex information in an easy-to-understand and intuitive way. Many professionals, such as data analysts and business intelligence analysts, use data visualization daily. 

Background

How to Start?

What can you become?

Engineering

  • Step 1 – Learn basic mathematics, statistics, and algebra. 
  • Step 2 – Learn programming languages like Scala, MATLAB, Python, R, Java, C#, etc.
  • Step 3 – Develop data manipulation and cleaning skills
  • Step 4 – Gain proficiency with Angular.js, d3.js, and the ability to utilize big data platforms such as (NoSQL systems)
  • Step 5 – Gain experience with front-end development, HTML5, ES6, TypeScript, JavaScript, and CSS.
  • Step 6 – Take any online data visualization course
  • Step 7 – Start as an intern or an entry-level data visualization analyst/specialist/engineer position
  • Data Visualization Specialist
  • Data Visualization Engineer
  • Data Visualization Analyst
  • Data Visualization Developer

Finance

  • Step 1 – Learn the concepts of data visualization
  • Step 2 – Take a data analysis and statistics course to sharpen your data analysis and financial reporting skills.
  • Step 3 – Work on your coding skills. Learn about statistical packages like R, Python, MATLAB, & SAS for data analysis.
  • Step 4 – Look for internships or entry-level financial data analysis or risk management positions.
  • Financial Data Analyst
  • Risk Analyst
  • Business Intelligence Analyst

Marketing

  • Step 1 – Learn to use data visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Excel, etc.
  • Step 2 – Gain advanced knowledge of digital marketing, brand marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, etc.
  • Step 3 - Acquaint yourself with analyzing data from Google Analytics, Google Seach Console, and other web tracking tools.
  • Step 4 – Enhance your design and presentation skills to communicate data insights effectively.
  • Step 5 – Build a portfolio of your work. Focus on industry-specific data visualization projects to showcase your skills.
  • Step 6 – Consider taking courses or certifications in marketing analytics and data visualization.
  • Step 7 – Take up an internship or an entry-level job with a marketing agency or a company specializing in internet marketing.
  • Marketing Data Analyst
  • Customer Insights Analyst
  • Business Systems Analyst
  • Data Visualization Designer
  • Marketing Research and Data Visualization Manager

Content 

  • Step 1 – Learn to use data visualization tools like MS Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, QlikView, and D3.js to get hands-on experience creating visualizations.
  • Step 2 – Learn the fundamentals of data analysis and statistics to create meaningful visualizations.
  • Step 3 – Create a portfolio of your data visualization projects to showcase your skills and knowledge.
  • Step 4 – Collaborate with data analysts and data scientists to understand complex data sets and create effective visualizations.
  • Data Journalist
  • Infographic Designer
  • Data Visualization Specialist
  • Data Storyteller
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Digital Content Strategist

Technical Skills Required to Build a Career in Data Visualization

Technical Skill

Description

Programming Languages

Machine Learning

Database Management 

  • Naming columns in a database
  • Quickly searching a database like Google Spreadsheets, Google Fusion Tables, Salesforce, etc.
  • Joining tables
  • Running statistical tests 
  • Importing data into dashboards
  • Knowledge of SQL, NoSQL, Big Data

Basic Visual Design
Skills

  • Typography  
  • Font selection  
  • Knowledge of RGB and CMYK 
  • Image/photo editing skills
  • Experience in sourcing stock footage (images and videos)
  • Expertise in working with a component library

Data Visualization Collaboration
Tools & Frameworks 

  • Git
  • Jupyter  
  • Tableau
  • Google Charts
  • Grafana
  • Chartist
  • FusionCharts
  • Datawrapper
  • Infogram
  • ChartBlocks
  • Dundas BI
  • Zoho Reports
  • Visual.ly
  • Sisense
  • IBM Watson
  • Plotly
  • TensorFlow
  • Keras
  • PyTorch
  • Scikit-learn

Data Storytelling Collaboration
Tools

  • Juicebox
  • Toucan Toco
  • Flow Immersive
  • Nugit
  • Flourish
  • RAWGraphs 
  • ArcGis StoryMaps
  • Observable
  • Qlik Sense Stories
  • Visme
  • Piktochart

Non-Technical Skills required in Data Visualization 

Non-technical Skill

Description

Communication

Ability to effectively present and explain data insights and results to business leaders and stakeholders.

Presentation

Create visually appealing and effective data visualizations to engage and inform audiences.

Critical thinking

Ability to analyze and interpret data, identify patterns, and make informed decisions based on data insights.

Business Acumen

Knowledge of the business and being able to think strategically.

Creativity

Devise innovative data visualization and storytelling approaches to communicate complex information engagingly.

Problem-solving

Ability to identify and resolve data collection, analysis, and presentation issues.

Attention to detail

Focus on accuracy and consistency in data representation and presentation.

Time management

Ability to prioritize tasks and meet project deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.

Collaboration

Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including data analysts, business stakeholders, and technical teams.

Business acumen

Understanding of business goals, strategies, and KPIs and Ability to align data visualization efforts with business objectives.

Adaptability

Ability to learn and apply new data visualization techniques and tools quickly in response to changing business needs and technologies.

Interpersonal skills

Ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and effectively communicate data insights and recommendations.

Data Visualization Career Path – Roles and Responsibilities

Below is the data visualization career path to help you understand how to get into this field.

Career Path

Experience

Job Description

Data Visualization Designer

1-3 years

  • Create informative and intuitive data visualizations to communicate insights and support decision-making.

Data Visualization Analyst

3-5 years

  • Transform, improve, and integrate data as per the business requirements. 
  • Combine data sets across multiple sources and create visualizations to address business problems.

Data Specialist

4-5 years

  • Responsible for converting data into digital formats for further development into data visualizations.

Business Intelligence Analyst

4+ years

  • Design and implement data visualization dashboards to offer real-time insights. 
  • Collaborate with senior stakeholders to identify and build high-impact analytics solutions.

Data Visualization Engineer

5-7 years

  • Design and develop user-friendly data visualizations and dashboards.
  • Implement best data visualization practices to ensure dashboard design consistency.
  • Design, write and test analytics platform code.
  • Debug applications and find and fix bugs.

Data Visualization Manager

10+ years

  • Lead a team of data visualization analysts, specialists, developers and engineers.
  • Supervise designing, implementing, and maintaining data visualization solutions.

Must Read – What is Data Science?

Data Visualization – Top Salaries

Job Role

Salary 

Data Visualization Analyst

Rs. 2.6 – 17.0 Lakh

Business Intelligence Analyst

Rs. 3.2 – 16.0 Lakh

Data Specialist

Rs. 2.2 – 23.0 Lakh

Data Visualization Engineer

Rs. 4.4 – 23.4 Lakh

Senior Analyst-Data Visualization

Rs. 5.4 – 23.6 Lakh

Data Visualization Manager

Rs. 5.50 -31.25 Lakh  

Salary Source – Ambitionbox

Data Visualization Career in Different Industries

Industry

Future Scope of Data Visualization

Examples

Technology & IT

  • Integration of data visualization with AI and machine learning to create more interactive and dynamic visual representations.
  • Integration of VR and AR with data visualization for more immersive experiences
  • Increasing popularity of cloud-based data visualization tools for increased access and collaboration
  • Google Maps traffic data
  • Predictive maintenance systems for IoT devices

E-commerce and Retail

  • Identify trends in historical sales data
  • Automated customer service
  • Get quick insights and understand the consumers’ behaviour
  • Analyze competition
  • Personalized product recommendations
  • Dynamic pricing of products based on real-time demand
  • Supply chain optimization using predictive analytics.

Healthcare

  • Represent medication efficacy in patients 
  • Analyze the relationship between risk factors and outcomes
  • Visualize the geographic distribution of diseases or healthcare access
  • Identifying high-risk areas for certain diseases
  • Heat mapping the spread of COVID-19.
  • 3D mapping of population density
  • Predictive modelling for disease diagnosis and treatment
  • Drug discovery using machine learning 

Finance and Banking

  • Identify market trends or high-performing stocks
  • Analyze the relationship between economic indicators and financial performance
  • Visualize global market trends
  • Advanced fraud detection systems
  • Automated investment advice using machine learning
  • Personalized financial advice based on customer data.

Manufacturing and Automobile

  • Show production output or efficiency 
  • Analyze the relationship between process parameters and product quality
  • Visualize supply chain networks or logistics routes
  • Compare the impact of various factors on production output and costs
  • Predictive maintenance for machinery
  • Optimization of logistics and supply chain
  • Fuel-efficient and best-performing automobiles with active steering, anti-lock braking system, adaptive cruise control, GPS, radars, and lasers.

Future Scope of Data Visualization Career in India

Data visualization helps extract a meaningful report from the diverse and growing volumes of business data. Many users believe that using big data through data visualization helps to make better decisions. With the increasing demand for data-driven insights, there are ample opportunities for growth and advancement in data visualization. Data visualization rapidly evolves with new tools and technologies, offering new career paths and growth opportunities.

Data visualization can enhance the value of information by representing it in a format that is easiest to comprehend. According to Fortune Business Insights, the valuation of global data visualization was $9.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $22.13 billion by 2030, marking a growth at a CAGR of 11.5%. 

From prescriptive crop planning in agriculture to data-driven financial planning and wealth management in finance, from autonomous vehicles to patient tracking, industry-specific data visualization applications enable businesses and consumers to make informed decisions. We hope this article on Data Visualization Career Path was helpful.

FAQs

What skills are required for a career in data visualization?

A career in data visualization requires combining technical and artistic skills. Proficiency in data analysis, statistics, programming languages like Python or R, and data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI are essential. Additionally, knowledge of design principles and an eye for aesthetics are valuable.

What roles can I pursue in data visualization?

Data visualization has various roles, such as data analyst, data visualization specialist, business intelligence analyst, data scientist, UX/UI designer, and information designer. Each role focuses on different aspects of data visualization and may require specific skills.

How can I start a career in data visualization?

To start a career in data visualization, gaining a strong foundation in data analysis and visualization techniques is recommended. Acquiring relevant skills through online courses, certifications, or a degree in data visualization or a related field can help kickstart your career.

What industries value data visualization skills?

Data visualization skills are highly valued in various industries, including finance, healthcare, marketing, e-commerce, government, and journalism. These industries use effective data communication to drive insights, make informed decisions, and improve business performance.

What are the popular tools and software used in data visualization?

Some popular tools and software used in data visualization include Tableau, Power BI, Python libraries like Matplotlib and Seaborn, R programming language with ggplot2, D3.js for web-based visualizations, and Adobe Illustrator for design enhancements.

What are the key principles of effective data visualization?

Effective data visualization relies on principles such as simplicity, clarity, accuracy, consistency, and relevance. It involves choosing the right visual representation, organizing and labeling data appropriately, and designing visually appealing and informative graphics.

About the Author
author-image
Rashmi Karan
Manager - Content

Rashmi is a postgraduate in Biotechnology with a flair for research-oriented work and has an experience of over 13 years in content creation and social media handling. She has a diversified writing portfolio and aim... Read Full Bio