Data Visualization Careers

Before you can visualize data, you need to be able to successfully manage it. By utilizing Structured Query Language (SQL), data visualization professionals can organize and store data they intend to work with. The ability to relate multiple databases and understand SQL best practices is important when working with data.

As a data visualization professional, the ability to find trends and connections in datasets is of immense value. By analyzing and locating patterns in data, you can make business-related suggestions and help create business strategies.

As with most careers, the ability to communicate in a clear and concise way is key in data visualization. Being able to verbally communicate your reasoning behind design choices and methodology to your clients and within your team helps ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the goals and processes.

By creating compelling visuals from complex datasets, data visualization professionals help clients and companies easily understand data that is important to their business goals. Graphic design coursework can give students an understanding of the principles of visual design, preparing them to create clear and eye-catching graphics that tell intricate stories.

A data visualization education not only prepares students to analyze data and create graphic representations, it also equips them with the tools needed to successfully manage multiple projects from start to finish. Students interested in pursuing managerial roles should consider taking other business administration courses in conjunction with their data visualization classes to better build upon their project management expertise.

Since federal agencies often utilize data-driven tools and visuals in important projects, data visualization professionals can find roles in a variety of departments. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may employ a data visualization professional to create graphics that visually convey climate change data in an easy-to-understand way.

A popular area of employment for data visualization professionals and other data scientists, computer system design industries need these professionals on their teams to ensure data is understood and represented correctly. Data professionals can often find work with large tech companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and beyond.

Joining a research or development team may appeal to data visualization professionals who enjoy being deep in the data trenches. Working side-by-side with other data scientists, professionals in this industry can use their ability to convert datasets into visual representations to help disseminate information to broad audiences.

Data visualization professionals who feel a calling to the classroom can build their career around teaching aspiring data scientists the tricks of the trade. Professors give lectures, grade assignments, and help students create their own graphics to share complex data and ideas.

Software publishers need data visualization professionals on staff to aid in designing operating systems and other software. Data professionals working in this industry can put their expertise to use by organizing user data, analyzing user satisfaction, and suggesting improvements to existing operating systems and software.

The Data Visualization Society: The first organization to create a community for professional development in the field, DVS established guidelines to support individuals who want to pursue careers in data visualization. The society’s aim is to foster community engagement and provide data visualization professionals a place to network and grow as the field expands. Membership is currently free, and students interested in data visualization careers should consider joining.

Digital Analytics Association: As data and software communities continue to grow and evolve, DAA works to support and advocate for the needs of working analytics professionals, as well as those interested in joining the profession. For students pursuing data visualization careers, becoming a member of DAA can provide opportunities to meet future employers and connect with other data and analytics professionals.

The Data Science Association: The DSA’s mission is centered around the idea that data science should shape a better future for all people — not just the powerful. In addition to setting ethical standards and promoting diversity, the DSA provides free professional advancement services for its members. Students interested in careers in data visualization can benefit from the nonprofit’s networking and professional events and services.

Data Visualization for All – Trinity College: Through this introductory course, students explore the basics of developing and designing interactive maps, charts, and other graphics for websites and other platforms. They start with simple tools and then gradually move toward using source code templates available through GitHub. The course does not require any previous data visualization experience.

The Analytics Edge – Massachusetts Institute of Technology: In this course, students explore real-world examples of how analytics can improve businesses, organizations, and even entire industries. Coursework covers key concepts like data clustering, data optimization, linear and logical regressions, data trees, and text analytics. Students use the statistical software R to create models and analyze data.

Data Analysis in Social Sciences — Assessing Your Knowledge – Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Students in this course gain familiarity with the foundational concepts of statistics and probability, including randomized control trials, estimation, prediction, machine learning, regression, econometrics, and experimental design. The class combines research with practical examples of these concepts in action. Throughout the course, students work with the statistical package R.

Python for Everybody – University of Michigan: Leveraging the Python programming language, this course introduces students to core programming concepts like databases, data structures, and networked application program interfaces. Students work on a capstone project to demonstrate their understanding of the technologies and techniques they learned in the course. They develop their own applications for data processing, analyzation, and visualization.

Visual Informatics: This peer-reviewed online journal focuses on the algorithms, theories, and technologies that drive innovation and practice in the fields of data analysis, acquisition, enhancement, application, and visualization. Articles typically cover topics related to data acquisition and modeling, expressing rendering, visual analysis, and augmented reality.

Information Visualization: This peer-reviewed international academic journal publishes articles on applications and research related to information and data visualization. It also serves as a forum for the evaluation techniques, methodologies, and theories behind information visualization and its applications.

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics: This scholarly journal is published monthly. Its editorial board emphasizes the publication of papers that offer important research discoveries related to computer graphics, virtual reality, and data visualization. Specific subjects regularly featured include virtual and augmented reality, information and scientific visualization, human-computer interactions, and visual analytics.

“The Functional Art” by Alberto Cairo: This popular book in the data visualization field serves as a useful introductory text for students and entry-level professionals. It details the various ways that data and facts can be communicated through diagrams, charts, maps, and graphs. The book also comes with a DVD featuring more than an hour of informative video lectures.

“Knowledge is Beautiful” by David McCandless: In this book, the author leverages attractive and attention-grabbing visuals to reveal insights into how people can gain a better understanding of the world around them. McCandless also writes for the popular blog “Information is Beautiful,” and the book incorporates some of his thoughts on politics and history, literature, and science. He approaches all these issues from a data visualization perspective.

Careers in data visualization may appeal to people who are meticulous and have strong communication skills. These positions come with solid pay for entry-level positions and the potential to earn higher salaries with experience.

Common options for careers with a data visualization degree include serving as a data visualization specialist, data scientist, business intelligence analyst, or data engineer. The more you learn about data and how to best present it, the more opportunities you will have to expand your career options and move into managerial roles.

Although you may qualify for some entry-level roles with an associate degree, a bachelor’s unlocks many more career opportunities. You can also seek a master’s or doctoral degree to qualify for managerial positions. Regularly learning about new tools and software can also give you a leg up while pursuing an advanced career in data visualization.

While most data visualization careers pay well, positions like data scientist, data engineer, and senior data analyst tend to bring in the highest salaries.