[threeseed]

I only know a few hundred Data Scientists and (a) you don't need a PhD and (b) they do quite a bit of coding. But I suppose if you work in a more research capacity that might be flipped.

And personally I would be wary of any company that insists on a PhD since it's a clear sign to me that they are clueless. Since great Data Scientists are those with strong EQ and communication skills not those they know the most algorithms.

[bane]

Concur. I know several dozen Data Scientists with and w/o PhDs, at a wide range of skill levels. In general the better DSs I know, the ones who can deliver useful solutions in meaningful timeframes, are the ones who chose not to pursue the PhD, but have attained an MS in some engineering field and have a desire to learn the technical ropes that feed into their field and that their field feeds.

[eanthy]

No idea where you are but I almost never see DS jobs which don't require PhD at least for proper companies.