[bitL]

Ugh, it's like we are living on a different planet. SW engs seem to be now commoditized, all the money and hiring is in the ML space. It's fairly straightforward to get a 2x rate as a ML eng compared to one would get as a fullstack SW eng.

[bckr]

Note that you mentioned ML eng, while the parent mentioned data scientist.

[chrisbaker98]

How does one switch careers from SW eng to ML eng?

[bitL]

Either use your network or become an expert with some proof-of-skill. Or rely on luck.

[chrisbaker98]

Can anyone give me some advice that isnt completely generic?

[bitL]

There are no bootcamps for ML. You can get a graduate degree (MS) in 1 year if you get into UTexas' online MSDSO which has a bunch of ML classes (ML/DL/NLP). UTexas itself is a top 10 school in CS so that might put you on the map for recruiters though PhD is strongly preferred. Another option is to take Stanford AI graduate classes which are deeper than UTexas' but also more demanding.