Data Scientist vs Financial Advisor / Planner: $120K vs $105K Median Pay

Data Scientist vs Financial Advisor / Planner: what changes?

Consider Data Scientist if you want to develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Consider Financial Advisor / Planner if you would rather advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Data Scientist and Financial Advisor / Planner. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Data Scientist

National median pay (2025): $120,230
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Analyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 24,800

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Data Scientist brief

Financial Advisor / Planner

National median pay (2025): $105,070
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a financial plan.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 17,100

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Financial Advisor / Planner brief

How the national numbers differ

Data Scientist has the edge on projected growth

Data Scientist is at 34.6% projected growth, compared with 1.4% projected growth for Financial Advisor / Planner.

Data Scientist has the edge on annual openings

Data Scientist is at 24,800 annual openings, compared with 17,100 annual openings for Financial Advisor / Planner.

Data Scientist has the edge on median pay

Data Scientist is at $120,230, compared with $105,070 for Financial Advisor / Planner.

80.2/ 100

Data Scientist

61.3/ 100

Financial Advisor / Planner

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence