Several roles are involved in data management, such as data manager, analyst, and administrator. Now, we’ll explore the responsibilities of these roles, along with the necessary skills, education, and certifications to secure a data management job.
With the increasing number of companies accepting data-driven approaches, the role of data managers has become increasingly vital. They play a crucial role in helping companies analyze available data to enhance decision-making.
Data management involves gathering, storing, and safeguarding data to help organizations use it in a streamlined and cost-efficient manner. It is crucial to support day-to-day operations, meet regulatory requirements, and guide business decisions.
There are various opportunities beyond being a data manager, such as becoming a data analyst or administrator.
Now, we will explore the responsibilities of these roles and the qualifications, education, and certifications required to secure a position in data management.
What You Need For a Career as a Data Manager
Data managers are experienced professionals who maintain their companies’ data by established procedures and policies. These experts oversee networks and data systems to ensure they are properly organized, stored, and secured.
Data managers are responsible for developing and implementing strategies to ensure the effectiveness of data systems. They also assess the performance of these systems. In addition, they make sure that their organizations’ data management processes comply with regulatory requirements. Data managers are responsible for setting up guidelines for data sharing and resolving any data-related problems.
The average salary for a data manager in the U.S. is approximately $90,000 per year, with a potential top income of around $160,000, as reported by Indeed.
Education
Many employers prefer candidates for data management positions to have a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, business administration, or statistics.
Some organizations may desire individuals who have completed a master’s degree in business administration, focusing on information systems or technology. Our degree programs cover a range of subjects, including statistical quality control, business modeling via spreadsheets, and database principles.
While not always necessary, having a master’s degree in business administration can be beneficial for a data manager. This advanced degree can provide you with the skills and business knowledge relevant to this position. That could give you an advantage over your competitors.
Skills
To excel as a data manager, it’s crucial to have strong analytical skills and a deep knowledge of database concepts and designs. Knowing Python, SQL, Java, JavaScript, Perl, and other programming languages is essential. Furthermore, you must have strong interpersonal and communication skills and technical abilities.
Certifications
Getting certifications demonstrates to employers that you possess advanced knowledge in data management and are committed to your career. Here are a few certificates you might want to consider:
Certified Analytics Professional (CAP): This certification, provided by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, confirms that you possess the necessary technical and soft skills that organizations across various industries highly value.
The CAP certification suits analytics professionals, including data managers with data-driven insights and analytics. To earn this certification, you must meet specific eligibility requirements. These include having a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of experience in a related field or a master’s degree and at least three years of experience in a related field. Alternatively, you may also be eligible if you have seven years of experience in an unrelated analytics area.
The Certified Data Management Professionals (CDMP) certification is globally recognized and provided by the nonprofit organization DAMA International. Obtaining this certification can enhance your career and demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the necessary qualifications in data management. DAMA provides certification at four levels: Associate, Practitioner, Master, and Fellow.
What You Need For a Career as a Data Analyst
Data analysts gather, process, and analyze data to discover valuable insights and draw conclusions, enabling business leaders to make well-informed decisions. Data analysts rely on programming languages, software, and analytic and statistical tools when handling large data sets. These tools help them interpret and visualize data from various sources.
As a data analyst, you’ll be responsible for collecting and analyzing data with your team, collaborating with executives to find ways to improve the business, creating reports to share your findings and recommendations, setting up key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of business decisions, and working with other analysts and colleagues to process the data.
The typical U.S. data analyst salary is approximately $75,000, reaching up to $120,000 at the higher end.
Education
Many employers prefer candidates for data analyst positions to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, statistics, economics, math, or a related field. However, specific organizations prefer candidates with master’s degrees in data analytics or a related field.
Skills
To become a data analyst, it is essential to have a strong understanding of calculus, probability and statistics, linear algebra, and Excel. Knowing various programming languages such as Python, SQL, R, and NoSQL is essential. Furthermore, it is necessary to grasp data cleaning, preparation, and visualization techniques.
Employers value candidates who possess industry knowledge and strong communication and problem-solving skills.
Certifications
Employers may consider you for more advanced positions if you have any certifications, such as the Certified Analytics Professional or Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate.
This certification from Microsoft confirms your ability to effectively model, visualize, and analyze data using Power BI. With this certification, you can share valuable insights derived from the data.
It’s essential to have a basic understanding of both on-premises and cloud data repositories and processes. With this certification, you’ll gain the skills to develop scalable data models, clean and transform data, and utilize data visualizations for improved decision-making and operational efficiency within your organization.
What You Need For a Career as a Database Administrator
Database administrators oversee and maintain their organizations’ databases, ensuring they are secure, efficient, and accessible to meet business requirements.
These experts collaborate with database developers and other team members to create frameworks that align with their company’s needs.
Database administrators are responsible for installing and configuring various database management systems, such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and more, based on their organization’s requirements. As a database admin, you will be responsible for developing and implementing backup and recovery strategies to ensure the business can restore the data in case of system failure or other disasters.
The average salary for a database administrator in the U.S. is $95,000, with a maximum of approximately $140,000.
Education
A bachelor’s degree in information science or computer science is required for even the most entry-level database admin positions. If you’re applying for a position at a large enterprise, a master’s degree in information technology or database administration may be required.
Skills
To become a database administrator, one must possess advanced technical skills and a deep understanding of database management systems (DBMS) and data systems. It is essential to have practical experience in various programming languages, such as R, Python, PHP, C#, and SQL. Additionally, experience with different DBMS platforms like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and others is necessary.
Certifications
Getting certifications can give you an edge over other applicants and confirm your expertise in database administration. Take the CompTIA DataSys+ certification, for instance. It’s a vendor-neutral data management certification that equips you with all the necessary knowledge to effectively deploy, manage, and maintain systems in a secure environment.
This certification is designed for IT professionals who excel in building databases that support workloads created with Azure SQL services and Microsoft SQL Server on-premises.
The Bottom Line
Data management is becoming increasingly important in today’s business operations. Therefore, companies in almost every sector seek experts who can transform unprocessed data into practical insights, enabling business executives to make well-informed choices.
With the rapid advancement of technology, the data management sector is poised for significant growth, offering many job opportunities.
FAQ
What are the responsibilities of a data manager?
A data manager collects, stores, and secures a business’s data. This data is crucial for making informed business decisions and ensuring compliance with regulations.
What are the requirements for becoming a data manager?
An employer typically seeks candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, a related field, a strong grasp of database concepts and designs, and relevant certifications like the Certified Analytics Professional qualification.
Where do I start in data management?
A simple and concise path starts with education, either by earning a university degree in a relevant field or a related CAP qualification.
Is a degree required for data management?
Many employers prefer data managers to have a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, business administration, or statistics.
What is the maximum salary for a data manager?
The typical salary for a data manager in the U.S. is approximately $90,000 per year, potentially earning up to $160,000.