It’s trendy right now to say that data science is over-hyped, or even a bad career choice altogether.

I transitioned into data science from a non-technical background after spending nearly a decade in other industries, and I’ve discovered firsthand that for the right person, data science actually does live up to the hype. Here’s why.

Pay and Benefits

The most obvious thing: The pay and benefits are as good as advertised, with early-career salaries around $120k in the US, easily moving up to $300–400k for experienced employees. Pay is also good in other locations in the world: Around $84k in Germany vs. a median of around $54k, for example.

But it’s not just about the money — tech companies often provide a level of flexibility that is unmatched in most industries.

I work from home, have unlimited PTO (that I actually feel comfortable taking), have a good social dynamic on my team and with my manager, affordable and high quality healthcare, AND I get paid enough that I was able to buy a house.

Even with recent layoffs, the tech environment still feels like a pretty good deal when you consider the average conditions in other fields. When I think…