What is a data scientist? The job title sprang out of nowhere as technology firms have scrambled to find people to perform sophisticated analytical tasks over the last decade.
Reports of six-figure salaries abounded as businesses competed for staff to slice and dice data in pursuit of business lessons and emerging trends.
Recruitment firm PageGroup cites annual salaries for data science work of between £60,000-150,000, while cautioning that the job title covers a huge range of disciplines and responsibilities.
The line has become blurred between data science and other tasks such as data analysis. James Hobson, a technology specialist at PageGroup notes that "there are different interpretations of what constitutes a data scientist".
Whatever the title, demand for staff has outstripped the supply of those traditionally considered suitable to the work, usually candidates with doctorates in computer science.
A 2020 report into emerging jobs in the US by LinkedIn estimated that data science vacancies were growing at 37% a year.