Job prospects Data Scientist in Alberta

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "data scientist" in Alberta or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Alberta

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Data scientists (NOC 21211) in Alberta for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

In 2023 there were more than 3,000 technologies companies in Alberta, many of them located in Calgary. The Alberta tech industry has grown and diversified greatly in recent years, and had developed into an ecosystem with strong digital, digital heath, life sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI) sub sectors. 

In addition, for the fifth consecutive year, the province experienced record-breaking venture capital investment in 2022, a trend that will likely continue. 

Finally, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC) and regional partners have joined forces to launch Start Alberta, a pan-provincial scaleup and growth accelerator program, as part of a broader vision to strengthen Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.

Here are some key facts about Data scientists in Alberta:

• Approximately 1,350 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 28%
  • Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 10%
  • Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 9%
  • Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 6%
  • Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 5%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 93% compared to 80% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 7% compared to 20% for all occupations
• 77% of data scientists work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 45 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• 11% of data scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 67% compared to 53% for all occupations
  • Women: 33% compared to 47% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 7% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 6% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 34% compared to 21% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 52% compared to 9% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Alberta by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "data scientist" in Alberta or across Canada.

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