Big Demand for Big Data Engineers. Learn Who They Are, and the Technical Skills They Need to Excel.
Everyone in the Technology sector understands the enormous power of utilizing Big Data to better understand your target audience to aid in growing their business in the present tense as well as in the future.
However, collecting and analyzing this data takes a specialized talent to weed through the information gathered. That is where the Big Data Engineers enter, and save the day. But since this field is relatively new, the number of Big Data Engineers are in short supply. IT professionals thinking of switching career paths, or for young college students looking for a career that is both cutting edge in the industry as well as financially rewarding for the long term – the suggested salary range from Data Jobs is between $100-$165K, at CultureFit we’ve seen an even higher range between $130-$175K. Big Data Engineering may be the perfect calling. But what is Big Data or a Big Data Engineer? And what technical skillsets do they need to succeed?
Big Data is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that flows into a business on a day-to-day basis. But it’s not the amount of data that’s important, it’s what organizations do with the data that matters. Big data can be analyzed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic business moves. ‘Big Data’ describes data sets so large and complex they are impractical to manage with traditional software tools.
The Role of a Big Data Engineer in Most Companies
A Big Data Engineer is the all-purpose go-to person in a big data analytics operation, working between corporate analysts on one side, and data scientists on the other. They will traditionally come from programming backgrounds. They’re called on to ensure that data pipelines are scalable, repeatable, and secure, and can serve multiple departments within the enterprise. Simply said, they are the backbone of the Big Data team, giving them the structural support needed to complete the job!
If you’re contemplating a career as a Big Data Engineer, here are 7 of the most prevalent technical skills and how they are applied against Big Data initiatives:
#1. Apache Hadoop
Apache Hadoop is an open source cluster computing software framework. It enables storage of large amounts of data and fast processing. It is capable of handling multiple requests at a time to deliver insights. It provides flexibility for processing unstructured data and has high scalability.
#2. SQL (Structured Query Language)
Even though this database technology is decades old, it’s a useful application in culling vast amounts of data. Learning SQL will enable you to use queries to seamlessly access distributed structured data across multiple sources. However, NoSQL is also becoming quickly adopted for non-structured data needs.
#3. R Programming
This language is used to visualize and analyze data. Data mining and statistical computing find applications of R in creating reports. It is supported by the R Foundation and is helpful in creating graphics for data analysis.
#4. SAS (Statistical Analysis System)
SAS was developed in the late sixties by the SAS institute. It has a 33 % market share in the field of advanced analytics. It’s value as a statistical tool provides high quality solutions. Distributed processing of data is faster using SAS and helps in getting quick insights.
#5. Apache Hive
Apache Hive is an open source data warehousing language for analyzing data in the Hadoop system. It has a SQL-like interface to query data stored in the database. Hive has three main functions namely, data summary, query and analysis.
#6. Java Programming
Open source software frameworks such as Hadoop are written in Java. Programming in Java is one of the basic skills required when we work with large datasets. Java Virtual Machines (JVM) are used to run operations in the big data ecosystem.
#7. Python Programming
Programmers prefer Python as it has a simple syntax and is easy to learn. It has a wide set of data libraries and integrates easily with web applications. It is easy to build scalable applications which helps process large data sets.
As mentioned, Big Data Engineers are in high demand! Salaries are high, and so is your future job security. For more information about this field, or if you are a currently a Big Data Engineer looking for a change, talk to one of our IT Staffing Professionals here at CultureFit. CultureFit Technology Staffing is a full-service Chicago IT recruiting firm for corporate cultures and IT professionals that value organizational fit, employee satisfaction, and an extremely high level of technical IT skill.
