Job Security/Career Growth: Data Science vs Software Engineering

Software engineering pays more and, at most companies, ML engineers (which are a subset of software engineers) do all the truly innovative ML/DS work, along with research scientists. It also has better job security. Career growth is hard to say, it may be a bit eaiser to become a DS manager! Overall, if given the choice, I'd definitely go for the SWE career path.

Assuming you want to choose between the two. Start as a SWE for few years. Leverage that experience in a startup or citadel types HFT based roles to pump up ur TC where data backgrond can help. Because in SWE i think you can only do so much with DS/Algo/System skills after some point, even if you are the best. To really make an impression and claim that niche position you gotta bring some novelty into your job. Thats where DS might help. You can build ur ML/AI backgroud thru some rigorous training (online courses, camps etc etc dont count) in maths/stats. And also, what most blinders are hinting about data scientist equivalent to data analyst/business engineer/business analyst is not 100% true. The *real* data scientists create a lot of value through research and experimentation(and sometimes are the only revenue generating function) in contrary to what most people perceive as a mediocre skill thereby downplaying its potential. Its because most people think of it as stacking modules in a shelf, flaunting ur library tools, doing some validation, coding up some NN in Tflow or some optimzation schedule to cook up some close circuit which it is not. e.g. Think of a regression- the way industry does-(import, transform,fit, predict) vs the actual regression which can be a semester long course. And to learn the later it is time consumig too say 2-3 yearss but it pays off and is futuristic. Hence the career growth can be stupendous. Considering the present scenraio where most DS are nothing but number crunchers, do SWE it will equip you with the required weapons to sail through a DS career if you happen to choose one. Job security wise both are comparable.