5 R Programming Jobs and How to Get Started

Key takeaways

R programming jobs involve statistical computing and data analysis using the R language. A few things to know:

• R programming skills can lead to a variety of careers, especially in the data science and analytics industries.

• As an R programmer, you can write code to develop and optimize data analysis and data modeling applications for collecting, storing, and interpreting data

• Examples of R programming jobs you can pursue include data scientist, statistical programmer, machine learning scientist, business analyst, and data analyst.

In this article, you'll learn about five R programming jobs, their responsibilities, earning potential, and education requirements. If you're ready to start sharpening your R programming skills to advance your own career, consider enrolling in the Microsoft R Programming for Everyone Professional Certificate program.

R programming jobs

The ability to program with R will present you with career opportunities within industries looking to optimize the vast amounts of data they have access to, ranging from health care to finance. Learning the R language can also be a lucrative endeavor, as the average annual pay in the US for someone with this skill is $124,000 [1]. Below, you'll find an overview of five R programming jobs.

1. Data scientist

Average annual US salary: $152,000 [2]

Job outlook: 34 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 [3]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in computer science, statistics, mathematics, or a related field can help you enter the field. 51 percent of data scientists have a bachelor's degree, 34 percent have a master's, 13 percent have a doctorate, and 1 percent have an associate degree [4]

As a data scientist, you can use your programming abilities to collect and analyze massive amounts of data to draw valuable insights to solve relevant problems in your industry. Your job will involve testing and developing predictive models, creating visualizations to show results, and making recommendations based on your findings.

Read more: What Is a Data Scientist? Salary, Duties + How to Become One

2. Statistician

Average annual US salary: $108,000 [5]

Job outlook: 8 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 [6]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in statistics or mathematics can help you qualify for entry-level roles. However, more advanced positions may require more advanced degrees. 63 percent of statisticians have a bachelor's degree, 23 percent a master's, 5 percent a doctorate, and 5 percent [7].

As a statistician, you will likely work in research, academia, or for a data-driven business. You will use statistical analysis methods to assist in decision-making processes and problem-solving. To develop these conclusions, your work as a statistician will involve collecting and analyzing data to find patterns and trends that reveal valuable insights. You can find many of these positions in various industries, including health care, business, government, or environmental sciences.

Read more: What Is a Statistician? Duties, Pay, and How to Become One

3. Data analyst

Average annual US salary: $92,000 [8]

Job outlook: 34 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 [3]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in computer science, data analytics, statistics, or a related field can help you break into the field and build the expertise you need. 65 percent of data analysts have a bachelor's degree, 15 percent a master's, 12 percent an associate degree, and 3 percent a high school diploma [9].

This role is similar to data scientists; however, as a data analyst, you will prepare data and analyze the data to establish meaningful insights that you can use to solve problems. More specifically, you will identify outliers, calculate averages, and refine data to discover these insights. Programming languages such as R and Python are valuable skills, as is the ability to create visualizations, which can assist you in explaining the results to non-technical executives. However, data analysts and data scientists are different since data scientists play a more prominent role in building the systems and models you use to analyze data.

Read more: What Does a Data Analyst Do? Your 2025 Career Guide

4. Data architect

Median annual US salary: $174,000 [10]

Job outlook: 4 percent growth projected from 2024 to 2034 [11]

Education requirements: 64 percent of data architects have a bachelor's degree, 27 percent a master's, 4 percent an associate degree, and 3 percent a high school diploma [12].

As a data architect, you will help design and build the infrastructure for storing and managing your organization's data. Essentially, you will determine how various IT systems within your organization store, consume, integrate, and manage data. This is important as it enables secure access to data so that you and other team members can use it for various business purposes. R is a valuable skill data architects use to develop systems and warehousing.

Read more: What Does a Data Architect Do? A Career Guide

5. Data engineer

Median annual US salary: $131,000 [13]

Job outlook: 4 percent growth projected from 2024 to 2034 [11]

Education requirements: Data engineers often pursue a bachelor’s degree in software engineering, computer science, or a similarly related field. 65 percent of data engineers have a bachelor's degree, 22 percent a master's, 7 percent an associate degree, and 2 percent a doctorate [14].

As a data engineer, you will blend the responsibilities of a software engineer and data analyst. You will help develop databases and analytical systems and then regularly test these systems to ensure proper performance. Additionally, you will want to gain an in-depth knowledge of programming languages such as SQL, Python, and R. In this position, you will work alongside data scientists to establish relevant plans based on your organization's data needs.

Is R difficult to learn?

R can be challenging to master if you have no previous programming experience. However, as you become more accustomed to It, you will likely find it comfortable to use. R is a low-level programming language, meaning the syntax is less similar to human language, making It more challenging to understand.

How to learn R

While you can develop your programming skills through completing a degree program, you can take a more cost and time-efficient approach by taking a bootcamp or several online courses.

With the bootcamp option, you can develop job-ready skills in a matter of three to six months, with options available full-time, part-time, online, or in person, making it easy to find an option that suits your circumstances. Bootcamps focus on teaching you the specific skills and tools you will need to be competitive in today's job market. Alternatively, online courses are a great way for you to move at your own pace through the material, with several options available, such as those found on Coursera.

Explore our free data science career resources

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• If you're transitioning into the field, consider using this guide: Switch to Data Science: Your Pathway to a New Career

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