Data professionals skilled in working with ‘big data’ technologies can command salaries which are up to 20% higher than other analysts and developers, according to e-skills UK.
The company’s research, which estimates that £2.5bn has already been spent on big data salaries in the UK, claims the demand for specialists will almost double over the next five years.
Vacancies have risen by 43% in the past year alone and this is set to grow by 92% through to 2017.
The hunt is on for specialists who can help manage and analyse unstructured data held on networks and in databases which can be used to improve corporate strategy and benefit marketing departments.
In the past five years there have been over 35,000 advertised vacancies for big data staff in the UK, but this is just the “tip of the iceberg”, said e-skills UK.
In the majority of cases companies are looking to develop their in-house capacity for handling big data by recruiting developers, architects, analysts and administrators, e-skills UK said.
One of the major obstacles preventing the UK from harnessing value from data is a lack of analytical skills in the workplace, according to the report. In order to truly exploit the benefits of big data, the UK needs a “new breed” of professionals who are able to “maximise the potential of mass information to give companies significant competitive advantage”.
The research was conducted in partnership with business analytics software firm SAS. To help address the lack of graduates in the marketplace with the right big data skills SAS has launched the SAS Student Academy with Birmingham City University.
Karen Price, chief executive at e-skills UK, said, “Big data has been important to business thinking for some years, but it has proved difficult to find reliable information on the size and scope of skills needs.
“We are working with SAS to provide key research that will enable employers, academics and students make firm decisions about training and development needs.”
