A machine learning specialist is a programmer working in the field of developing and controlling artificial intelligence. The task of such a specialist is to teach a program to analyze data and make logical conclusions based on it.
At first glance, this work may seem a simple, monotonous job, requiring only the development of algorithms under which the machines will operate. But this is a misconception because machine learning specialists do much more and use rather creative solutions – they do not just create specific instructions but make the artificial intelligence learn and improve itself, enabling AI to deal with complex matters: face and voice recognition, driving a car, making a diagnosis based on symptoms, and much more.
Job Prospects
Today machine learning is used in all areas of human activity. In particular, Internet users already see machine learning results, though sometimes they do not recognize them. Here are a couple of examples to make it clear:
Pinterest actively trains its system of content recommendations, and as a result, among the millions of pictures, the algorithm selects only those that correspond to the particular visitor’s preferences. Furthermore, the more frequently a person interacts with Pinterest, the more accurate the recommendations become as the system learns and understands the user better.
Facebook has incorporated machine learning into different aspects of its social network. They are most noticeable in chatbots and targeted advertising shown to Facebook and Instagram users. For instance, chatbots are launched by any FB messenger-based developer, and as soon as a person asks a question, the machine starts a conversation with the person. As a result, communication already looks completely natural, making it sometimes hard to believe that the conversation is not conducted by a real person.
Twitter uses machine learning for its newsfeed to identify visitors’ preferences and provide the most engaging tweets.
There are endless examples of these because machine learning is actively used by many prominent global companies, including Google, HubSpot, IBM, Yelp, Edgecase, Baidu, etc.
Furthermore, the trend of using machine learning is just beginning to gain momentum, which means that a machine learning expert will never be unemployed.
What Are the Interests and Personality Traits a Machine Learning Specialist Should Have?
Machine learning jobs are suitable for people with strong analytical skills who are willing to learn and improve themselves over a lifetime. A great advantage in mastering this exciting and well-paid profession will be a passion for:
- mathematics and statistics;
- biology and neurophysiology;
- physics;
- computer science.
Machine learning projects involve specialists from all disciplines and professions, as they require specific skills and knowledge.
What Should a Machine Learning Expert Know?
The following knowledge and skills will be needed to perform standard tasks:
- knowing discrete mathematics, statistics, and probability theory;
- understanding machine learning algorithms;
- knowing how to work with data warehouses and being good at SQL language to make requests;
- analyzing and modeling data using R or Python programming languages (NumPy/SciPy), or SPSS/SAS/Matlab application packages;
- using visualizations tools (for instance, Matplotlib).
Apart from technical training, it will be a great advantage if a specialist understands the subject area they have to work with. For example, suppose you decide to work in the medical field. In that case, it will be helpful for you to understand the peculiarities of the work of medical staff to perform the machine learning expert job more efficiently.
How Much Can Machine Learning Engineers Make?
The income depends on two points: experience and geographical location.
According to experience, IT specialists are divided into the following grades:
- Junior – a specialist with a lack of experience or with up to 1 year of experience.
- Middle – a confident specialist who is able to make decisions independently without any guidance. Usually, it takes from 1 to 3 years to reach the Middle level.
- Senior – a specialist who can boast of working in strong teams and has completed more than one successful project.
- Team Lead – an experienced specialist who heads the machine learning department.
The average salary of machine learning specialists in the U.S. is approximately $150,000 a year, which is $12,500 a month. Compared with the average salary on the U.S. market, which is equal to $2,900, working with neural networks in America is highly valued.
In Europe, salaries are lower than in the U.S., so it makes sense to improve your English and register on foreign freelance exchanges to explore vacancies not only in Europe but also options offered by American companies.
How to Become a Machine Learning Expert?
Machine learning is not the direction where self-taught people are welcome. Here, a qualified specialist should have the proper level of knowledge in different areas, so it’s best to take a comprehensive course in machine learning. Choosing where to begin your journey, consider one of the online schools. It allows you to study in a comfortable environment, work on real projects, and progressively fill your portfolio.
