Data Strategist vs. Data Scientist: What’s the Real Difference—And Which One Do You Need?

If you’re like most, you’re sitting on mountains of data. But if you feel like you’re not quite sure how to use it for real business value, you’re definitely not alone. This is where a data scientist or a data strategist comes in. The thing is, these roles are often confused or used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing. So, how do you know which one you need?

A data strategist and a data scientist bring different skills to the table. To figure out which role is the right fit for your business needs, you need a clear understanding of what each one does and how they impact your business. We’re here to break it down and to show you why bringing in data strategy consulting may be your best (and most cost-effective) bet.

What Is a Data Strategist?

You’ve got all this data. The goal is to use it for insights that improve decisions and business outcomes (and keep you ahead of your competitors). But before you start collecting data and digging into it, a data strategist makes a huge difference. Their main role is to develop a data-driven strategy that leverages data to provide information that can be used for decision-making. A data strategy consultant is a great way to bring in an experienced professional, helping you create a strategy without the price tag of an in-house employee.

A Strategist’s Roles and Responsibilities

The first step of a good data strategist is to collaborate with stakeholders and teams across your organization to figure out where you are now, where you want to be, and how to get there. Aligning the strategy with business goals is what makes a data strategy successful. When you partner with a data strategy consultant, here are some of the things they’ll do:

• Build a Big Picture Strategy: Once they know your business goals, a strategist will create roadmaps, project outlines, and action plans to reach those goals. They’ll help you find key areas (like operations, products, or customer experience) where data-driven insights can make an impact.
• Keep Everyone in the Loop: A great strategy is only useful if people know about it and understand it. Communicating details of the plan and clearly presenting recommendations to senior management (and all teams) keeps everyone on board.
• Track Market Trends: Strategists keep tabs on what’s happening in the market. A skilled strategist is like having a person with a crystal ball to spot trends early and prepare your company for what’s coming—and of course, stay ahead of competitors.
•  Assess Company Resources: What resources do you have available (tools, systems, and people), and what is realistic to achieve (while staying within budget)? A strategist will recommend how to use what you have now and spot areas for improvement that will impact your business. Plus, a consultant keeps up on all the latest tech and trends like AI and/or machine learning to help make your tech stack ready for the future.
• Keep Data Governed: A strategist establishes data governance policies so that data is used responsibly and securely.
• Your Peeps Are Important: Your employees are the key players who help you reach your goals. Strategists pay attention to employee productivity, needs, and morale, and embrace project management that supports employees’ happiness and well-being at work.
• Find New Opportunities & Keep an Eye on the Competition: By watching what competitors in your market are doing (and working as a thought partner with stakeholders), strategists watch trends and spot potential threats or opportunities, so you can adjust your game plan. They also brainstorm new opportunities for growth, like a new service or product, or how to tap into new markets.

Sounds fantastic, right? But you’re probably thinking, how does a data strategist drive ROI and strategic value? A strategist does this by aligning data initiatives with business goals, optimizing data usage, and improving decision-making. When decisions are based on data rather than gut instincts, decisions are more accurate, which increases revenue and operational efficiency.

A strategist empowers teams with data literacy so that everyone can understand and communicate with data. All these factors play a huge role in a more efficient and profitable organization. A data strategy consultant can also impact ROI. By working with a consultant, you’ll gain all that strategic value without the cost of recruiting, training, and benefits. Less overhead, more ROI.

Comparing Roles: Data Strategist vs. Data Scientist

The business world revolves around data—it’s plugged into everything you do. The good news is that there are data professionals whose job it is to help you tap into it. But it’s easy to confuse data roles that help you collect, analyze, and use all the data that you pull in. Two key roles are data strategist and data scientist. Sure, they both work with data, but their roles are very different.

As we mentioned, a data strategist is your big-picture planner. They figure out what data you need, how to use it, and how to tie it back to your goals. Their job is to set up the plan, to track how it’s working with KPIs, and show you how to pivot as things change. An experienced strategist is skilled in advanced tools and tech, and processes like data modeling. The real heart and soul of a strategist? A knack for problem solving and clear communication. The biggest key to a strategy is that everyone (even the non-tech folks) knows how to run with it.

If a data strategist is the one who plots the treasure map, a data scientist is the one who digs up the gold. They are the miners, looking to find patterns and uncover insights by analyzing the data, building models, and using predictive analytics. Data scientists need strong skills in programming (like Python or R), statistical modeling, and machine learning. They’ll use these to build predictive models to find insights from complex and unstructured data.

Think of it this way: Stakeholders and a data strategist may say, “We need to understand our customers better.” A data scientist says, “Cool, I’ll build a model that tells us how they’ve behaved in the past and what they’ll do next.”

Both roles can have a significant impact on business outcomes. A consultant can help you use and analyze data properly—you’ll make more informed decisions, identify opportunities for growth, and increase efficiency and productivity. Plus, you’ll save costs and maintain a competitive edge.

The Cost to Hire Each Role

If you’re looking to hire for either role, they come with a pretty high price tag. According to Zip Recruiter, a data strategist gets an average salary of $139,687/year with salaries as high as $177,500. Data scientists average $122,738/year, with the highest paid folks making $195,000.

Here’s where hiring a data consultant can really make sense. You’ll save the onboarding costs of recruiting, training, and benefits. Instead of the cost and commitment of a full-time employee, you can partner with a professional for exactly the time you need. At P3 Adaptive, our consultants are strategists and data scientists who have the knowledge and experience to work closely with you, designing a business strategy that perfectly fits your needs. And our impact-forward approach means you’ll see ROI way faster than you think.

Is Data Science Dead in 10 Years?

Dead? No, but changing? Absolutely. The tech industry is evolving faster than the coffee disappears on Monday morning. And the volume of data we collect is growing like crazy, leaving most businesses with mountains of data that they want to use for insights. As companies look toward digital transformation and leveraging AI and machine learning, the key to making sense of their data is with a data scientist. And that’s not going to change.

Here’s what is changing. With AI, machine learning, and cloud computing becoming nearly essential vs. a ‘nice to have’, data scientists need to be able to build smart, scalable solutions and be fluent in cloud platforms like Azure. Plus with more data moving to the cloud, they need to know how to manage, secure, and analyze it with cloud-based tools. Data science isn’t strictly data analysis anymore, but is more about using data and AI to drive innovation and real-time, data-driven decisions.

Powerful visualization tools like Power BI have changed how we view and tap into our data. Data scientists’ strategic value is in blending strong data visualization and data storytelling tools with clear communication to connect insights to business impact. And as NLP and deep learning unlock new ways to work with unstructured data, data scientists must have the skills to find meaningful insights and create innovative solutions. As for data strategists, they must evolve their skills to keep up with growing data, using data management and advanced cloud tools and techniques to keep data secure against leaks and cyberattacks.

Will AI capabilities eventually phase out data science? Not a chance—AI can do a lot, but it doesn’t build itself. It still needs data scientists to train models, write Python scripts, and design workflows. AI doesn’t double-check its work. An experienced data scientist needs to make sure the results are correct and that they make business sense. In short, you need a skilled human who knows the goal and how to get there. Advancements in AI and data technologies will continue to evolve and change how we work with data, making data roles even more valuable to business strategy, not less. Learn more about the future of data roles in 2025.

Choosing the Right Path

Whether you need a data strategist or a data scientist depends on your business goals and what you’re trying to achieve. If you don’t have a data strategy in place, a data strategist will help you align your business goals with data initiatives and help you figure out exactly what those are. They’ll put a plan in place and help you put it in motion across your organization.

If you need someone to dig into your data to find actionable insights, a data scientist is what you’re looking for. They’re the ones building models, finding patterns, and exploring and analyzing data, empowering decision-makers with better, faster decisions.

The good news is you can let a data analytics consultant steer the ship and avoid the overhead or commitment of bringing these roles in-house. Bringing in a consultant is a flexible, cost-effective (and often smart) way to get strategic insights.

When you partner with us, our talented team of data consultants will translate your most complex data challenges into practical business outcomes. We’ll help you define your data vision and build a plan that will turn your data into insights. Whether you’re just starting your data journey or you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to help you achieve your goals with fewer headaches (and less overhead). Let’s plan your data strategy together.