Deciding between Software Engineering and Data Science can shape your entire career — but which path offers the best mix of stability, growth, and future-proof skills? In this video, you’ll hear firsthand insights from a Google data scientist with 10+ years of experience and a seasoned software engineer, breaking down salaries, skills, AI’s impact, and what it really takes to land your first role. ✉️ SAJJAAD'S NEWSLETTER Discover the latest tech trends shaping the industry, unlock career tips, and access exclusive resources to stay competitive in tech. → ✉️ SUNDAS' NEWSLETTER Discover the latest tech trends shaping the industry, unlock career tips, and access exclusive resources to stay competitive in tech. → @sundaskhalid 🚀 BREAK INTO TECH WITH SWE LAUNCHPAD Join my community of like-minded, aspiring tech professionals. Inside, you'll learn How to break Into tech with practical resources, job prep guidance, and real industry insights you won’t find in school. → 🧑‍💻 LEARN TO CODE Learn to code with bite-sized projects and an AI-bot to help answer your queries. I recommend you start with their python module, then check out java and javascript. → (It's FREE, but you can use the code SAJYT for 20% off of premium features!) ⬇️ SUNDAS' SOCIALS: 📸 Instagram: 👔 Linkedin: ▶️ YouTube: ⬇️ MY OTHER SOCIALS: 📸 Instagram: 📱 TikTok: @sajjaadkhader 🌍 My website: 00:00 Software Engineering vs Data Science Careers 00:20 What Does a Data Scientist Actually Do? 01:43 What Does a Software Engineer Actually Do? 02:30 How Data Scientists and Software Engineers Work Together 02:51 How Much Math is Involved in Data Science? 03:28 How Much Math is Involved in Software Engineering? 04:12 What Degree Should Someone Pursue to Get Into the Data Science Field? 05:05 What Degree Should Someone Pursue to Get Into the Software Engineering Field? 05:50 Will AI Replace Data Scientists? 07:33 Will AI Replace Software Engineers? 08:24 Getting Permissions for the Right Data 08:42 What Are Different Career Paths in Data Science? 09:24 What Are Different Career Paths in Software Engineering? 10:34 What is the General Career Salary Progression in Data Science? 11:04 What is the General Career Salary Progression in Software Engineering? 11:47 Land an Entry Level Data Science Role + Resources 13:29 Land an Entry Level Software Engineering Role + Resources 14:38 Who Should Not Go Into Data Science? 15:23 Who Should Not Go Into Software Engineering? 15:54 What is the Best Project I Can do to Get a Job in Data Science? 17:10 What is the Best Project I Can do to Get a Job in Software Engineering? 18:08 Software Engineering or Data Science?