Data scientist resume keywords

We counted the skills in 365 open data scientist job postings from 124 employers, including Lyft, Reddit and Pinterest. The ones employers ask for most are AI (73% of postings), machine learning (63%) and Python (52%).

Top skills and tools in data scientist postings

#	Keyword	Share of postings
1	AI	73%
2	machine learning	63%
3	Python	52%
4	A/B testing	50%
5	analytics	50%
6	SQL	48%
7	statistics	47%
8	causal inference	31%
9	product roadmap	31%
10	marketing	21%
11	LLMs	20%
12	forecasting	19%
13	prototyping	17%
14	dashboards	15%
15	data analysis	15%
16	sales	15%
17	data engineering	13%
18	algorithms	13%
19	operations research	12%
20	customer experience	12%
21	product analytics	12%
22	automation	10%
23	data pipelines	10%
24	go-to-market	7%
25	attribution	7%
26	payments	7%
27	deep learning	7%
28	product strategy	7%
29	behavioral health	7%
30	generative AI	7%

Share of the 365 postings whose description names the skill (plurals and common spellings, such as “JS” and “JavaScript”, count as one).

Soft skills employers mention

analytical skills · 18%cross-functional · 11%leadership · 9%decision making · 8%ownership · 5%reporting · 5%communication · 4%creativity · 4%

Show these through results in your bullets (“led a team of six”) rather than listing them as adjectives.

How to use these keywords on your data scientist resume

Start with the posting, not this list. These are averages across 365 jobs; the one you're applying for has its own priorities. Use this page to spot common gaps, then match the specific posting.
Name skills the way employers do. If you use “AI”, “machine learning” and “Python”, write those exact words. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for them, and a close synonym can be missed.
Put each skill in a bullet that shows a result. Naming A/B testing inside a bullet about what you achieved with it, with a number where you can, is stronger than listing it alone in a skills section.
Add only what's true. If you've worked with “A/B testing”, “analytics” and “SQL” but your resume doesn't say so, add it. If you haven't, leave it out: interviews expose padded resumes quickly.

More about data scientist jobs

Resume keywords for other jobs

How these numbers are calculated

Every figure comes from open data scientist job postings on MANY Hired, imported from employers' own career pages. For each posting we pick out the skills, tools, certifications and qualifications its description names, then count how many postings ask for each one. A job counts as data scientist by its title. Updated October 28, 2026.