| Dimension |
Data Engineer |
Data Scientist |
| Education |
Typically computer science, software engineering, or a related degree |
Often statistics, mathematics, physics, or data science. Computer science knowledge also common. A Master's degree is desirable |
| Common certifications |
AWS Certified Data Engineer
Google Professional Data Engineer
Azure Data Engineer
|
Google ML Engineer
AWS Certified ML Specialist
DataCamp Certifications
|
| Domain knowledge |
Usually role-agnostic |
Often valuable — particularly in finance, healthcare, and retail |
Note for recruiters: Many high-performing professionals in Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands come via non-traditional routes backed by portfolio projects and platform certifications. Degree requirements should not be treated as a hard filter.