Ask HN: Is Data Visualization a well-paid career path for remote working? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is Data Visualization a well-paid career path for remote working?

8 pointshmcamp6 comments

Hi, I'm exploring changing career paths.

From your experience, can someone earn a meaningful income (USD 8K or more) doing data visualizations and working remotely?

Has anyone here successfully done this?

In the past I have been a pretty good software engineer. I'm proficient in JavaScript and Golang, my Ruby and Python skills are rusty at best.

By Data Visualizations, I'm referring to works similar to these stunning pieces -> https://www.visualcinnamon.com/portfolio/ by Nadieh Bremer.

Presently, I can do most of these.

Is there are market for remote workers that does this king of work that pays well? What have your experiences been like?

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I don't make a living doing data visualisation but I know a few people who do (Nadieh being one of them).

I don't know their rates or how exactly they've been working with clients recently.

However, there's sizeable demand (and not nearly enough supply) for that kind of high-quality dataviz work. There's also nothing that'd inherently require this work to be done non-remotely. Quite to the contrary, this kind of work particularly lends itself to being done remotely.

Knowing the tech (mostly D3.js and Processing) is only one, small component of a successful career in that field, though.

Having seen quite a few of Nadieh's (and similar data visualisation designers') talks I'd say that design, UX, an understanding of art and a creative imagination are just as important, probably even much more so.

PS: You might also want to check out Mike Brondbjerg's work: http://www.kultur.design/

Thank you for sharing!

I really wasn’t ready for Mike Brondbjerg’s work. Totally blown away.

Thanks again.

I don't know current rates. Two years ago I was working in a data consultancy in Spain and it was really hard to recruit D3js developers. No good D3js developers: just someone able to code in D3js.

Thank you for sharing your experience

Hi Hm I think you'd find the best commercial opportunities being an expert or trainer or Tableau or Power BI. I think you should talk to a few "Data Journalists" if you want to produce stuff like Nadieh's work - I feel like you will need a portfolio to get that kind of work.

Thanks for sharing. Hadn’t thought about Data Journalisms. Will look more at this too.

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