If a person heard the term ‘machine learning’ 20 years ago, they might have pictured the 2001 science fiction movie “AI: Artificial Intelligence.” In this famous Steven Spielberg film, an adopted, humanoid AI boy could think and feel emotions like a human.
Fast forward 21 years later, and machine learning is no longer a fantastical idea of the future but a high-demand, fast-growing field in today’s job market. Case in point, the role of a machine learning engineer is currently number four on LinkedIn’s 2022 Jobs on the Rise ranking.
This demand will continue to rise as the amount of data created and consumed worldwide increases at breakneck speed. According to Statista, 64.2 zettabytes (ZB) were produced worldwide in 2020, with a predicted total of 181 ZB by 2025. And organizations need machine learning experts to help utilize and maximize these vast amounts of data.
If you want to work in this growing industry, Flatiron School’s Data Science bootcamp can train you on machine learning fundamentals and advanced machine learning concepts. Read on to learn more about this course and how it can help prepare you for a successful career in machine learning.
Flatiron School offers a comprehensive Data Science bootcamp with a sharp focus on machine learning. It prepares students for roles as machine learning engineers, data scientists, and data engineers.
Apply to Flatiron School today.What Is Machine Learning?
Flatiron School defines machine learning as enabling computers to perform without explicit programming, teaching computers to think with less human intervention. This area of data science uses algorithms and neural network models to help computer systems improve their performance over time.
Angelica “Jelly” Spratley, Senior Data Science Instructor at Flatiron School, further defined the term: “Machine learning is using computer-based programs that take in data to predict future outcomes. It focuses on ‘learning’ patterns in historical data to predict what may happen in the future.”
Machine learning is a significant part of modern business and is present in our everyday tech. It’s there when you use a chatbox on your favorite online store or ask Alexa about tomorrow’s weather forecast. Even your email uses machine learning algorithms to sort through unwanted SPAM and junk mail.
“Many industries focus on making data-driven decisions. Machine learning can answer questions such as: How many customers will shop at my store in the upcoming years? How can I identify who is most likely to launder money? What factors are contributing to the spread of disease? These questions and millions more can be answered using machine learning principles,” continued Spratley.
Due to the heightened dependence of companies and businesses on big data, machine learning experts have seen a considerable surge in popularity among hiring companies.
What Is a Machine Learning Engineer?
Machine learning engineers design and create AI algorithms that can make predictions based on data. These professionals typically work closely with data scientists, analysts, and engineers. as part of a data science team. As a result, many people who step into the machine learning engineer role have previous experience as data scientists and artificial intelligence specialists.
Spratley shared that “knowing your data and the business problem you are trying to solve and explaining your findings to non-technical audiences are the fundamental skills needed before being able to run any machine learning model”. She continued: “Technically, being able to explore data and develop models through coding languages such as Python, SQL, and R is also fundamental.”
Because of how technical machine learning is, experts in the field are in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 22 percent growth in machine learning engineering jobs by 2030. Aside from the demand for the skill, the high salaries in this field make this role attractive. According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a machine learning engineer is $113,209 as of July 6, 2022.
When you put together the high demand and high-paying salaries that accompany the role, it’s easy to understand why more and more people are drawn to machine learning.
How to Become a Machine Learning Engineer with Flatiron School
Flatiron School’s Data Science bootcamp prepares its students to enter the field of data science, including machine learning. The course covers machine learning fundamentals such as regression analysis, logistic regression, and cross-validation to validate regression models. At the end of the course, students possess a solid foundation in machine learning.
“At Flatiron School, machine learning concepts and models are taught throughout more than half of the Data Science bootcamp. In connection to this, students get the opportunity to showcase their machine learning skills through three hands-on projects which is inclusive of two group projects and one individual capstone project,” Spratley said.
“Before jumping into machine learning, students build the strong fundamental concepts in data manipulation and statistics to better understand how their machine learning models can be applied to real-world problems.”
The Data Science bootcamp also includes advanced machine learning topics covering threading, multiprocessing, and how to work with big data. Students will learn PySpark, AWS, and how to use these tools to build recommendation systems. In addition, the course discusses neural networks and sentiment analysis.
After completing the Data Science bootcamp, graduates can pursue careers in data science and machine learning.
Explore Machine Learning with Flatiron School
Machine learning is no longer an abstract concept that belongs in the distant future. Although it may not be as fascinating as human robots, machine learning is now a vital aspect of data science and many tech applications. Whether we realize it or not, machine learning is already part of most of the websites, apps, and other tech products we use daily.
Those with machine learning engineering skills can pursue roles as data engineers and data scientists. The increasing demand for these skills has made those proficient in machine learning highly marketable in today’s data-driven world.
If you’re ready to launch your machine learning engineer career, apply to Flatiron School’s Data Science bootcamp today.
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