The title of “Machine Learning Engineer” is quickly becoming more popular and with that, there is significant interest from people trying to enter the Data Science field. What kind of career path is this and what** skill set **does a Machine Learning Engineer need to have? Is it possible to define steps to take in order to become a ML Engineer? Can you follow online training and get certified? I figured I’d write up my ideas on the state of the field and how viable it is for those looking to pursue a career in it.

The Machine Learning Engineer

Let’s get one point out of the way first. Some might look at the job title and expect it to be a Data Scientist who purely focuses on model building — and that’s it. This is a big no no; if only because most ML Engineering work starts after the initial model is built. While it’s often part of the job, a Machine Learning Engineer does not purely build models. And honestly, that part will only take up 5 to 10% of the job.

Look at this image of all the components that are involved in the model ecosystem. The black square at the center? That’s the actual ML code.

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