Salary expectations of CV engineers

by Ekaterina Zinkovskaya, eLearning Office, HSE University

Earn a master’s degree from HSE University in key career fields like computer vision, business analytics, data science, and more.

As the employment landscape continues to rapidly evolve in response to unprecedented technological, economic, and environmental disruptions across the globe, universities are playing a critical role in adapting their programs to help ensure that students are learning the most in-demand skills and are well prepared to succeed in their careers.

HSE University’s master’s programs on Coursera offer students the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s new labor market. The World Economic Forum, in their Future of Jobs Report, has identified key professional areas to focus on: data analysis and artificial intelligence, engineering and cloud technology, product development, sales, marketing, and content management, as well as the care economy, green economy and culture. Together, these spheres are predicted to provide 6.1 million jobs in the next few years.  

Our programs are tailored to meet the needs of learners pursuing career advancement in these growing fields, and we emphasize real-world skills mastered through on-the-job learning cases. As a result, HSE University graduates enter the labor market with high levels of career confidence. According to the HSE University Centre for Institutional Research, 83% of graduates feel competitive in the labor market. That same percentage of respondents also report employment in their specialty, and the employment rate of those surveyed at the time of graduation is 96%. 

Below we explore master’s programs in data science, computer vision, finance, business analytics, and data and network analytics. We discuss topics covered in the programs, as well as career paths and salary expectations for each of these fields.

The Master of Computer Vision program provides students with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and tools necessary for careers in computer vision software engineering, perception engineering, 3D perception/computer vision algorithm engineering, computer vision test engineering, and computer vision science. The program is developed by experts from the Faculty of Informatics, Mathematics, and Computer Science, as well as experts from industry leaders such as Huawei, Itseez3D, Intel, Harman, and Xperience.ai. Qualified practitioners are in high demand accordingly and typically command high salaries. In London, computer vision specialists earn over £76,000 a year on average. In New York, that figure is over $160,000, and in San Francisco, it’s over $170,000 a year. The Master of Computer Vision program is ideal for practicing engineers, programmers, IT specialists, developers, and AI experts who are ready to grow their careers, as well as mid-career professionals looking to change their career tracks and young professionals with IT and math backgrounds who are eager to launch their careers in this emerging field.

The Master of Finance master’s program was established at the HSE Banking Institute based on the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute syllabus. The program is tailored to benefit recent graduates and aspiring professionals who want to take up leading positions in finance: practicing consultants and financiers; specialists in financial reporting and analysis; economists, managers, and lawyers working in related fields; strategic managers who evaluate investment decisions; owners and founders of start-ups, and more. Program graduates are prepared for careers at Russian and international banks, investment funds, rating agencies, consulting groups, auditing companies, and government financial institutions. In Russia, financial analysts currently earn a monthly salary starting at RUB 150,000, while a director of finance and investments can earn at least RUB 200,000 a month. In the US, the average yearly salary of a financial analyst starts at $61,000 per year.  

The Master of Data Science program, the first of its kind to be offered by a Russian university on Coursera, is designed for students pursuing successful careers in data analysis, machine learning development, and research. With learners coming from more than 30 countries, including Russia, India, the United States, China, Germany, the UK, and more, the program is truly global. In addition to being qualified for postgraduate research in data science, graduates are also prepared for data scientist and machine learning engineer positions. In Russia, applicants with one year of experience earn a monthly income of 115 thousand roubles, while experts with six years of experience start at 300 thousand roubles a month. In the US, the income of a novice data scientist is $68,000 a year. 

Students in the Master of Business Analytics program of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at HSE University build knowledge and skills to succeed in finance, accounting, and compliance careers. The program curriculum covers current processes in corporate finance and business decision-making; valuation and management of company value with regard to the contribution of non-financial capitals; value-oriented compliance methods; business risk management methodology based on the integration of non-financial capitals; and new standards of strategic reporting by companies, based on very new initiatives of value reporting by regulatory bodies. The program is ideal for those just beginning their careers as well as mid-career professionals looking to move into a new career track. Within the Russian labor market, a senior business analyst at an IT company receives a monthly salary starting at 170,000 roubles. An analyst in an investment bank and a compliance consultant will typically begin at 200,000 roubles. On the international market, a senior business analyst at an IT company can earn a salary starting at $8,000 per month, and a chief compliance officer can generally expect to start at around $16,500 per month.

The Master of Data and Network Analytics program was developed by experts from the International Laboratory for Applied Network Research at HSE University. In response to the prevailing shortage of qualified data analysis experts across the globe, the program is specifically geared towards helping students master the essential skills necessary to fill these in-demand roles. The curriculum includes comprehensive training in the latest state-of-the-art analytics. Graduates of the program will be prepared to succeed in fields such as economics and finance, management, public administration, IT, medicine, and research. Data analysts with the kinds of diverse skills learned in this program are highly valued across industries and generally earn high salaries. For example, a data analyst in Moscow with 3 to 6 years of experience can earn between 200,000 and 350,000 roubles a month. The average salary for a Data Analyst in the US is $73,000 a year, while Lead Network Engineers earn around $120,000 a year. 

As the modern global economy continues to evolve, HSE offers a wide range of opportunities for you to build valuable career skills that are in high demand across growing industries. Whether your focus is on established areas such as finance or emerging fields like computer vision, you’ll learn from leading scholars and top industry experts as you gain the skills and knowledge to succeed in your chosen career field.