Football data scientist
Data scientist, football data analyst
Football data scientists build models from match event and tracking data to support recruitment, tactics and sports science decisions.
Average salary (a year)
£35,000£70,000
StarterExperienced
Starter £35,000 to experienced £70,000
Typical hours (a week)
37 to 40
You could work
occasional weekendson match days
How to become a football data scientist
You can get into this job through:
University
You can do a degree in a relevant subject.
You’ll usually need a degree, and often a master’s or PhD, in data science, statistics, mathematics, computer science, physics or a related subject.
Other routes
Many football data scientists move from other industries. Sharing football projects online, using public data sets, helps you stand out.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- programming in Python or R, and SQL
- statistics and machine learning
- the ability to explain results to coaches and executives
- curiosity about football data such as expected goals and tracking
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
In your day-to-day tasks you could:
- build and test models, for example of player value or chance quality
- clean and combine data from several providers
- create dashboards and tools for staff
- answer questions from recruitment, coaching and medical teams
- keep up with new research
Working environment
You’ll work at a desk at the training ground, club offices or from home.
Career path and progression
You could become a lead data scientist or head of data, or work for data companies and governing bodies.
Current opportunities
3 live football data scientist jobs on Softfootball right now.
Get ready
- Football data scientist salary guideAverage pay, the typical range and job openings.
- Football data scientist interview questionsWhat you’ll be asked, and how to answer.
- Build your football CVA CV clubs want to read, in minutes.
- Free football coursesLearn new skills and earn a certificate.
Salaries and hours are typical figures for the UK and vary by club, league, location and experience. Last updated November 14, 2026.