What a Data Scientist at 0–1 year can own
Scope: data preparation, baseline models and analysis notebooks on problems someone else has framed.
Supervision
Needs a named reviewer. Plan on daily check-ins for the first month and a review of every piece of work that reaches a customer or production.
Typical titles
Junior, Associate, Trainee or Graduate Engineer / Executive
Typical responsibilities at this level
- Clean and explore datasets in pandas
- Build baseline models with scikit-learn
- Evaluate models with the right metric
- Document every experiment
Skills and tools to screen for
The skills are the same across bands — the depth is what changes. At 0–1 year, screen for SQL, data cleaning and writing a clear conclusion for a non-analyst.
Core skills
- Python (pandas, scikit-learn)
- Statistics and experimentation
- Feature engineering
- Model evaluation
- SQL
Common tools
- Jupyter
- XGBoost / LightGBM
- PyTorch or TensorFlow
- MLflow
How to assess a 0–1 year candidate
At this band you are hiring for learning speed and fundamentals, not a track record. Projects, internships and a short practical task tell you far more than marks or certificates.
Practical exercise
A take-home tabular classification problem: a baseline, one improvement, and a note on metric choice and leakage risk.
Red flag at this band: Certificates in five tools but no ability to write a join with a GROUP BY on the spot.
Indicative data scientist salary by experience (India)
| Experience | Indicative CTC | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 year | ₹5–9 LPA | Entry level |
| 1–3 years | ₹8–16 LPA | Early career |
| 3–5 years | ₹15–30 LPA | Mid-level |
Indicative market ranges for India, rounded, for guidance only — not MyInternships.in platform data. Metros and funded product companies tend to pay toward the top; tier-2 cities and services firms toward the bottom. Always benchmark against the candidate’s current CTC.
Interview questions for 0–1 year of experience
- Explain the bias–variance trade-off with an example.
- When is accuracy the wrong metric?
- How do you handle missing values — and when does it matter how?
- Tell me about a time the data said something you did not expect.
Notice period and ramp-up
Usually an immediate joiner or on a 15–30 day notice. Many are finishing a 2026 degree or a first internship, so confirm the exact date they can start.
Expect four to eight weeks before they are independently useful on routine work, faster if the internship was in the same stack or function.
Job description template
Job title: Data Scientist (0–1 year experience)
About the role: We are hiring a Data Scientist with 0–1 year of experience who can own data preparation, baseline models and analysis notebooks on problems someone else has framed. You will work with our team on clean and explore datasets in pandas and grow into broader ownership over time.
Responsibilities
- Clean and explore datasets in pandas
- Build baseline models with scikit-learn
- Evaluate models with the right metric
- Document every experiment
Requirements
- 0–1 year (internship experience counts)
- Working knowledge of Python (pandas, scikit-learn), Statistics and experimentation, Feature engineering
- Comfort with Model evaluation and SQL
- Clear written and spoken communication in English
Nice to have
- An internship or project using Jupyter or XGBoost / LightGBM
- Evidence of learning on their own — a course project, blog or open-source contribution
CTC: ₹5–9 LPA (indicative — set your own band; stating it in the post improves response)
Copy it, edit it, and paste it into the posting chat — or let the AI assistant write one for you.
Where to find 0–1 year data scientist candidates
Most candidates at this band come from engineering, statistics, mathematics, economics and MBA graduates, many with SQL and BI certifications.
- Make SQL the hard filter and treat specific BI tools as trainable.
- Ask applicants for one analysis they are proud of — a notebook, dashboard or write-up.
Post your Data Scientist role free
Tell us the role, experience band, city and CTC in a two-minute chat. Your listing reaches 63,000+ registered candidates, including 12,000+ from the 2026 batch.
Post a job freeFrequently asked questions
What can a data scientist with 0–1 year of experience handle?
Data preparation, baseline models and analysis notebooks on problems someone else has framed. Typical work at this band includes clean and explore datasets in pandas; build baseline models with scikit-learn; evaluate models with the right metric. Needs a named reviewer. Plan on daily check-ins for the first month and a review of every piece of work that reaches a customer or production.
What is the salary of a data scientist with 0–1 year of experience in India?
As an indicative market range, ₹5–9 LPA CTC — roughly ₹42,000 to ₹75,000 a month before deductions. Pay varies with city, company size, industry and the candidate’s current CTC; metros and funded product companies usually pay towards the top of the range. This is a guide, not MyInternships.in platform data.
How should I assess a data scientist at the 0–1 year level?
Focus on SQL, data cleaning and writing a clear conclusion for a non-analyst. A practical that works well: a take-home tabular classification problem: a baseline, one improvement, and a note on metric choice and leakage risk. At this band you are hiring for learning speed and fundamentals, not a track record. Projects, internships and a short practical task tell you far more than marks or certificates.
How long is the notice period for a data scientist with 0–1 year of experience?
Usually an immediate joiner or on a 15–30 day notice. Many are finishing a 2026 degree or a first internship, so confirm the exact date they can start. Expect four to eight weeks before they are independently useful on routine work, faster if the internship was in the same stack or function.
Where can I find data scientist candidates with 0–1 year of experience?
Most come from engineering, statistics, mathematics, economics and MBA graduates, many with SQL and BI certifications. Make SQL the hard filter and treat specific BI tools as trainable. On MyInternships.in you can post the role free and reach 63,000+ registered candidates and 45,000+ resumes on file; the platform is strongest at the entry and early-career end.
Should I hire a data scientist fresher, an intern or someone with 0–1 year of experience?
An intern suits a trial project or a seasonal peak; a fresher or 0–1 year hire suits a permanent seat you can train into. Candidates with a relevant internship behind them usually ramp up faster than pure freshers. If you are open to candidates with no experience at all, see our Hire Data Scientist Freshers page. For internships, see Hire Data Scientist Intern.
Same role, other experience levels
More data scientist hiring pages
Hire by city
Other data & analytics roles at 0–1 year
Browse every role and band in the hire-by-experience directory or go back to Hire Talent.