Data governance is the organizational discipline of managing data assets (databases, pipelines, analytics, schemas). It includes policies (who can access data, how long it's retained, what quality standards apply), processes (data catalogs, metadata management, lineage tracking), and tools (data governance platforms). Practitioners earn 10-15% premium because they prevent costly compliance violations and improve data quality. Learning: 6-8 weeks (combines technical + organizational skills).
Data governance is the organizational discipline of managing data as an asset. It establishes policies (data ownership, retention, access), processes (data catalogs, metadata management, audits), and tools (governance platforms) to ensure data quality, compliance, and alignment across the organization. Example: "We own 200 datasets. Who's responsible for each? What quality standards apply? Who can access PII? How long do we keep data? If a dataset breaks, who needs to know?"
| Region | Junior | Mid | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $70k | $115k | $175k |
| UK | $43k | $70k | $105k |
| EU | $48k | $75k | $115k |
| CANADA | $65k | $110k | $165k |
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