Data Analyst

I dont have the stomach to sell so much bullshit

Learn Python, learn ML (if you haven't), and try to find "Machine Learning Engineer" jobs. These aren't as common as DA/DS but they're a good choice as they're sure to overlap with Software Engineering. Then you can work on projects with other Software people and pivot from there.

Correct. Also machine learning engineer jobs tend to start at around 120k in low cost of living areas.

Correct also, less so as """analyst""" which usually means you do more data input than actual analysis or computer-related work.

Make sure not to have any delusions about what it means to be in these roles: a data analyst mostly inputs data, or adds labels to unlabeled data. It's inhouse mturk worker-tier stuff. ML engineers usually copy-paste, or reimplement, other people's code, then run it over and over again as the data analysts bring in more data. Neither job is any fun, meaningful*, or engaging, and neither can lead to real career advancement (you'll always stay in the same role) except if you change track to sales or management.

*: that will depend on where you work. It's more meaningful to do tedious nonsense for a company that researchers cancer than one that creates cancerous ads, though the latter is much more likely to try to hire people.

As an analyst, what do i do to switch to job thats more meaningful and fun?

did you like graduate 2 years ago, i thought cs grads made 80k starting and quarter of a mill in less then 6 years ?!?

ML engineer will most probably be more meaningful than analyst. In that case, try The easiest way is to get in with the people you're working with and try to move onto a ML engi track that way. Easier to do at startups for obvious reasons. Usually needs political plays at bigger companies, but doable.

The other ML job is ML researcher, but that requires a PhD under all normal circumstances, and the competition is becoming tighter by the minute.

If you want to work for companies doing the meaningless work "knowing" it will go into something meaningful, you have to search based on your interests. What is it that you want to be a part of? Do you want to help make the blind have a normal life through phone apps? Do you want to solve diseases? Do you want to fight greehouse gas? Do you want to make the web a free, uncensorable place?
Once you can describe that, figure out 'how' this can be accomplished, and finally, look for relevant companies working on that. See what kind of services they need. Reminder that you don't need to work for them as a data anything, young companies would love to have you manage their IT stuff and work your way into a data something position where you can provide value they can't otherwise afford, for example.
Big companies love the data/ml meme so they can sometimes make new positions just for you if you pitch them something good and they like you.

>The virgin data science vs the chad business intelligence

BI is a much bigger meme because it is cancer in every single way and can never not be cancer, on top of being meaningless.

Started as a meme analyst and used it to move into a role as a data engineer - making ~$120k @ 27.

It's not full-stack-developer at Google level pay, but it can end up alright.

It's actually higher pay than full stack developer at google unless you live in retarded areas like sv.