The Knowledge House · Innovation Fellowship
Career Paths
Each track develops skills used across several occupations. These paths show roles you might target first, possible next steps, and experienced leadership work—not a guaranteed sequence.
Pay figures are US national median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, using May 2024 wage data. A median covers workers at every experience level; it is not a starting salary or a promise of what a fellowship graduate will earn.
Modern titles do not always have their own federal occupation code. Where needed, the closest broader occupation is identified as a proxy beside the role.
Build a plan
Career plan builder
Answer three questions about your goal, your current skills, and the work you enjoy. The builder suggests which track fits your answers most closely, the roles on that path, and free resources to start with. It is a starting point for a conversation, not an assessment or a placement decision.
Choose a goal and at least one skill or interest to see matching roles.
Fellowship track
AI Business Solutions
Turn business needs into useful workflows, then grow toward leading technical change.
See this track’s preparation tools- Role to target first1
Business or management analyst
$101,190
National median annual pay · May 2024
Use requirements discovery, data analysis, interface design, and testing to identify where an AI-assisted workflow may help.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and related experience are typical, but requirements vary by employer.
BLS does not track AI business analyst as a separate occupation; management analyst is the closest broad benchmark.
BLS occupation: Management analystsDifferent kind of evidence: the figure above is BLS wage data. For a current read on hiring demand for AI-related roles, see Indeed Hiring Lab’s AI hiring-trend research (Jan 2026), based on job-posting data.
- A possible next step2
AI solutions or systems analyst
$103,790
National median annual pay · May 2024
Apply Python, SQL, machine learning, RAG, and agent workflows to evaluate and improve an organization's systems.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree is typical; some employers accept business training paired with technical skills.
AI solutions analyst is not a separate BLS occupation; computer systems analyst is used as the nearest task-based proxy.
BLS occupation: Computer systems analystsDifferent kind of evidence: the figure above is BLS wage data. For a current read on hiring demand for AI-related roles, see Indeed Hiring Lab’s AI hiring-trend research (Jan 2026), based on job-posting data.
- With substantial experience3
AI solutions or digital transformation director
$171,200
National median annual pay · May 2024
Lead implementation strategy, budgets, teams, governance, and decisions about when an AI system should—or should not—be used.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and five or more years of related experience are typical.
BLS groups AI and digital transformation leaders within broader computer and information systems management.
This $171,200 figure repeats across three leadership roles because all three map to the same broad BLS occupation. It is the median for that whole group, not a pay cap and not specific to this title; senior pay for this particular role can differ substantially, often upward.
BLS occupation: Computer and information systems managersDifferent kind of evidence: the figure above is BLS wage data. For a current read on hiring demand for AI-related roles, see Indeed Hiring Lab’s AI hiring-trend research (Jan 2026), based on job-posting data.
Fellowship track
Data Analytics
Move from answering structured questions to modeling data and leading an analytics function.
See this track’s preparation tools- Role to target first1
Data or operations research analyst
$91,290
National median annual pay · May 2024
Use Python, Pandas, spreadsheets, SQL, APIs, and dashboards to clean data, investigate questions, and communicate findings.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree is typical; some employers prefer a master's degree.
BLS does not track general data analyst as a separate occupation; operations research analyst is a quantitative-work proxy.
BLS occupation: Operations research analystsDifferent kind of evidence: the figure above is BLS wage data. For a current read on hiring demand for AI-related roles, see Indeed Hiring Lab’s AI hiring-trend research (Jan 2026), based on job-posting data.
- A possible next step2
Data scientist
$112,590
National median annual pay · May 2024
Build on regression, classification, ensemble methods, and neural networks to create and evaluate predictive models.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree is typical; some employers require or prefer a graduate degree.
BLS occupation: Data scientists - With substantial experience3
Director of data and analytics
$171,200
National median annual pay · May 2024
Set analytics priorities, develop teams, oversee data systems, and connect technical findings to organizational decisions.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and five or more years of related experience are typical.
BLS does not publish a separate analytics-director wage; this broader management occupation is the nearest benchmark.
This $171,200 figure repeats across three leadership roles because all three map to the same broad BLS occupation. It is the median for that whole group, not a pay cap and not specific to this title; senior pay for this particular role can differ substantially, often upward.
BLS occupation: Computer and information systems managersDifferent kind of evidence: the figure above is BLS wage data. For a current read on hiring demand for AI-related roles, see Indeed Hiring Lab’s AI hiring-trend research (Jan 2026), based on job-posting data.
Fellowship track
Cybersecurity
Build from monitoring and response into secure architecture and experienced security leadership.
See this track’s preparation tools- Role to target first1
Information security analyst
$124,910
National median annual pay · May 2024
Apply Linux, network analysis, vulnerability assessment, incident response, forensics, and cloud-security fundamentals.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and related IT experience are typical; employers may prefer certifications.
BLS occupation: Information security analysts - A possible next step2
Security engineer or architect
$130,390
National median annual pay · May 2024
Design secure networks and cloud infrastructure using defense-in-depth, access controls, monitoring, and threat modeling.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and several years of related networking or IT experience are typical.
BLS does not track security engineer separately; computer network architect is the closest secure-design benchmark.
BLS occupation: Computer network architects - With substantial experience3
Security director or chief information security officer
$171,200
National median annual pay · May 2024
Lead risk strategy, incident readiness, governance, budgets, teams, and communication with organizational leadership.
Typical background: A bachelor's degree and five or more years of related experience are typical.
BLS includes security leaders within broader computer and information systems management rather than a separate occupation.
This $171,200 figure repeats across three leadership roles because all three map to the same broad BLS occupation. It is the median for that whole group, not a pay cap and not specific to this title; senior pay for this particular role can differ substantially, often upward.
BLS occupation: Computer and information systems managers
Use the path as a direction, not a deadline
Job titles and requirements vary by employer. Projects, internships, prior work, credentials, location, and the local market can change both the role available to you and its pay. Compare openings by their actual responsibilities, not the title alone.