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The previous KDnuggets Poll asked: What is your main data mining role?

The responses were

• Practitioner (analyze real-world data) 34%
• Business analyst (mainly deal with business issues of DM) 11%
• Manager (manage one or more of the above types) 10%
• Researcher (write research papers) 19%
• Student (currently in college or university) 13%
• Other : 2%

Surprisingly, the strongest association was between software developer and manager. Other strong associations were between Business analyst and Practitioner, and Practitioner and Software Developer.

Strongest negative association were between Students and Managers (no manager was also a student), and between students and business analysts.

Here are full results for KDnuggets Poll on Data Mining Role.

Note: A reader asked about "What about Amateur / hobbyist" ?

Data mining and knowledge discovery is, like science, about the search for truth.

Data mining is, in some ways, like medicine: if not done right, it can be very harmful. It is so easy to notice associations and make predictions based on only chance or superstition - just look at the continuing popularity of Astrology.

So, to people interested in data mining who consider themselves amateurs or hobbyists, I encourage you to improve your knowledge -- look e.g. at the courses available at www.kdnuggets.com/courses or www.kdnuggets.com/education.