The state economy is potentially being hurt by an exodus of skilled data science graduates over east and overseas but one of WA’s biggest companies is offering a big orange carrot to make them stay.

As organisations and businesses use data to hone their activities, the demand for data scientists, who digest complex data and regurgitate solutions to problems, is on the rise.

Bankwest data science graduates Jonathon Kok, Brayden Calzada, Tim Howat and Jack McDonald.

A 2018 whitepaper from the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia said ever-rising data scienctist salaries were evidence of a skills shortage.

The shortage is biting WA in particular, which a Bankwest executive suggested was due to the readiness of data science graduates to work outside of the state.