Need some career guidance from Networking folks/ Managers

Hey,
brief about me,
I am international student in US. I have previous worked on contractual basis as TAC. Well, during my work exp I didn't find the work bad, but it's just the analyst/consultant positions always caught my eye, because of the salary they are paid for and they rarely work on weekends etc and companies like Big 4. Roles specific to Data Science captivated me which prompted me to leave the TAC role and come to states to pursue my masters in IT (not networking or not analytics) in US. Now once am here, I didn't get much interview calls for internship in analyst positions (even though, i took courses which had Python, Sql, MS EXCEL in their curriculum), but got calls for Networking roles (even though I haven't studied much networking for past 1 year). I was lucky enough for getting selecting in one networking infrastructure where I have been doing my summer internship. Thanks to my manager.
Now I am in dilemma, I have one yr left for my graduation, my manager suggest me to utilize this time and do certifications like CCNP, JNCIA, NSE4-5, which I think is also right and useful. But I don't know if networking jobs pays you much? My internship is paying me mere 24$/hr while my friends who are working for mid size firm (mine is mid size as well) is getting paid atleast 30$/hr and that too remote.
I sometimes feel guilty of doing my networking workexp in my home country, sometimes I feel guilty that I should have worked harder in my prev company and atleast got JNCIA, CCNP Encore while working (for 1.5yr). I am confused a lot. I don't have any senior or family member in this field. My cousin brother's are in either in Mechanical or software or data field. My close cousin brother suggested me, if I don't like networking (am not sure if I like it or not), go for Data science.
TLDR;
confused idiot came to US for his masters and now getting more confused what he likes and what he doesn't. Confused between Data Science and Networking field. He hates coding but not networking. Feels like DS gonna pay him more than Networking.
ALSO,
while applying for jobs or internships I found there are many DS jobs compared to Networking and so are the applicants.
In networking, sometimes they require you to have clearance, which I can never have. Other than that, most companies require you to have 3-5+ years of work exp even for early career roles in networking don't know why? I have been interviewed by 4 networking/telecommunications companies, one went excellent but don't know why they rejected me, one also went good but they expected me to have Juniper work exp but I had Cisco's, for other HR never reverted back to my email, and the other one (where I am interning) went too bad but was selected as intern don't know why..