A data analyst collects, cleans, and interprets data sets in order to answer a question or solve a problem. They work in many industries, including business, finance, criminal justice, science, medicine, and government. Show
What kind of customers should a business target in its next ad campaign? What age group is most vulnerable to a particular disease? What patterns in behavior are connected to financial fraud? These are the types of questions you might be pressed to answer as a data analyst. Read on to find out more about what a data analyst is, what skills you'll need, and how you can start on a path to become one. What is data analysis?Data analysis is the process of gleaning insights from data to inform better business decisions. The process of analyzing data typically moves through five iterative phases:
Data analysis can take different forms, depending on the question you’re trying to answer. You can read more about the types of data analysis here. Briefly, descriptive analysis tells us what happened, diagnostic analysis tells us why it happened, predictive analytics forms projections about the future, and prescriptive analysis creates actionable advice on what actions to take. Data analyst tasks and responsibilitiesA data analyst is a person whose job is to gather and interpret data in order to solve a specific problem. The role includes plenty of time spent with data but entails communicating findings too. Here’s what many data analysts do on a day-to-day basis:
What tools do data analysts use?During the process of data analysis, analysts often use a wide variety of tools to make their work more accurate and efficient. Some of the most common tools in the data analytics industry include:
Data analyst salary and job outlookThe average base salary for a data analyst in the US is $69,517 in December 2021, according to Glassdoor. This can vary depending on your seniority, where in the US you’re located, and other factors. Data analysts are in high demand. The World Economic Forum listed it as number two in growing jobs in the US [1]. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports related occupations as having extremely high growth rates. From 2020 to 2030, operations research analyst positions are expected to grow by 25 percent, market research analysts by 22 percent, and mathematicians and statisticians by 33 percent. That’s a lot higher than the total employment growth rate of 7.7 percent. Data analysts and data scientists both work with data, but what they do with it differs. Data analysts typically work with existing data to solve defined business problems. Data scientists build new algorithms and models to make predictions about the future. Learn more about the difference between data scientists and data analysts. Types of data analystsAs advancing technology has rapidly expanded the types and amount of information we can collect, knowing how to gather, sort, and analyze data has become a crucial part of almost any industry. You’ll find data analysts in the criminal justice, fashion, food, technology, business, environment, and public sectors—among many others. People who perform data analysis might have other titles such as: How to become a data analystThere’s more than one path toward a career as a data analyst. Whether you’re just graduating from school or looking to switch careers, the first step is often assessing what transferable skills you have and building the new skills you’ll need in this new role. Data analyst technical skills
If that seems like a lot, don’t worry—there are plenty of courses that will walk you through the basics of the hard skills you need as a data analyst. This IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate course on Coursera can be a good place to start. You are Currently on slide 1 Data analyst workplace skills
Learn more: 7 In-Demand Data Analyst Skills to Get Hired Paths to becoming a data analystAcquiring these skills is the first step to becoming a data analyst. Here are a few routes you can take to get them that are flexible enough to fit in around your life.
For more on how to become a data analyst (with or without a degree), check out our step-by-step guide. Data analyst career advancementBeing a data analyst can also open doors to other careers. Many who start as data analysts go on to work as data scientists. Like analysts, data scientists use statistics, math, and computer science to analyze data. A scientist, however, might use advanced techniques to build models and other tools to provide insights into future trends. Get started todayIf you’re ready to start exploring a career as a data analyst, build job-ready skills in less than six months with the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera. Learn how to clean, organize, analyze, visualize, and present data from data professionals at Google. professional certificate Google Data AnalyticsThis is your path to a career in data analytics. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills that will have you job-ready in less than 6 months. No degree or experience required. 4.8 BEGINNER level Average time: 6 month(s) Learn at your own pace Skills you'll build: Spreadsheet, Data Cleansing, Data Analysis, Data Visualization (DataViz), SQL, Questioning, Decision-Making, Problem Solving, Metadata, Data Collection, Data Ethics, Sample Size Determination, Data Integrity, Data Calculations, Data Aggregation, Tableau Software, Presentation, R Programming, R Markdown, Rstudio, Job portfolio, case study Frequently asked questions (FAQ)Data analysts tend to be in demand and well paid. If you enjoy solving problems, working with numbers, and thinking analytically, a career as a data analyst could be a good fit for you. Most entry-level data analyst positions require at least a bachelor’s degree. Fields of study might include data analysis, mathematics, finance, economics, or computer science. Earning a master’s degree in data analysis, data science, or business analytics might open new, higher-paying job opportunities. Read more: What Degree Do I Need to Become a Data Analyst? You might not be required to code as part of your day-to-day requirements as a data analyst. However, knowing how to write some basic Python or R, as well as how to write queries in SQL (Structured Query Language) can help you clean, analyze, and visualize data. Sometimes even junior data analyst job listings ask for previous experience. Luckily, it’s possible to gain experience working with data even if you’ve never had a job as an analyst. Degree programs, certification courses, and online classes often include hands-on data projects. If you’re learning on your own, you can find free data sets on the internet that you can work with to start getting experience (and building your portfolio). The amount of time it takes to develop the skills you need to get a job as a data analyst will depend on what you already know, your strategy for learning new skills, and the type of role you’re applying for. But it might not take as long as you think. It’s possible to learn the skills you need for an entry-level role as a data analyst in approximately 64 hours of learning, according to Coursera’s 2021 Global Skills Report. It’s possible to earn your Google Data Analytics or IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate in less than six months. |