Q: Is a data analyst a good job?

Yes, being a data analyst is a good job. Data analysts are in high demand, have competitive salaries, and work in various industries, including finance and insurance, professional, scientific, technical services, information technology, management, and manufacturing.

Q: Is it hard to become a data analyst?

No, it is not hard to become a data analyst. Everything you need to learn about how to be a data analyst you can learn online. Becoming a data analyst is not difficult if you are tech-savvy, skilled at statistics and numeracy, and have an understanding of business processes.

Question 1

Data Engineer vs. Data Analyst

Accepted Answer

A data engineer is an IT professional who conceptualizes and builds platforms that gather, manage, and analyze data, while a data analyst scrutinizes numeric data and uses it to help companies make certain decisions.

Question 2

How long does it take to become a Data Analyst?

Accepted Answer

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a data analyst. That is the time it takes to learn specific data analyst skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become a data analyst.

Question 3

How do I start a career as a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

To start a career as a data analyst, you must first have at least a bachelor's degree in a quantitative field such as mathematics, statistics, or computer science. Some analysts may have a bachelor's in business with a focus or concentration in analytics. It is common for data analysts to get a master's degree in data analytics.

Question 4

How many years does it take to become a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

It takes between one and six years to become a data analyst. Through certifications and self-directed learning, you can become a data analyst in as little as 8 to 11 months. It can take up to 4 years with a bachelor's degree or 5 to 6 years with a master's.

Question 5

How to become a data analyst with no experience

Accepted Answer

You must educate yourself, get professional contacts, and create a data analytics portfolio in order to become a data analyst with no experience. For detailed information on these steps and others you can take to become a data analyst with no experience, use this guide:

Question 6

How to get a data analyst job

Accepted Answer

To get a data analyst job, you must get a bachelor's degree in computer science or attend a tech-based bootcamp, work on projects with real data, and build a portfolio of your work. Here is a closer look at these steps and others you can take to get a data analyst job:

Question 7

Is a data analyst a good job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, being a data analyst is a good job. Data analysts are in high demand, have competitive salaries, and work in various industries, including finance and insurance, professional, scientific, technical services, information technology, management, and manufacturing.

Question 8

Is it hard to become a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

No, it is not hard to become a data analyst. Everything you need to learn about how to be a data analyst you can learn online. Becoming a data analyst is not difficult if you are tech-savvy, skilled at statistics and numeracy, and have an understanding of business processes.

Question 9

What are careers in analytics?

Accepted Answer

Analysts, financial analysts, and product analysts are careers in analytics. Here are some descriptions of these careers and others in analytics:

Analyst

Question 10

What are careers in big data?

Accepted Answer

Big data engineer, data architect, and data scientist are all careers related to the field of big data. Big data refers to the collection and review of mass amounts of data sets to better position companies in both efficiency and productivity.

Big Data Engineer
A big data engineer retrieves, interprets, analyzes, and reports on a business's data that has been gathered from various sources. They are responsible for developing a company's software and hardware architecture and testing, managing and maintaining the data collected.
Data Architect
Data architects build and maintain databases. They develop strategies to effectively use the gathered data and communicate these plans to the company's executives. These professionals are responsible for presenting any findings gathered from the data in a consumable way to those outside the field of data sciences.
Data Scientist
Data scientists are those who develop prototypes, algorithms, predictive models, and custom analyses. Their work is technical, analytical, and sometimes experimental, as they are constantly looking for new ways to gather, clean, and manipulate data to benefit the company.

Question 11

What are the main qualifications for a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

The main qualifications for a data analyst are mathematical skills, programming languages like SQL, Oracle, and Python, data visualization, and problem-solving skills.

The role of a data analyst is to delve deep into data and seek out patterns and trends. It's not so much about crunching numbers but being a good detective who is piecing the story together and figuring out the meaning behind the data.

Question 12

What companies hire data analysts?

Accepted Answer

Companies in the technology, finance, and healthcare industries hire data analysts. Data analysts are in high demand in these industries and many others, due to the fact these industries have many remote work opportunities and a need for examining and organizing massive amounts of data. These industries use data analysts to:

Question 13

What is the career path for a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

The career path for a data analyst includes jobs as an analyst (I and II), a senior analyst, and a data scientist.

A data analyst is a professional who gathers and evaluates data in order to turn this information into actionable strategies that can improve a company's efficiency, overall performance, and profitability.

To get a job as an entry-level analyst (I and II) you need a bachelor's degree in computer science, math, statistics, or another related field. Some also choose to get a more advanced degree in one of these areas, or attend training courses for professional development.

Many companies also prefer candidates to have some level of professional experience before applying for these roles. Internship programs represent the best opportunity to gain an adequate amount of experience. While data science bootcamps also represent another valid form of education and experience.

In addition to degrees and training, the analyst role also benefits from certain certifications, including:

MongoDB. This certification exhibits expansive knowledge and expertise of advanced databases. MongoDB University offers certifications like the MongoDB Certified Developer and MongoDB Certified Database Administrator certifications.
Cloudera Certified Associate (CCA) Data Analyst. This certification properly prepares professionals to process and transform information utilizing Hadoop software to do so. Cloudera provides an opportunity for obtaining this certification.
Certified Analytics Professional (CAP). This certification gives data analysts advanced knowledge and strategies for turning data into insights. Companies seek candidates with this certification when they are looking to hire premier analytics professionals.

These certifications are not only helpful to obtaining a position as an analyst (I and II), but also beneficial on the career path of then becoming a senior analyst and a data scientist.

Senior analysts typically work in the analyst (I and II) role for a number of years gaining the adequate experience to become a senior analyst, and then possibly a data scientist.

Additional certifications helpful to becoming a senior analyst and data scientist include:

EMC Data Scientist Associate (EMCDSA)
Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences
MapR Certified Data Analyst

There are many skills that are needed to become a data analyst and these are crucial for all stages of the career path. Some of the most important skills needed to be a data analyst include:

Technical skills. Data analysts often work with many different kinds of technology. They must be adept in knowledge and skill to properly utilize this technology to do things like interpret data, organize and manage databases, and keep record of data sets. They also must be versed in programming languages, such as Python and SQL.
Analytical skills. This one is rather obvious, and it's not hard to understand why it is an essential skill set. Data analysts must be able to correctly identify, gather, organize, and manage data. They also must be able to present data in a method that is easy to understand.
Teamwork skills. Data analysts often work within large or small teams or entire departments at an organization. Along with their analyst colleagues they conceive and present data interpretations that can then be turned into actionable strategies for their company. They often have to collaborate with many team members, so teamwork skills are a must.
Math skills and abilities. Data analysts employ several different types of mathematics to calculate, evaluate, and interpret data. Math skills assist them in figuring out what their findings mean and how they affect their company. Strategies and solutions can then also be derived from the math work that is performed.
Leadership skills. Leadership skills are crucial for data analysts, especially ones that want to work their way up the career path ladder into positions like senior analyst, data scientist, or even Chief Technology Officer (CTO). They often must lead data-related projects and supervise other analysts in their work and contributions. They need the ability to make confident and decisive decisions that others will comply with. Professionalism is also required, as oftentimes analysts leading a data project will have to present their findings to stakeholders.
Problem-solving skills. This is a core skill of any analyst position, as companies hire data analytics to analyze and interpret data with the overall goal of finding solutions, strategies, and techniques for various issues and problems. Often companies want data analysts to become aware of potential issues before they truly arise, so problem prevention is also key. Data analysts must use keen problem-solving abilities to come up with complete and actionable solutions based on their data findings.

All positions on this career path (analyst, senior analyst, and data scientist) are in high demand in many industries. The tech sector is possibly the most relevant and competitive, however, their demand crosses many industries, including finance, retail, and entertainment.

To hit the pinnacle of this career path as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), an analyst must have a long career resulting in a wealth of experience and knowledge. This goal can take a decade or even much longer to obtain.

Question 14

What is the career path for data analytics?

Accepted Answer

The career path for data analytics involves jobs as an analyst (I and II), a senior analyst, and a data scientist. Here is a look at the career path for data analytics:

Education

Question 15

Why do you want to be a data analyst?

Accepted Answer

"I want to be a data analyst because I am fascinated by data, I want to grow and advance in the field, and I want to have a positive impact on key business decisions" is a good answer to this interview question. You might also want to highlight particular interests in the specific employer's company and activities.

Question 16

Business Analyst vs. Data Analyst

Accepted Answer

A business analyst uses data to make strategic business decisions, while a data analyst gathers data and then manipulates it to find useful information.

A business analyst focuses on identifying trends in the organization that can be optimized to improve overall business planning and performance. They support the continuous improvement of the business and seek to find areas of inefficiencies in technology and processes.

Question 17

Business Intelligence Analyst vs. Data Analyst

Accepted Answer

A business intelligence analyst discovers business-focused insights through data while a data analyst solves problems using analytics.

A business intelligence analyst uses data to discover business-focused insights and use those to make business decisions. They are focused on providing business value. The work process for a business intelligence analyst begins with understanding the needs of the business end-user.

Question 18

Data Analyst vs. Financial Analyst

Accepted Answer

A data analyst is responsible for analyzing data and using that information to solve business problems, while a financial analyst is responsible for researching, analyzing, and interpreting financial and accounting information.

Question 19

Data analyst vs. Data engineer

Accepted Answer

A data analyst analyzes numeric data and uses it to help companies make better decisions while a data engineer develops, constructs, and tests data.

A data analyst's primary skill set revolves around data acquisition, handling, and processing. A data analyst is more focused on pre-processing and data gathering as well as representing that data via reporting and visualization tools. It is important for a data analyst to have a deep understanding of data cleaning, data conversion, and data modeling.

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	10.18%
Python	6.92%
Power Bi	6.05%
Data Management	5.50%
Visualization	5.32%

What is a data analyst and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Data Analyst?

What are the pros and cons of being a Data Analyst?

Data Analyst career paths

Key steps to become a data analyst

Explore data analyst education requirements

Most common data analyst degrees

Start to develop specific data analyst skills

Complete relevant data analyst training and internships

Research data analyst duties and responsibilities

Prepare your data analyst resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Data Analyst Resume templates

Apply for data analyst jobs

How Did You Land Your First Data Analyst Job

Average data analyst salary

How do data analysts rate their job?

Data Analyst reviews

Data Analyst FAQs