How to Become a Data Analyst? - Check Out Steps, Skills, Qualifications, Courses, Job and Salary of A Data Analyst
How to Become a Data Analyst with or without pursuing any courses? Data analytics and data science are highly in demand across industries as data generation continues to grow. Learn what skills are required to become a data analyst, job and salary of a data analyst here.
How to Become a Data Analyst: A data analyst is a person whose responsibility is to collect, process, and perform statistical analyses on large datasets. Simply put, a data analyst gathers and translates numbers into statistical information to help organizations gain insight into how to track business. Their job role typically deals with gathering, processing, transforming, modeling, reporting and problem-solving so that they can support in decision-making. Those who are highly analytical, with strong mathematical skills, and inquisitive can choose data analysis as their career. Such professionals produce accessible graphs, tables, charts and reports with the help of data analysis.
From number-crunching skills to a multidisciplinary role, a data analyst is highly in demand across various industries like, finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, consulting, education, and government. A data analyst can work across various areas, including data assurance, business intelligence, data quality, finance, marketing, sales, higher education, etc. The average salary of a data analyst is ₹5,39,368 per year. Based on the industry, experience level of a candidate, focus area, specific skills and geographical area, the yearly income may vary. In this article, you will get a comprehensive understanding of the courses to become a data analyst, the skills required, and the jobs and salaries for a data analyst.
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How to Become a Data Analyst - Overview
Before plunging into how to become a data analyst, it is important to know who can become a data analyst. A person who can transform raw data into actionable insights that fuel innovation leading to the success of an industry is eligible to become a data analyst. He/she is required to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in relevant fields such as data science, computer science, statistics, information systems, economics, finance, or business information systems. Without a degree, if anyone wants to become a data analyst, they can become with valuable certifications. Some of the key responsibilities are:
- Identifying and accumulating data from various sources like surveys, databases, or any other external sources.
- Ensuring that the raw data are error-free, accurate, and complete.
- Analyzing data sets using statistical methods and tools to identify trends, patterns, and insight and to interpret the data.
- Presenting findings through charts, graphs, and dashboards in a comprehensible format.
- Reporting the recommendations to the employers through presentations or meetings.
- Addressing specific business questions or challenges using data.
The job roles of a data analyst are generally office based and they work for all types of employers. A data analyst require a high level of attention and concentration on minute details as they will be dealing with complex systems. The working hours of such professionals are usually from 9 am to 5 pm. Since it is a salaried designation, therefore overtime is not generally paid. However, depending on projects or seasoned periods, there can be overtime allowance. They can expect benefits such as a company pension scheme, discretionary bonus, or private medical insurance.
Read More Career as a Data Analyst Course, Colleges, Eligibility, Scope
How to Become a Data Analyst - Courses
For an in-demand career and rapidly changing career scenarios, for an experienced or a fresher candidate, choosing the right course will always help to stay ahead. Here are some of the important courses that can help to empower oneself with the right knowledge:
| Courses | Skills to be gained |
| Google Data Analytics | Statistical analysis, Python, regression models, and machine learning, explore the roles of data professionals, data visualizations, and create regression and machine learning models, providing insights from data analysis to stakeholders |
| IBM Certified Introduction to Data Analytics | Develop Python code, Data analysis, Data management, Data visualization, Manipulate data using dataframes, Python programming, SQL, Build and evaluate regression models |
| IBM Data Analyst | Python programming, Data visualization, Microsoft Excel, spreadsheet software, data analysis |
| Data Analysis with Python | Computer programming, data analysis, Data visualization, exploratory data analysis |
| Business Analytics with Excel | Business Analysis, Data analysis, Data management, Data visualization, spreadsheet software, Data Model, Decision making |
| Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst | Data analysis, Data management, Data Mining, Data Model, Data visualization, Extract, Transform |
AWS Data Analytics Certification Course | Machine learning, Data collection, trained on AWS data analytics tools, Data visualization, Data storage and management |
Qualifications Needed to Become a Data Analyst
A candidate must have a bachelor's degree in the most entry-level positions. Ideally, a candidate has to pursue a bachelor's degree in mathematics, finance, economics, or computer science in a field like data analysis. Moreover, a master's degree in data analysis, business analytics or data science is an additional preference if a candidate wants to opt for higher-paying opportunities. Some of the undergraduate disciplines for data analysis are:
- Bachelor in Mathematics
- Bachelor in Economics
- Bachelor of Science in Statistics
- Bachelor in Engineering (Computer Science/ IT)
- Bachelor of Computer Applications
- Bachelor in Business information systems
Skills Required to Become a Data Analyst
In order to excel as a data analyst, one must have both hard and soft skills. The hard skills are the technical attributes that are acquired through education, including mathematics, statistics, reporting, computing, spreadsheets, data visualization and so on. Whereas soft skills are acquired through experience that includes communication skills, problem-solving, analytical abilities, organizational abilities, and public speaking. On a generic level, a data analyst must have:- The knowledge of programming languages (Python, JavaScript, Java, C, SQL)
- Decode insights from complex data
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to interpret client requirements
- Expert in decision-making and problem-solving
- Spearhead of technological advancements
- Predictive modeling and database management skills
- Statistical and data modeling tools like R, SAS, SPSS, STATA, Python etc.
- Data and information visualization through Tableau, Power BI, MATLAB, Google Chartd, Zoho analytics etc.
- SQL for storing, retrieving, organizing, and manipulating data in relational databases.
- Spreadsheets like Excel for data organization, aata analysis tools, and data security.
- Internships in data analytics while pursuing an undergraduate degree
- Practical experience by participating in real-world projects and analyzing available datasets
- Create a portfolio taking up freelancing and showcasing projects and analyses
- Gain knowledge through assisting with data analysis roles in any research labs
- Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp
- IBM Certified Data Analyst Professional
- Google data analytics professional certificate
- Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate
- Cloudera certified associate data analyst
- Tableau Desktop Certified Associate
How Long Does it Take to Become a Data Analyst?
The time which is required to become a data analyst depends on multiple factors, including one's academic qualification, prior experience, current skills, and how much time one is willing to spend to develop data analyst skills or is flexible for learning. Sometimes, to become a data analyst it takes from several months to years. Some of the conditions on which time differs to become a Data Analyst are:
- Education- A candidate will have to spend around four years while pursuing a bachelor's degree in a related field like statistics, computer science, or mathematics of full-time study.
- Prior experience- If one is already experienced with Excel, Tableau, or computer programming languages, he/ she will be considered to have the basic knowledge and will be able to get ahold of data analytics in as little as three months.
- Learning process- One can learn the required data analysis skills through self-study or a boot camp program. This can take time from a few weeks to several months.
- Skills and knowledge- If someone has the specific skills and knowledge that they need to acquire, it will not take a long time to become a data analyst.
- Commitment to Time- The amount of time one can devote to learning is also responsible for how long it takes to become a data analyst.
Is It Hard to Become a Data Analyst?
Becoming a data analyst is not difficult if one has the right skills and determination. Yes, data analysis demands specific technical skills. Now these can be more challenging for some candidates as compared to the other courses. In addition to this, due to continuing progress in the field, and the demand for high-earning potential, data analysis is a professional pathway that calls for ongoing education. Anyone who is aspiring to become a data analyst, at an initial level, has to keep certain things clear, which are:- Know your niche
- Be clear about the fundamentals
- Undertake a bachelor's degree
- Pursue a course
- Learn programming language
- Grow your technical skills
- Consider an internship
- Build your connection and find a guide
Types of Job Roles for a Data Analyst
There are more than 120, 000 jobs offered in India, with 8, 530 new jobs for data analysis. Data analysis is always a good career option for those who are highly aspiring and want to move up the professional ladder. After the intervention of AI, data analysis is one of the job roles that was and will never be impacted. The work of a Data analyst directly impacts a company's outcome. Data Analyst Jobs after pursuing a course are listed below:
- Data Research Analyst
- Data Analyst Supply Chain
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Business Data Analyst
- Financial Data Analyst
- Senior Technology Analyst
- Data Engineer
- Senior Consulting Analyst
- Marketing Data Analyst
Top Recruiting Companies for a Data Analyst
Some of the top recruiting companies for data analysts are listed below:
- Deloitte - It is a British multinational professional service that aims to find outstanding people of diverse talents.
- EY - It is a global leader in tax, assurance, transaction and advisory services.
- Capgemini - It is a French multinational information technology services and consulting company.
- Cognizant Technology Solutions - It is a banking technology solutions that accelerate growth with customer focused solutions.
- S&P Global - It is a financial services company that focuses on data, analytics, and credit ratings to capital markets.
- Harnham - A London-based leading agency for data science and analytics roles, providing data recruitment.
- Alpha Apex Group - A top technology-based company that recruits for data analytics and big data.
- Averity - A New York-based technology recruiting agency that specializes in recruiting data, software, and DevOps Engineers.
- Consortia - A company that is dedicated to areas like machine learning, AI, and NLP.
- Acara Solutions - A company with a data science team and a consultative approach to develop data powered solutions.
Salary for a Data Analyst
In India, the average salary of a data analyst is INR 6,00,000 per year (for a fresher), with an additional pay of INR 55,000 per annum. The fixed amount that a data analyst can earn ranges from INR 4L to INR 10.0L per annum. The salary for a senior data analyst ranges between INR 9L and INR 20L annually. The table below contains the salary structure of a data analyst in India:| Particulars | Salary |
Entry Level/freshers | 3 - 6 lakhs per annum |
| Mid - level | 8 - 12 lakhs per annum |
| Experienced | 16 - 30 lakhs per annum |
How to Become a Data Analyst - Without Course
Candidates can become data analysts without courses and certifications. However, they are required to have a minimum academic degree after class 12, like an undergraduate or bachelor's degree, to become a data analyst. Candidates just need to consider the below mentioned points to become a Data Analyst without any course:- Pursue a bachelorette degree
- Study foundational education
- Learn your technical skills
- Work on as many projects as possible with real data
- Build freelance gigs
- Create a portfolio of all the undergone work highlighting your skills
- Work on presenting your findings
- Get at least an entry-level data analyst job for experience
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FAQs
As a fresher can I become a data analyst?
Yes of course you can. You need to be a graduate with relevant skills in order to start your career as an entry-level data analyst. You can have experience through internships, work on different projects, or have certifications to improve your chances of getting hired for a data analyst position.
Do I need certification to become a data analyst?
No, having certificates is not mandatory. However, it is always a plus point to showcase your proficiency in tools like Excel, Power BI, Python etc while getting hired. Some of the popular certifications are IBM Data Analyst Professional and Tableau Desktop Certified Associate.
Is data analysts have a high salary?
Data analysis is a lucrative career, where a data analyst is well-compensated with an average salary of 3 - 6 lakhs per annum for the entry level. Salaries may vary depending on the industry, company strength, location, and obviously with an employer's experience and expertise.