Pin down the decision
Ask which decision the analysis should inform, which measures matter and what people will do with the answer.
Career profile
Data Analyst
Data analysts turn table data into dashboards, reports and written or spoken explanations for decision-makers.
Spotting a pattern is just the start. The interesting part is testing whether it holds, then saying plainly what it proves and does not.
A day in the life
Pull and line up the data
Query databases or merge separate files, then put every field in one format so records line up.
Hunt for gaps and mismatches
Scan the reports for missing records, clashing definitions or numbers that do not match the request.
Build the chart or dashboard
Make a new or updated spreadsheet, chart, dashboard or recurring report so people can read the result easily.
Explain what the numbers show
Sum up the trend, answer questions and name its key limits before anyone acts on the finding.
Quick facts
Bachelor's common
United States · O*NET occupation updated 2026
Broader proxy only
Data Scientists had a national median annual wage of $120,230 in May 2025. This is a broader benchmark, not a Data Analyst or starting wage.
Broader proxy only
BLS projects 35% employment growth for Data Scientists from 2025 to 2035. It does not publish a separate national forecast for the broad Data Analyst title.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor's commonO*NET places Business Intelligence Analysts in a category where most occupations require a four-year degree, though some do not. Employers set their own requirements.
Pay
Broader proxy onlyData Scientists had a national median annual wage of $120,230 in May 2025. This is a broader benchmark, not a Data Analyst or starting wage.
Outlook
Broader proxy onlyBLS projects 35% employment growth for Data Scientists from 2025 to 2035. It does not publish a separate national forecast for the broad Data Analyst title.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like tracing why two numbers do not agree.
- You can stay patient while checking small details.
- You enjoy explaining technical information in ordinary language.
- You want to learn how a business, public service, or other subject area actually works.
Things to weigh
- Much of the work happens seated at a computer, sometimes for long stretches.
- Accuracy matters, and report deadlines can create recurring time pressure.
- A technically correct result may still be unhelpful if you do not understand the organization's definitions and decisions.
Where AI may help
Query, spreadsheet, visualization, and automation tools can help sort records, repeat calculations, and produce draft charts or reports.
What people still lead
People still frame the decision, choose relevant data, test whether an output fits the need, and explain caveats to stakeholders.
What we can’t predict yet
As tools change, employers may redistribute time between producing routine outputs and checking, interpreting, and explaining them. Which tasks expand or shrink will vary by employer.
Pay in context
Earnings
A median marks the midpoint of workers' wages, and BLS data show that pay can differ by industry.
Broader federal benchmark
Data Scientists had a median annual wage of $120,230 in May 2025. This is neither a Data Analyst estimate nor an entry-level salary. The median hourly wage was $57.80.
The national spread
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile annual wage was $67,240 and the 90th-percentile wage was $199,130. These are wage percentiles, not starting and senior salaries.
Getting started
Bachelor's-centered preparation
Usually several years of college-level study plus projects, internships, or other experience that demonstrates applied work.
- What the route involves
- Study statistics or mathematics, computing and databases, and a business or subject area; practice turning data into reports and explanations.
- What it can lead to
- It matches the preparation pattern reported for many Business Intelligence Analyst roles and builds the skills used in reporting, analysis, and communication.
- What to check
- A bachelor's degree is common, not universal, and employers may also ask for related work or industry knowledge.
Registered apprenticeship
A structured job with mentored work and related instruction; length and entry requirements depend on the sponsor.Paid
- What the route involves
- Work for an employer under a mentor while completing job-related instruction and developing skills against the program's standards.
- What it can lead to
- Completion provides paid work experience and a portable Registered Apprenticeship credential.
- What to check
- The Department of Labor lists Data Analyst among technology apprenticeship occupations, but openings depend on current employers, sponsors, and locations.
There is no single required route. Compare each job's actual tasks and requirements rather than relying on the title alone.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the organization's metric definitions, data sources, access rules, and report checks. Start by making dependable updates and documenting how the output works.
Build range
Move from recurring reports to custom questions, dashboard maintenance, requirements gathering, and explaining results to different audiences.
Specialize or lead
Develop deeper knowledge of a field such as finance or market intelligence, or take broader ownership of reporting systems and recommendations.
- Build stronger statistics and programming skills to pursue data-science work involving predictive models.
Where you can work
Internal analytics team
Your regular contacts are coworkers, managers, and other decision-makers inside the organization. They bring questions, review results, and use the reports in their own operations.
- Indoors
- Office
Client or external stakeholder work
The audience includes clients or other people outside the organization. Calls, messages, or meetings help clarify their requests and communicate results across organizational boundaries.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Choose a small public dataset. In a spreadsheet, check for duplicates and blanks, make one chart that answers a question, then write three sentences: what you found, why it might matter, and one limit of the data. Notice whether you enjoy both the checking and the explaining.
Stay safe: Use public or invented data. Do not upload classmates' personal, academic, health, or contact information.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Occupation Keyword Search: Data Analyst. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- O*NET OnLine. 15-2051.01 — Business Intelligence Analysts. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data Scientists — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Apprenticeship.gov. Technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Apprenticeship.gov. Career Seekers. Accessed 2026-09-16.