How to become a data analyst
Data analysis is a fast-growing industry. If you have an analytical mindset and want to know how to become a data analyst in the UK, our brief career guide tells you how.
CONTENTS
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Routes to becoming a data analyst
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Skills you’ll need
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Finding work experience
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How to get a job as a data analyst
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What it's like to be a data analyst
If you’re interested in becoming a data analyst, there are various ways of gaining a qualification. You might want to learn more via an undergraduate degree or learn on the job through a degree apprenticeship. If you already have relevant experience or an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate degree might be the right path for you.
Undergraduate degrees
The most obvious undergraduate degree to choose is a data analysis degree or a degree in data science; either of these will have a strong focus on data analysis.
Strong alternative options include a degree in computer science, maths or statistics. Also, you could consider a degree in a related field that has an analytical focus, such as business analytics or economics with data science.
Entry requirements for a data analysis degree range from 88–170 UCAS points. An undergraduate degree will usually take three or four years to complete, depending on whether it includes an integrated foundation year, professional placement or year abroad.
You can learn more about what to expect from a data analytics degree in our data science subject guide, including what topics you’ll cover and how you’ll be assessed.
Degree apprenticeships
If you prefer learning on the job, a degree apprenticeship could be worth considering. These courses employer-led and will usually take the same length of time to complete as an undergraduate degree. Entry requirements are set by the employer and the course provider. You’ll usually need to apply and attend an interview. A big advantage of this route is that your employer will pay for your studies, not you. A Level 4 apprenticeship is comparable to the first year of an undergraduate course and a Level 6 apprenticeship is equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate degree.
Search for an apprenticeship vacancy via Find an apprenticeship; you might want to consider data analyst and data science apprenticeships.
Postgraduate degrees
A postgraduate qualification isn’t necessary to become a data analyst but might be an option if you’re thinking of changing careers or need to improve your analysis skills. A Master’s in Data Analytics usually takes a year to complete full time or two years part time and you’ll need an undergraduate degree as a minimum entry requirement.
As well as having a love for data, you’ll need:
- Excellent mathematical knowledge.
- Analytical thinking.
- Thorough understanding of computer systems and tools e.g., databases.
- Good verbal and written communication.
- Excellent listening skills.
- Autonomy.
- Concentration.
- Attention to detail.
- Curiosity.
- Determination.
You’ll be at an advantage if you have some work experience to draw on, perhaps from an internship, degree placement or voluntary work.
You could try.
- Getting an internship, often found in larger companies like media, telecommunication and consulting firms.
- Shadowing someone to see what a role in data analysis might be like.
- Volunteering at a charity by contacting them and offering to look at their data to solve a problem they’ve identified.
Data analysis is a fast-growing industry and required across multiple sectors like finance, media, healthcare and manufacturing, so it’s a good idea to pick a field that interests you. Look for job vacancies with companies that you’d like to work for as well as on specific job sites like DataJobs, CW jobs and StatsJobs, among others.
How to become a data analyst with no experience? Data analysis is a competitive field, so breaking into it without experience will be difficult. You can gain professional certification to prove your technical skills – some programmes are open to anyone – but this alone may not be enough. If you are a graduate with a relevant degree, then graduate programmes offer a route into the industry. You could also aim to work in another role for a company that employs data analysts; once you have proven your data handling abilities you could then try for a sideways move into the job you want.
As a data analyst, you’ll translate numbers into useful information that will improve performance. Depending on your role and specialisation, your tasks could include:
- Helping to design research studies and analysing results.
- Using statistical software to analyse things like risk.
- Identifying trends and patterns to help organisations make decisions and improvements.
- Analysing market research into consumer behaviour and feedback.
- Creating models to predict demand for things like services or goods.
- Checking quality control standards in areas like drug and food testing
- Data analysts tend to work in an office environment and will usually be part of a team.
Consider joining a professional body such as BSC, the Chartered Institute for IT to grow your networks and increase your industry knowledge. As your career progresses, you might want to do extra training in a specialised area or in project management to increase your chances of promotion. You could also consider setting up your own business once you have considerable experience in your area of expertise.
Data analyst salary
A typical starting salary for a data analyst is £23,000 which can increase to as much as £65,000 with considerable experience and management responsibilities. Generally, data analysts in the finance sector tend to earn more.
Is a role as a data analyst right for you?
If you are a highly analytical person with strong mathematical skills, this growing industry could be worth considering.
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