Data analyst job description.
Hiring a data analyst or starting a career in data interpretation? This data analyst job description outlines responsibilities such as producing reports, analysing trends, and supporting business decisions. It covers required tools, common career paths into senior roles or specialisms, and typical salary ranges for entry to mid-level analysts.
What does a data analyst do?
A data analyst turns raw data into actionable insights that help businesses make informed decisions. They work across departments to analyse performance, spot trends, and recommend improvements using dashboards, reports, and presentations.
Core tasks include querying databases, cleaning datasets, building visualisations, and reporting on key metrics. Tools often include Excel, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, or Google Looker Studio. Analysts also play a role in data governance and may support forecasting or segmentation projects.
In smaller businesses, data analysts often serve multiple teams and contribute to strategic planning. In larger companies, they work within dedicated functions such as product, marketing, or operations, supporting specific KPIs or stakeholders.
Key responsibilities of a data analyst.
Data analysts interpret data to help stakeholders make informed decisions. Their typical responsibilities include:
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Extracting, cleaning, and transforming raw data from various sources
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Creating dashboards and visualisations using Power BI, Tableau, or Looker
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Analysing trends, patterns, and outliers to support business decisions
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Writing SQL queries to retrieve and manipulate datasets
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Collaborating with marketing, finance, and product teams on data needs
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Creating reports and presenting insights to non-technical stakeholders
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Maintaining data accuracy and documentation
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Supporting ad hoc requests and scenario modelling
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Monitoring KPIs and identifying areas for improvement
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Ensuring compliance with data privacy and governance policies
This role blends technical data work with stakeholder communication and reporting.
Skills and requirements for a data analyst.
Data analysts extract insights to support business decisions. Employers typically look for:
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2–5 years of experience in data or analytics roles
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Strong skills in SQL, Excel, and visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI
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Ability to clean, structure, and analyse datasets from various sources
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Experience building dashboards and reporting tools
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Understanding of business KPIs and performance metrics
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Strong communication skills to share insights clearly
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Attention to detail and logical problem-solving
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Ability to work efficiently with large datasets
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Familiarity with basic statistics and forecasting methods
Most data analysts translate raw data into actionable business insights.
Average salary for a data analyst.
In the UK, the average salary for a data analyst typically ranges from £31,000 to £45,000, depending on analytical tools, data storytelling, and industry knowledge.
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Mid-level data analysts tend to earn between £31,000 and £37,000
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Senior analysts with SQL, Power BI, or stakeholder-facing dashboards may earn between £38,000 and £45,000
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Analysts supporting revenue, customer, or marketing teams often attract higher compensation
London and data-driven sectors like ecommerce, finance, and media offer top salaries.
Career progression for a data analyst.
A data analyst transforms raw data into actionable insights to inform business decisions. It’s a foundational role that offers multiple routes into data science, product analytics, or leadership. A typical career path includes:
Junior data analyst
Cleans and prepares data, builds reports in Excel or BI tools, and supports dashboard creation.
Data analyst
Analyses trends, builds reports, and collaborates with marketing, product, or finance teams to deliver insights.
Senior data analyst
Leads deep-dive analysis, influences strategic decisions, and mentors junior analysts.
Analytics lead / Data science associate
Shapes KPI frameworks, owns tooling, and supports predictive modelling.
Head of data analytics
Leads the analytics function. Sets vision, defines infrastructure, and aligns data to business growth.
salary guide
Our UK data salary guide.
Data analysts transform raw data into clear insights that inform decisions across departments. Salary should reflect their ability to analyse, report, and communicate effectively.
Use our UK data salary guide to benchmark analyst roles, review 2024 trends, explore hiring insights, and plan for projected changes through to 2026.
FAQS
Data analyst FAQs.
It depends on the organisation. In startups and scale-ups, data analysts often sit within marketing, finance, or operations teams to provide real-time insights. In larger businesses, they’re usually part of a central analytics or BI team and work on request-based projects.
Not always. Many UK businesses still hire analysts who focus on Excel, Looker Studio, Power BI, or Tableau. However, SQL is increasingly non-negotiable — and Python/R skills are increasingly sought after in data-mature teams, especially when cleaning large or unstructured datasets.
Ask for examples where the analyst’s insight changed a business decision or revealed a risk. Too often, candidates list tools — but what matters is whether they can prioritise, communicate findings clearly, and influence non-data stakeholders.
Product-led tech companies and digital retailers often encourage analysts to evolve into product analysts or commercial strategists. In these businesses, analysts help define what success means, not just report on it.
Those who enjoy modelling or experimentation often move into data science. Others with an eye for structure may progress into analytics engineering or specialise in tools like dbt, Airflow, or Snowflake.
