Data Analyst: The essentials

You probably know a Data Analyst personally. Sitting between the software engineer and the businessperson, they can work with every department, from finance to HR through quality control… But what exactly is their role? Read on to finally understand this profession.

What is an Analyst?

A quick clarification to start

To understand what a Data Analyst is, you first need to know what an Analyst is in general. Good news — the word is fairly transparent. An Analyst is sought after for… their analytical skills.

Analysts hold a strategic role

The analyst role was designed to address a company's strategic challenges. They're the ones providing leadership teams with various reports to support decision-making. For example, on market trends, company sales, etc.

Concretely, what do analysts do?

Analysts know how to make data speak. They're there to give it meaning and an intelligible visualization so that, from a desk, you can grasp what's happening on the ground.

Thanks to their insights, decision-makers have all the cards they need to choose a direction, prioritize actions, and so on.

What is the role of the data analyst?

Now, among analysts, what's specific about the Data Analyst? It's quite simple, and you've already guessed: they're a data specialist.

Within a company, they're the ones in charge of defining the relevant data, finding ways to collect it, then processing that data and giving it meaning. Let's look at all that in more detail.

Identify relevant data

The Data Analyst decides what information is relevant to collect throughout the production and sales process. For example, a company that sells products online will want to know the age range, gender, and location of its buyers. Our world is a vast field of data, and the data analyst has to choose which to focus on.

Collect the data

Then, the Data Analyst has to set up channels to capture the points of interest identified, and process the considerable flow of information these channels generate every day. This requires solid software engineering skills, including knowledge of the Python language and data processing tools like Hadoop or Spark.

Surface trends

Once that data is collected, the Data Analyst has to make it useful for decision-making. That's where their solid grasp of statistical analysis comes in: it lets them surface the trends emerging from the rows of data.

Share their analysis

Finally, the Data Analyst has to share all this information with the company's decision-makers. To do so, they need marketing skills. Their analyses must be readable and understandable, but also persuasive for the reader. The Data Analyst is therefore at the heart of the company's decision-making process.

What skills are needed to become a Data Analyst?

Data Analysts thus play a central role inside a company. Their work blends technical skills with the ability to interact with various stakeholders. That's why we've split their skills into two parts:

Technical skills

Mathematics and statistics:

Data Analysts are responsible for surfacing statistical trends from the various pieces of information they collect. To make them intelligible to their stakeholders, they need to be perfectly comfortable with the mathematical theory of statistics.

Programming languages:

Data Analysts spend a large part of their time coding. They use Python or SQL to process their databases, join them, or organize them as needed. These languages also let them set up automation for several of their tasks.

Visualization tools:

These must be mastered to deliver high-value-add reports. Many Data Analysts explicitly list those they can use on their CV, such as Power BI, Microsoft's tool, or Google Charts, which has the advantage of being online and free.

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving:

A Data Analyst is expected to bring proposals and creative solutions to the questions submitted to them, and to the obstacles they may run into at every stage of their work.

Communication:

The Data Analyst collects data from various stakeholders, then produces reports. So they need to be able to easily explain their approach: it's essential that they have teaching ability and a knack for synthesis. They also have to master public speaking.

Knowing their industry well:

It's fundamental for the Data Analyst to internalize their company's processes. That will help them clearly grasp the stakes of the questions submitted to them, and know where to look for the relevant data to deliver the right answers.

What training does a data analyst need?

Academic paths, the royal road

Most recruiters look for Data Analysts among graduates with a bachelor+1 or master's degree in engineering, statistics, marketing, or computer science. Generally speaking, the more versatile your profile, the more attention it will draw, given how varied the skills required are.

Bootcamps, a high-quality accelerated path

It's also possible to switch into data analysis. More and more organizations like Le Wagon offer intensive bootcamp programs in Data Analysis. In just a few weeks, you have everything you need to apply for this role.

Social media, a tech watch

Like many other communities in the IT world, Data Analysts trade with each other — they share advice by posting their projects on GitHub or their comments on Twitter. A good Data Analyst should never stop keeping an eye on this valuable source of information.

The data analyst's salary

As an employee

According to Glassdoor, the average data analyst salary in France in 2022 is €42,000 gross. But it varies based on experience level: for a junior, this salary sits between €35,000 and €38,000. Once the Data Analyst crosses 5 years of experience, they become senior and compensation can rise to between €50,000 and €60,000.

That said, this salary can vary based on the geographic location of the role. Data Analysts find higher salaries in the Paris region. Even so, you'll notice big cities like Lyon or Lille are starting to align with the capital, with an average salary of €38,000 per year.

As a freelancer

A junior freelance Data Analyst (less than 5 years of experience) earns on average €25,000 gross per year in France. That income can go up to €45,000 gross per year for seniors.

That said, compensation can change quickly: take a look at Malt, and you'll see that a successful freelancer can bill up to €700 a day!

Which specialization pays best for a data analyst?

Today, data analysis has become central in most industries. You'll find Data Analysts everywhere, but they go by different titles depending on their sector or specialization:

• In healthcare, they're called Medical and Healthcare Analysts.
• In marketing, a Market Research Analyst surfaces market trends and analyzes the competition.
• In finance, you'll find more Risk Data Analysts to assess the risks of different actions.
• But there are also Operations Research Analysts, Business Intelligence Analysts, Business Analysts, etc.

In France, the most attractive salaries are in the healthcare field, which offers an average of €40,000 gross per year for this role. Then come the finance and IT sectors, with average salaries around €39,000 gross.

What career growth is possible for a data analyst?

Most data analysts continue their career as Data Scientists. They keep using mathematics, statistics, and computer science to analyze data.

That said, data scientists put more advanced models in place and can generate previews of future trends.