Data Analyst
Find patterns in data and help teams make better decisions.
What does a Data Analyst do?
Data analysts explore datasets to find trends, answer business questions, and tell clear stories through visualisations. You work with real-world data to help teams understand what happened and why — combining curiosity, numbers, and communication.
Who it fits
Curious people who ask "why" often, enjoy finding patterns, and like presenting their findings clearly to others.
Great for structured learners who enjoy investigating questions and communicating answers clearly.
Skills you need
Tools you will use
Starter projects
Good projects to practise and add to a portfolio.
- Sales dashboard in Tableau or Looker Studio
- SQL analysis of a public dataset
- Python data cleaning project
- Customer churn or sales trend analysis
// ROADMAP
Data Analyst career roadmap
Estimated time: 6–10 months
Badges show what each resource is. Only items marked certification lead to a professional credential — everything else is learning material.
Spreadsheets & Excel
2–3 weeksMost data analysis starts in spreadsheets. Learn Excel or Google Sheets properly — pivot tables, VLOOKUP, formulas, basic charts. Faster to learn than SQL and used in almost every data role.
SQL
4–6 weeksSQL is the most important skill for data analysts. Learn SELECT, WHERE, JOIN, GROUP BY, and window functions. SQLZoo and Mode are excellent free resources.
Data Visualisation
3–5 weeksTurning numbers into stories. Learn Tableau Public (free) or Power BI Desktop. Focus on choosing the right chart type and designing dashboards that communicate clearly.
Python for Data Analysis
6–8 weeksPython with pandas and matplotlib lets you do things spreadsheets can not. Learn data cleaning, merging datasets, and basic visualisations. Kaggle Learn is the fastest path.
Statistics & Business Thinking
3–5 weeksLearn basic statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, correlation) and how to frame analysis in terms of business impact. StatQuest makes statistics genuinely enjoyable.
Portfolio & Job Search
4–6 weeksBuild 2–3 portfolio projects using real public datasets. Write up your analysis with clear findings and visualisations. Apply for data analyst, business analyst, or BI analyst roles.
// START LEARNING
Data Analyst learning resources
Videos first — they're the fastest way to get moving — then reading, hands-on practice and courses. Only resources badged professional certification award a formal credential.
Data Analysis with Python
freeCodeCamp · 4 hours
Hands-on analysis with Python, NumPy, pandas, Matplotlib and Seaborn.
Learning resource. This does not award a professional certification.
Machine Learning with Python and Scikit-Learn
freeCodeCamp · 18 hours
An end-to-end introduction to model training, evaluation and practical machine learning.
Learning resource. This does not award a professional certification.
Excel Help & Learning
Microsoft Support
Official guided learning for formulas, tables, sorting, filtering, charts and data analysis.
Certificate availability depends on the course provider.
Get Started with Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Learn
Official learning paths for importing, modelling and visualising data in Power BI.
Certificate availability depends on the course provider.
Kaggle Learn
Kaggle
Practical micro-courses in Python, pandas, SQL, machine learning, data visualisation and AI.
Certificate availability depends on the course provider.
PostgreSQL Tutorial
PostgreSQL
The official hands-on introduction to relational concepts, SQL queries, joins, aggregates and transactions.
Learning resource. This does not award a professional certification.
// PRACTISE
Gain Data Analyst work experience
Build practical evidence before your first role. Provider terms and eligibility can change.
Forage · Employer job simulations
virtual-job-simulation · REMOTE
Complete self-paced tasks designed by employers and compare your work with example solutions.
Extern · Remote company externships
externship · REMOTE
Work on structured real-company projects with flexible remote delivery.
Catchafire · Skills-based volunteer projects
volunteer-project · REMOTE
Use professional skills on scoped nonprofit projects and gather client-facing evidence.
// FIND WORK
Find Data Analyst jobs
Start with “Data Analyst”. Platforms without stable public search URLs open with this suggested phrase.
LinkedIn Jobs
Broad professional job search with keyword, location, experience-level and remote filters.
Wellfound
Startup and technology roles with company and compensation context.
Dice
Specialist technology roles across engineering, data, security and infrastructure.
Built In
Technology and startup job discovery, including remote and city-focused listings.
UK visa and international opportunities
Sponsorship depends on the employer, vacancy and current immigration rules. Use the linked official guidance and verify every role before applying.
Going independent
Data analysis consulting is accessible for early-career analysts. Most businesses have data they do not understand — and are willing to pay for insight.
Freelance Data Analysis and Dashboards
Low barrierHelp businesses make sense of their data through analysis reports and interactive dashboards.
Examples
- Building Looker Studio or Power BI dashboards for small businesses
- E-commerce analytics reporting packages
- Monthly marketing data reports for digital agencies
- Customer churn analysis for SaaS companies
Getting started
- 1. Build 2–3 example dashboards using public datasets as portfolio pieces
- 2. Offer a "free data audit" to a local business to demonstrate value
- 3. List on Upwork with a specific niche — "e-commerce analytics specialist"
- 4. Package reports as productised services with clear deliverables and price
Data Analytics Courses and Education
Low barrierTeach SQL, Excel, or Python for data analysis to career changers or business professionals.
Examples
- SQL for beginners course on Udemy
- Excel for data analysis workshops for business teams
- One-on-one coaching for career-changers entering data roles
- Corporate Excel/Power BI training workshops
Getting started
- 1. Start with LinkedIn Learning or Udemy to validate course content
- 2. Offer corporate training workshops at £500–£2,000 per session
- 3. Build a personal brand around data education on LinkedIn
Communities & tools
// EARNING POTENTIAL
Earning potential
2025Salaries are lower than engineering roles but growing fast, especially for analysts with strong SQL, Python, and business domain knowledge. Entry point is accessible.
Freelance rates
Day rate
£250–£550
Hourly rate
£32–£70
What affects salary
- Domain expertise (fintech, healthcare, retail) adds substantial salary leverage
- Python and SQL proficiency is essential — R skills add value in some sectors
- Data visualisation skills (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) increase market value
- Business impact communication — analysts who influence decisions earn more
- Moving into analytics engineering (dbt, Snowflake) can significantly raise salaries
🌍 US data analysts at tech companies earn $80k–$130k. Finance sector analysts in London earn at the top of the UK range.
Based on: ITJobsWatch · Glassdoor UK · LinkedIn Salary · DataCamp State of Data. All figures approximate.
// RESOURCES
Free resources to get started
Recommended starting points — no payment required.
- Course
- Tutorial
- Course
- Lab
- Video
Paid courses worth considering
These are not required — free resources above can get you far.
- Professional certification
- Course
Browse all resources
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