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4 Data Analyst Career Paths: Your Guide to Leveling Up

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Explore how a job as a data analyst can help you follow a variety of exciting career paths, including data science, management, consulting, or a specialty.

[Featured Image] Two professionals on a data analyst career path smile and discuss results displayed on a computer screen in front of them and a large screen mounted to the wall behind them.

Getting a job as a data analyst could be your first step in pursuing a larger data career. Take a closer look at four common career paths you can take in this high-demand field.

Getting started: Entry-level data analyst jobs

If you鈥檙e new to the field of data analysis, your first job might be an entry-level role as a junior analyst. If you have some experience with transferable analytical skills from a previous job, you may be able to get hired as a data analyst.

While most data analyst jobs require at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree, some companies may allow you to fast-track into an internship or entry-level job by earning certifications for key job roles, such as SQL, Python, and Excel.

Before applying for that first job, you鈥檒l want to develop some core data analyst skills, including SQL, R or Python, data management, statistical analysis, and data visualization.听

Read more about how to become a data analyst through four different career paths.

Levelling up: Four career paths for a data analyst

As you gain experience as a data analyst, you may encounter opportunities to advance your career in a few different directions. Depending on your goals and interests, you may progress into data science, management, consulting, or a more specialized data role.听

Take a closer look at four possible career paths in the world of data.

1. Data scientist

Many data scientists start out as data analysts. Making this transition typically involves:

Many data scientists also have a degree in data science, computer science, or a related field. While a degree may not be strictly necessary, having one can mean more job opportunities.听听

2. Management

Another common career path for data analysts is to move into management positions. You might start out as a data analyst before advancing to senior-level analyst, analytics manager, director of analytics, or even chief data officer (CDO).

If you鈥檙e interested in pursuing this path, you鈥檒l want to focus on developing your leadership skills alongside your data skills. In some companies, a master鈥檚 degree in data analytics or business administration with a focus on data analytics might be required to attain these higher-level positions.

3. Specialist

As a data analyst, you might work in one of many different industries. Sometimes, your career path might take you deeper into the specialized knowledge of that industry.

  • Business analysts use data to help make an organization鈥檚 IT processes, organizational structures, or staff development more efficient and effective.

  • Financial analysts use data to help guide investment opportunities, identify revenue opportunities, and mitigate financial risk.

  • Operations analysts are tasked with optimizing a company鈥檚 performance by identifying and solving technical, structural, and procedural issues.

  • Marketing analysts, also called market research analysts, analyze market trends to help determine product and service offerings, price points, and target customers.

  • Systems analysts use cost-benefit analysis to help match technological solutions to company needs.

  • Health care analysts use data from health records, cost reports, and patient surveys to help providers improve their quality of care.

4. Consultant

Once you鈥檝e gained several years of experience analyzing data for a company (or several different companies), you can consider working as a data analytics consultant. Instead of working for a company directly, you鈥檇 work as a freelance contractor or for a consulting firm, conducting analysis for a variety of clients.

Working as a consultant often means more variety in the type of analysis you鈥檙e performing, as well as greater flexibility, particularly if you鈥檙e self-employed.

How much can you make? Data analyst salaries by role

Even entry-level data analyst positions tend to be well-paid. As you add years of experience and advanced job titles, salaries often go up accordingly. Look at the average base pay of different data analyst roles in Canada in September 2024, according to Indeed:

  • Junior analyst: $54,580 CAD听

  • Data analyst: $72,469 CAD听

  • Senior data analyst: $83,387 CAD听

  • Analytics manager: $107,105 CAD听

  • Director of analytics: $138,760 CAD听

  • Data scientist: $96,163 CAD听

  • Business analyst: $75,549 CAD听

  • Financial analyst: $72,436 CAD听

  • Operations analyst: $65,430 CAD听

  • Marketing analyst: $80,626 CAD

  • Systems analyst: $72,596 CAD听

*All annual base salary data is sourced from Indeed as of September 2024.

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