Data Analyst Job Description

The job of a data analyst is nowadays used interchangeably with various job profiles like those of business analyst, database analyst, systems analyst and reporting specialists. With small to significant modifications in the job profile, the data analyst job description entails various responsibilities. A typical day in the life of data analyst is full of enjoyable, challenging and sometimes boring moments!

Job Description
A wonderful profession for those who love to analyze problems and come up with creative solutions, the data analyst job description depends on the responsibilities of the particular industry the data analyst is working with. For example, a data analyst working in the health care sector will be expected to perform data analysis with respect to customer requests and may have to develop methodologies and files for effective patient data management. The business data analyst job description will cover features like understanding new software to translate the need of business managers into effective data management. Here are some general duties of data analysts of two fields, that will give you a broad idea of the domain and range of data analyst job description.

Business Analyst
The business analysts create and define rules for handling multiple consumer websites of the firm. He helps in the designing and establishment of website features that are well within the constraints of the technical department. In other words, he understands the business needs and uses technical expertise of the team to achieves success. The business analysts review the documentation work , functional requirements, information resources and systems applications of a firm and help in their improvement. Another facet of the business data analyst job description is that he evaluates various options for web applications, creates business process workflow, writes commands in SQL and improves databases.

Healthcare Analyst
Data analysts in this field must have a knowledge of health care delivery system and various types of employee benefits. The health care data analysts develop and design databases that involve the clients business objectives, data requirements and firm's business expectations. Knowledge in the field of computer systems technology and data analysis tools is essential for properly executing the job responsibilities of a health care data analyst.

Qualifications
Generally, data analysts are required to have a four years degree in subjects like statistics, mathematics, business administration or computer science. The classes must focus on imparting skills that improve the analytical understanding of the students. To gain a competitive edge over others, many students move on to take postgraduate degrees after their four years of graduation studies. Besides the educational qualifications, data analysts must have deep interest in mathematics and they must be willing to work in data oriented atmosphere. The data analyst must have strong knowledge in computers as data management work is closely related to computer systems. Strong writing skills are a must for candidates as they have to frequently prepare summaries and courses for presenting memos and reports.

Besides technical knowledge, it's always helpful if the candidate has knowledge about the sector in which he is going to work. For example if a data analyst is going to work in a business firm, an understanding of business practices and awareness about the fundamentals of management can go a long way in helping the candidate to achieve success.

Salary
What is the earning potential of data analysts? What is the career outlook in this field, in the coming years? Well, in USA, the earning potential of data analysts depends on the work experience and qualifications of the professional. Fresher data analysts must seek to gain good work experience in the initial years of their careers so that they have expertise in their field. Once established in the field, it is easier to switch jobs and negotiate on salary part with the employers. In USA, data analysts with less than one year of work experience can earn anywhere between US$25,000 to US$35,000, yearly (approx). In India, freshers are able to command salaries between Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 4,00,000 per year (approx.). It is to be noted that the salaries also depend on the educational qualifications, skills and the type of employer. While start up technology companies may pay lesser salaries initially, big blue chip companies can pay high salaries to even freshers, with requisite educational skills. With increase in work experience, data analysts can move on to earn very high salaries in their respective domains of specialization. The demand of data mining and data management is certainly going to increase in the future, increasing job opportunities in this IT field.

The data analyst job description, as we can see, demands very strong mathematical skills and good technical knowledge. Students who have deep interest in maths and computers have a chance for lucrative career in this field. The career development path is steady and one can scale new heights in this field. However, learning in this field never stops and so one has to remain updated about latest developments in the technical, statistical and business fields.