What does a data analyst do? Tasks, skills and the routes in

A data analyst turns raw data into answers that people can act on. The UK’s National Careers Service puts it in one line: data analyst-statisticians “collect data and statistics to identify trends, create forecasting models and help organisations to improve their service” (National Careers Service (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

That covers a wide range of jobs. The same profile gives examples: analysing risk in banking and insurance, studying consumer habits, analysing results from clinical trials, modelling demand for goods or services, and checking quality control in drug and food testing. The subject changes; the method stays the same. This guide sets out the tasks, the skills and the routes into the job, using government career profiles and official statistics rather than course sellers’ claims. It ends with the work routes open to international graduates in the US, UK and Canada.

What a data analyst does day to day

The National Careers Service lists the day-to-day tasks of a data analyst-statistician (checked 18 Oct 2026). In plain terms, you could:

• help design research studies;
• gather and organise data so it is ready to analyse;
• check the quality of the data and remove exceptions;
• use analytical tools and techniques to find patterns, trends and relationships;
• develop artificial intelligence (AI) methods to automate work on large datasets;
• build models that predict likely outcomes, for example in weather forecasting;
• present results in different formats, such as graphs;
• present findings to clients and policy makers to help them decide;
• use and store data in line with data protection and information security standards.

Most of these tasks fall into one chain. Data comes in, gets checked, gets analysed, and leaves as a finding someone can use.

Enlarge: A five-step workflow: gather and organise data; check quality and remove exceptions; find patterns, trends and relationships; build models to predict outcomes; present findings to decision makers.

Close

Fig. 1 The core data analyst workflow Source: National Careers Service, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

How a project usually runs

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has no Occupational Outlook Handbook profile called “data analyst”. Its nearest profile is data scientists, and its description of a project matches the chain above (BLS, Data Scientists (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). A project often starts by finding the right data sources, such as surveys or other organisations’ databases. The raw data then has to be “cleaned”, which means structured so that software can read it. The analysis follows, and the results are shown as charts, maps and other graphics, so that both technical and non-technical people understand them. The last step is a recommendation to the people who make the decision.

Checking the quality of the data is a task in its own right in the National Careers Service list, separate from the analysis that follows.

Data analyst or data scientist?

The two titles overlap, and employers use them loosely. The official classifications draw a line, though.

In the UK, the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has a code for data analysts, 3544. It sits among the business associate professionals. “Statistical data scientists” are listed under a different code, 2433, actuaries, economists and statisticians, which is a professional occupation (Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). That difference matters for visas, as the section on the UK below shows.

In the US, the BLS profile of data scientists puts more weight on algorithms and machine learning: data scientists “create, validate, test, and update algorithms and models”. The National Careers Service describes the same path from the other side. With experience, a data analyst could become a data scientist who develops AI tools.

Skills and tools

The National Careers Service lists the skills and knowledge the job needs (checked 18 Oct 2026):

• maths knowledge and analytical thinking;
• thoroughness and attention to detail;
• excellent verbal communication;
• logic and reasoning;
• persistence, concentration and the ability to work on your own;
• a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications.

On tools, the BLS says students should learn “data-oriented programming languages as well as statistical, database, and other software for presenting analyses”. It adds that the work means writing code, analysing data and using data visualisation tools (BLS (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). Neither source names a product, and job adverts vary. Read ten adverts for the kind of job you want and list the tools that keep coming up: that list, not a course brochure, tells you what to learn first.

Enlarge: Rows of desktop computers on wooden desks in a bright university computer laboratory

Close

Fig. 2 A computer lab at Nile University of Nigeria Photo: Chris Ikpemi, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), cropped to 3:2, resized, converted to WebP.

Communication runs through the job. Two of the nine tasks in the National Careers Service list are about presenting: in graphs, and to clients and policy makers. An analysis that no one understands does not change a decision.

How to become a data analyst

In the UK, the National Careers Service lists several routes (checked 18 Oct 2026):

• A degree. You will usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in statistics, maths, economics, operational research or psychology. A degree that included statistics, such as social science or geography, may also be enough to apply.
• A college course. Maths, statistics, computing, economics, or the T Level in Digital Data Analytics, then a junior position.
• An apprenticeship. For example, the Data Analyst Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, or the Data Scientist Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
• A graduate scheme. The Government Statistical Service recruits graduate trainees through the Civil Service Fast Stream, and also hires directly into roles such as statistical officer.

It also notes that courses with a year in industry, placements or real business projects may give you an advantage in the graduate job market.

Enlarge: Low red-brick office buildings of the Office for National Statistics in Newport, seen across wild grass and shrubs

Close

Fig. 3 The ONS in Newport, Wales Photo: M J Roscoe, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), cropped to 3:2, resized, converted to WebP.

In the US, the BLS says data scientists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science or a related field, and some employers prefer a master’s or doctoral degree.

Where data analysts work, and where the job leads

Almost every sector collects data, so analysts work across the economy. The National Careers Service names healthcare, finance, the environment, sport and e-commerce as examples. It gives typical hours of 37 to 40 a week, usually between 8am and 6pm, in an office (checked 18 Oct 2026).

The BLS publishes which US industries employ the most data scientists, the nearest occupation it tracks. In 2025, the largest employers were publishing, broadcasting and content providers (12% of jobs), insurance carriers (10%), computer systems design (10%), management of companies (10%), and credit intermediation, such as lending (6%) (BLS (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

With experience, the National Careers Service says you could:

• become a senior or lead data analyst, or manage a data team;
• work as a freelance consultant;
• move into teaching and academic research;
• become a data scientist, developing AI tools.

Pay and outlook from official data

Official figures exist for the UK and the US, but they measure different occupations, so do not compare them directly.

• UK. The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) gives a median gross annual pay of £38,572 for full-time data analysts (SOC 2020 code 3544) in the 2025 provisional results, Table 14.7a. We explain that figure, and the range around it, in data analyst salary in the UK.
• UK, career profile. The National Careers Service estimates £28,000 for a starter and £65,000 for an experienced data analyst-statistician. That is its own estimate, not an ASHE figure.
• US. The BLS reports a median annual wage of $120,230 for data scientists in May 2025. It projects employment to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year on average (BLS (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). These are figures for data scientists, not data analysts.

A median is the middle value: half of jobs pay more, half pay less. It says nothing about what one person will earn.

For international students: work routes after graduation

Your right to work after graduation depends on the country, and sometimes on the exact job code. These are the main routes, as information, not advice.

United States: OPT and the STEM extension

After your degree, Optional Practical Training (OPT) gives up to 12 months of work directly related to your major. If your degree is on the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree Program List, you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and you and the employer complete a training plan, Form I-983 (USCIS (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

The list works by Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, not by course title. Codes on the copy we read include 27.0501 Statistics, General; 52.1301 Management Science; 52.1302 Business Statistics; and 11.0802 Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration (DHS STEM list (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). Ask your school which CIP code your own programme carries. For the full rules, see CPT vs OPT.

Enlarge: Bar showing the longest US post-study work period on OPT: 12 months of post-completion OPT followed by a 24-month STEM OPT extension, 36 months in total, for a degree on the STEM list with an E-Verify employer.

Close

Fig. 4 US: OPT plus the STEM extension Source: USCIS, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

United Kingdom: Graduate visa, then the job code

The Graduate visa lets you stay and work in most jobs after a UK degree. It lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027. A PhD gives 3 years (gov.uk, Graduate visa (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). You cannot extend it, so the usual next step is a Skilled Worker visa. Our Graduate Route guide covers eligibility and costs.

Enlarge: Graduate visa length by application date: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026; 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027; 3 years for a PhD or other doctorate.

Close

Fig. 5 UK Graduate visa length, by date of application Source: gov.uk, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Here the job code matters. In Appendix Skilled Occupations, code 3544 (data analysts) appears only in Tables 1a and 2aa. Those tables cover workers first granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules in place before 22 July 2025. It is not in Table 1, the list of occupations skilled to degree level (RQF 6) that new applicants use. Code 2433, which includes statistical data scientists, is in Table 1 (Appendix Skilled Occupations (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

gov.uk says a job at the medium skill level can still qualify if it is on the immigration salary list or the temporary shortage list (Skilled Worker visa: your job (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). Code 3544 is not on the immigration salary list, but it is on the temporary shortage list, for a certificate of sponsorship issued before 31 December 2026 (Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 6.1A (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). After that date, check the list again. The employer picks the code that matches the duties of the job, not the title in the advert. If a UK career is your plan, ask a future employer early which code they would use.

Canada: the post-graduation work permit

Canada’s post-graduation work permit (PGWP) has no field-of-study requirement for graduates with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. Degree graduates must show English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, or the French equivalent, in all four skills. College graduates face a field-of-study rule if they applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024 (IRCC, PGWP eligibility (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

A master’s programme of at least 8 months can lead to a 3-year PGWP. Other programmes of 2 years or more can also lead to 3 years. You apply within 180 days of the confirmation that you completed your programme (IRCC, Who can apply (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

Questions students ask

Is a data analyst a well-paid job? In the UK, the ASHE median for full-time data analysts, £38,572 in 2025, is a little below the median for all full-time employees, £39,039. In the US, BLS data covers data scientists only. Pay depends on sector, place and experience.

Do I need a degree? Usually, in the UK and the US. In England, apprenticeships offer another route, from Level 4 up to degree level.

What is the difference between a data analyst and a data scientist? In the official profiles, analysts focus on finding and presenting patterns in existing data. Data scientists put more weight on building and testing algorithms and models. The UK classification puts them under different codes.

Before you act

This guide is general information, not career, legal or immigration advice. Pay figures describe groups of workers, not what you will earn. Visa rules change, so confirm each one on the official page before you plan around it. For your own case, talk to your university’s careers and visa teams, and to a regulated adviser where the law requires one: in the US, your designated school official (DSO) first; in the UK, an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or a solicitor; in Canada, a licensed consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer. Our disclaimer lists them.

Sources

All checked on 18 October 2026. USCIS and ICE blocked our requests, so we read their pages from copies archived in October 2026.

1. National Careers Service, Data analyst-statistician (opens in a new tab).
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists (opens in a new tab), last modified 27 August 2026.
3. Office for National Statistics, ASHE Table 14 (opens in a new tab), 2025 provisional, Table 14.7a, released 23 October 2025.
4. gov.uk, Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Occupations (opens in a new tab), Tables 1 and 1a.
5. gov.uk, Skilled Worker visa: your job (opens in a new tab), and Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker (opens in a new tab), SW 6.1A.
6. gov.uk, Graduate visa (opens in a new tab).
7. USCIS, Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students (opens in a new tab).
8. DHS, STEM Designated Degree Program List (opens in a new tab).
9. IRCC, About the post-graduation work permit (opens in a new tab) and Who can apply (opens in a new tab).