How much can you earn on an entry-level data analyst salary? Find out in this comprehensive guide.
Data analytics has been around for a long time. It used to be a highly specialized role for an elite few experts—however, the fourth industrial revolution and the emergence of the information economy have seen data analytics leap from scientific obscurity into the tech mainstream.
While data analytics jobs still require technical skills and know-how, they’re now much easier to train for. There are also tons of vacancies available, as companies learn to unleash the power of big data. With many people retraining in data analytics, you might wonder: how much can you earn as an entry-level data analyst? Is it worth giving up your current career (whatever that may be) to start climbing the ladder all over again?
In this post, we’ll attempt to answer these questions, pulling together statistics from several salary comparison websites. You’ll learn how much, on average, entry-level data analysts can earn, both in the U.S. and around the world. We’ll cover:
- What’s the average amount an entry-level data analyst can earn?
- Entry-level data analyst salaries based on location
- Entry-level data analyst salaries based on job title
- Entry-level data analyst salaries based on industry/company
- Data analyst salary FAQ
- Further reading
First up, though, a heads up: we’ll refer to U.S. dollars throughout—except for when we’re looking at international salaries, of course. Additionally: although we’ll be as consistent as possible, we’ll have to use different salary comparison sites, depending on the data they have available. Don’t worry, though, we’ll link each salary to the relevant site so that you can get an up-to-date figure, based on real-time data.
With all that covered, let’s proceed.
1. What’s the average amount an entry-level data analyst can earn?
Naturally, there is no single concrete answer to this question, but since we’ll use some different salary comparison websites throughout this post—and each uses different data sources—in this section, we want to offer you a rough estimate. We’ll take an average of different salaries to provide a more accurate feel for how much you might be able to earn. As you can see, according to the following salary comparison websites, the figures are fairly broad:
- Glassdoor: $65,805
- SimplyHired: $37,398
- Payscale: $59,642
- Salary.com: $67,201
- Indeed: $85,982
- Salary Expert: $72,099
The variation here highlights just how tricky it is to pin down a single data analyst’s salary based on job title alone. Factors such as your location and the industry you’re working in will also affect the figure.
For the sake of a single estimate, though, an average of these figures suggests that entry-level data analysts in the U.S. can expect to earn somewhere in the region of $46,000. Even taking into account the potential margin of error, that’s certainly nothing to sniff at!
As mentioned, however, several other factors contribute to how much you can earn in real-world terms. Let’s explore some of these now.
2. Entry-level data analyst salary based on location
One reason many people choose to train in data analytics is that the skill has such strong international currency. As big data becomes even bigger business, companies, and organizations around the globe are seeking competent analysts who can provide them with trustworthy, data-driven insights. What’s more, data analytics jobs can often be done remotely, making the role a bit of a globetrotter’s dream.
In this section, we’ve listed entry-level data analytics salaries for countries around the world. This time, we’ve taken data from SalaryExpert. SalaryExpert provides higher than average estimates, so do be sure to keep that in mind. While the exact salaries naturally vary based on the specific job, the approximate spread is pretty much on the mark. So let’s take a look:
- Germany: $67,862 (63,275 €)
- United States: $72,099
- Australia: $64,309 ($96,430 AUD)
- United Kingdom: $52,804 (£43,380)
- New Zealand: $53,830 ($86,451 NZD)
- United Arab Emirates: $51,849 (190,429 AED)
- South Africa: $20,868 (R378,889)
- India: $19,701 (16,24,419INR)
If you’re planning to relocate, make sure you research salaries based on different job titles, too. Not to add to the confusion, but not all data analysts are necessarily called data analysts! We’ll cover this in the next section.
3. Entry-level data analyst salary based on job title
As data analytics skills become more ingrained in the digital economy, they evolve into different areas of business—meaning that data analytics is now becoming integral to many different job roles.
What does this mean for you? Well, in a nutshell, while you’ll still find the job title ‘data analyst’ commonly used on job sites, in many cases, data analytics is becoming more of a core skill than a standalone job position.
Here, we’ll compare baseline entry-level salaries for different job roles that require data analytics skills. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a taste of the differences. The reason why these salaries vary so much is that they require additional skills and knowledge of a particular sector or business area, so try to keep this in mind when you’re searching for a job—even if you’re completely new to data analytics, any previous experience you have in a sector should increase your earning potential for data analyst roles.
The following data comes from Payscale:
- Entry-level healthcare consultant salary: $70,566
- Entry-level business intelligence (BI) analyst salary: $61,696
- Entry-level marketing analyst salary: $54,784
- Entry-level systems analyst salary: $58,850
- Entry-level data engineer salary: $78,367
- Entry-level operations analyst salary: $55,115
- Entry-level machine learning engineer salary: $96,053
As we can see, the spread here is pretty broad. It’s also worth mentioning that for jobs like data or machine learning engineering, ‘entry-level’ usually implies that you’re new to the role, but that you’ll have previously held some kind of data-related position before—that’s why they pay more!
4. Entry-level data analyst salary based on industry/company
Finally, the company and industry that you’re working in will impact how much you can earn.
In this section, we’ve pulled together a list of entry-level salaries from some popular firms in two of the sectors where data analysts are most in-demand right now: big tech and accounting.
Entry-level data analyst salaries in big tech
Data analysts play an important role in big tech. At any of the following firms, an entry-level data analyst will usually be involved in creating dashboards to visualize the complex streams of data that these online companies constantly collect. They’ll also be involved with building data storage, and improving products and services.
Entry-level data analyst salaries in finance and accounting
Anyone looking to launch their data analytics career and make a decent salary at the same time won’t go wrong with pursuing one of the ‘big four’ accounting firms. Data analysts in accounting use their skills for things like risk management, and identifying process improvements that make businesses more efficient. They’re also a great launching pad if you want to take your career in a different direction later on.
5. Data analyst salary FAQ
Do data analysts make good money?
SalaryExpert has used average salary data gathered throughout the years to predict that the earning potential for data analysts entering the industry will increase by 21% over the next five years through to 2028. This means from 2023 to 2028, the average base salary for a mid-level data analyst will increase from $102,416 to $124,126 .
Is data analyst a stressful job?
The answer to this question will largely depend on the culture of the company you end up joining. Organizations that do not prioritise a healthy work-life balance, paid time off, or other perks will likely seem more stressful than those that do.
What does a data analyst do?
In short: Data analysts turn raw data into meaningful insights. Following the data analysis process, data analysts solve specific problems or answer certain questions for the business they work for based on data and the insights it provides.
Data analysts take these insights and share them with key stakeholders and decision makers, who can take action or plan for the future accordingly. Data analysts may also be responsible for overseeing the overall processes for collecting and storing data, as well as setting guidelines for data quality.
You can learn more about what data analysts do in this complete guide.
Can you make 100k as a data analyst?
The numbers don’t lie: You certainly can earn 100k as a data analyst—sometimes even more! While you’re unlikely to earn a six-figure salary in your very first data role, it’s definitely an achievable goal as you work your way through your career.
Is a data analyst job worth it?
Yes, a data analyst job is worth it, especially in terms of industry demand. Data analysis is a skill that has been and continues to be in demand as our society becomes ever-more reliant on data to provide insights into the past, present and future. Because of this, those who possess the skills required to work as a data analyst will never find themselves short of work, no matter the industry!
Can I be a data analyst without a degree?
You can absolutely become a data analyst without a degree! It’s becoming more common to career change into data analytics by taking an online course, which (depending on the learning institution) enables you to learn on your own terms, and in your own time. Make sure that the course you land on is certified to ensure its quality—not all courses will be recognized by recruiters.
6. Further reading
So there you have it! A full range of entry-level data analyst salaries.
As we’ve learned, numerous factors contribute to how much you can earn. This includes where in the world you’re working, the job title itself, and—of course—the industry and the company that you’re working for. As long as you have the appropriate data analytics skills under your belt, then you’ll be on the fast track to a great salary!
To learn more about a possible career in data analytics, be sure to check out this free, 5-day introductory data analytics short course. You can also read the following introductory articles: