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Are you a natural problem solver and like working with numbers? Then a data analyst could be a career option for you. The profession allows you to use your intuition, logic, and technological abilities to productive use.

Data analysts are the investigators of the information age. They recognise, gather and analyse data to help organisations make the right decisions that improve their competitiveness and profitability.

You must complete a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, information management, statistics, or computer science. It will help you gain the essential knowledge and skills to enter a role in the industry.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to become a Data Analyst in Australia. From the daily job duties, required skills and qualifications to salary potential, you will learn everything to make an informed start.

1. Who Is A Data Analyst?

Data Analysts are expert logical thinkers and problem-solvers who specialise in financial, marketing, operations, or other business units. They study gigantic amounts of data and transform it into meaningful and usable information for businesses.

Data Analysts interpret and analyse data to lower costs and boost revenue generation. They work with business leaders across multiple business units to determine business data requirements and improve data mining strategies and the quality of data results.

2. Reasons To Become A Data Analyst

We generate an overwhelming 2.5 quintillion data bytes daily. All this data is digital white noise without proper strategies to interpret it and find valuable insights.

Data Analytics is about recognising meaning in numbers. It analyses enormous raw statistical info and data sets to draw inferences that help businesses form better decisions. This concludes with a greater demand for data analysts than ever.

Is this the right career for you? Check out some convincing reasons why you should become a Data Analyst.

• It is a versatile discipline that enables you to work in various industries. Data science skills qualify you to work in several fields, such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Business Analytics, UX design, Digital Marketing, and Python programming.

• It is a high-demand and stable profession that projects solid future growth in salary and career opportunities. SEEK healthy projects growth over the coming five years. Moreover, the job satisfaction rate is incredibly high in this profession.

• A career in data analytics doesn’t take much to start. Basic knowledge of Data Science, predictive analysis, SQL, and Python coding, qualifies you for an entry-level role.

3. Duties Of A Data Analyst

Several businesses need a data analyst to provide valuable insights into industry trends and competition. Their skills and expertise greatly help companies to reduce overall costs and stay competitive and profitable.

The same tasks and responsibilities of these professionals vary based on the business unit in which they work:

• Working as part of the strategy team, they explore new market opportunities to determine expansion options.

• In the marketing sector, they define a new audience, develop marketing strategies based on the data insights, and compare the performance of marketing campaigns of different businesses. 

• A product team uses data to form decisions concerning product design. Or they may work with a marketing team to help.

Regardless of the industry, here are the common everyday tasks and duties of a data analyst:

• Find survey participants and collect the relevant information by conducting questionnaires and interviews.

• Prune, organise and analyse vast amounts of raw data that are significant to the business.

• Use programming skills to convert data into information to provide critical insights for business decision-making.

• Identify consumer behaviour, market trends, patterns, feasibility, logistics, and transport issues within complex data sets.

• Analyse performance outcomes and determine the success potential of new products. 

• Convert numbers, data types, and figures into narratives that answer stakeholders’ queries and guide business decisions.

• Prepare reports (comprising visual elements such as diagrams and graphs) to share data insights with stakeholders.

• Work in teams with managers and department heads to determine project guidelines and prioritise information requirements.

• Work with clients, managers, and supervisors to fulfil goals specified by all parties. 

• Translate and report the findings in an understandable way to non-technical managers and personnel.

• Devise strategies to collect and analyse data and optimise statistical results.

• Put survey data in online databases and manage them for specific business areas. 

• Apply complex statistical analysis and algorithms to clean data to identify hidden insights, patterns, and information. 

• Create and implement simulations and models to produce reports, graphs, visualisations, and models of the results.

• Research ways to improve data usage and efficiency

• Stay updated with existing regulations like data privacy laws.

4. Skills For A Successful Data Analyst Career

Data Analyst can be rewarding for those with the following essential skills.

• Logical and critical thinking

• Outstanding technical and problem-solving skills

• Excellent Analytical abilities

• Ability to discover and implement new ways to execute tasks 

• Highly observant

• Inquisitive

• Good pattern recognition skills

• Proficiency in computer programming 

• Expertise in mathematics and statistics to develop statistical models

• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

• Able to explain their findings meaningfully and comprehensibly

• Organised

• Meticulous

• Able to assess data and extract relevant information

• Teamwork skills

• Keen to stay updated with the latest Analytics tools and methodologies

• Willingness to work hard for the advancement of the company

5. Qualifications For Data Analyst In Australia

• Complete the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in one or more prerequisite subjects like English, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. 

• Aspiring data analysts require good knowledge of data-oriented software and programming languages such as SQL, Microsoft Excel, statistical programming languages like Python or R, SAS, JavaScript, SharePoint, and Extensible Markup Language. 

• Completing a university-level Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, information management, or computer science will help you acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for an entry role.

• Internships and Industry experience can improve your chances of finding work with accurate data and programming languages and help build a work portfolio to impress potential employers.

• To further enhance your skills and employability, undertaking a relevant short course or earning a post-graduate qualification such as a Master of Business Data Analytics will help.

6. Steps To Become A Data Analyst In Australia

A data analyst requires good knowledge of data analytics, such as programming languages, data analytics, machine learning, and data science.

Here are the typical steps to qualify and get started in this profession:

Step 1: Learn Programming Languages

Data Analysts is the fastest-growing profession all over the globe. Every company requires skilled workers to compile, organise and examine data patterns. A strong command of programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, Hadoop, SQL, R, and XML is crucial to analyse data.

If you pursue this occupation, programming courses will help you develop data algorithms and models to identify patterns, hidden insights, and information in raw data.

Step 2: Complete a Bachelor’s Data Analyst Degree

Data Analytics is a high-demand and competitive industry. Around 45.4% of employed data analyst professionals hold a Graduate Diploma and Post Graduate in this field.

To succeed in an entry-level role, you must obtain at least a university-level Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, or computer science. Additionally, having professional certifications and relevant work experience boosts your resume and chances of job success.

A Bachelor of Information Technology and Data Analytics provides a comprehensive understanding of programming languages, statistics, and data analysis methods. It teaches the right ways to clean, organise and prepare data for precise and effective data-driven predictions and insights.

Alternatively, to enter the profession as a graduate, consider studying the following courses to acquire data analytics skills:

• Certificate IV in Information Technology (Networking)

• Diploma of Information Technology

• Graduate Certificate in Data Science

• Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics

• Business Analytics

• Business Analytics with SQL and Python (Short Course)

• Business Analytics and Visualization (Short Course)

Step 3: Obtain Work Experience

Volunteering and Internships are good ways to find opportunities to gain hands-on practical experience with actual data. You get the chance to get in touch with experienced professionals and learn from them. 

The more projects you complete and the more experience you gain, the better your chances of landing your dream position.

Step 4: Join Professional Communities

 is a vast digital resource and community specifically for programmers. By joining this community, you can post projects and obtain constructive feedback from professional programmers. 

This is a great platform to demonstrate your work to prospective employers and land a role.

Step 5: Apply For Data Analyst Jobs

With the right qualifications, skills, and work experience, you are all set to enter the job market. Customise your resume for the data analyst job you are applying for. Mention technical certifications, analytical skills, etc. that show you a perfect candidate for the role.

Considering the constant and quick evolution of the industry, regularly update yourself on the latest data analytics technologies, processes, and emerging trends. Actively participate in digital forums, and read industry publications to stay well-informed and competitive.

7. Relevant Data Analyst Courses In Australia

Do you want to know how to become a data analyst without experience? Undertaking the relevant data analytics courses is the first step to making a new and dynamic career. The transferable skills you gain will enable you to work in any industry, public sector firms, innovative start-ups, big companies, and more.

The graduate data scientist course in Australia helps develop a base in python programming, applied analytics, visualisation, and data wrangling that employer looks for across business functions and industries.

It is for consultants and analysts, especially those who wish to create a thriving career in data analytics while capitalising on the unending opportunities of big data. Online courses allow you to learn on your terms and save time and money otherwise spent on commutation.

Here are a few Data Analyst Courses to become a professional data analyst:

• Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics - RMIT Online 

• Graduate Certificate of Data Science - James Cook University 

• Data Analysis Essentials TAFE Queensland 

• Master of Analytics (UNSW Online Course)

• Certificate IV in Business Big Data Swinburne University 

• Graduate Certificate in Analytics UNSW (Online Course)

• Graduate Diploma in Analytics UNSW (Online Course)

8. Where Does A Data Analyst Work In Australia?

Data Analyst professionals work indoors in varied occupational environments across various businesses.

Some of the top industries that recruit these professionals include:

• Education and Training

• Financial and Insurance Services

• Scientific and Technical Services

Presently, Victoria and New South Wales are the top Australian states where most data analysts work in the following positions:

• IT Systems Analyst

• Digital Marketing Manager

• Research and Data Analyst

• Data Engineer

• Operations Analyst

• Business and Data Analyst 

• IT Data and Reporting Analyst 

• Customer Experience Analyst

• Feasibility Analytics 

• UX Designer

• Transport Logistics Specialist

Experienced data analysis professionals who have adequate start-up capital have the opportunity to work as self-employed.

9. Data Scientist Job Outlook In Australia

Cloud-based companies such as Dropbox, iCloud, and Google are increasingly developing data centres to gain valuable insights into measuring economic health.  

As Big Data is restructuring the business landscape and companies are amassing more data than ever, the future of data analysts seems very promising.

When considering the growth of the data science sector in the last five years, a drastic and very swift change will happen in the coming years. 

This data-driven future will lead to many career opportunities for full-time data analyst professionals in Australia and worldwide.

10. How Much Does A Data Analyst Earn In Australia?

The salary of a data analyst depends on several factors, such as industry, area of work, experience, qualification/ certifications, and position. Data analysts specialising in a specific niche are in high demand and earn more.

According to PayScale, the average data analyst salary in Australia is AU$72,606, or an equivalent of AU$34.61 per hour.

Average Annual Salary Based on Experience

• Entry-level data analyst salary in Australia (<1-year experience): AU$61,561 Early career data analyst (1-4 years of experience): AU$71,150 

• Mid-career Data Analyst (5-9 years of experience): AU$87,309 

• Experienced Data Analyst (10-19 years of experience): AU$97,734

Average Annual Salary Based on Location

According to Indeed, the data analyst salary in top cities in Australia are as follows:

• Docklands Victoria: $103,317

• Sydney, New South Wales: $102,447

• Brisbane Queensland: $96,643

• Melbourne, Victoria: $95,344

• Perth Western Australia: $94,015

• Canberra Australian Capital Territory: $91,739

11. Conclusion

The scope of data application is as vast as the scope of the human imagination. Considering the rapid pace at which the world is progressing, owning a data analysis skillset has become essential in the business world.

Qualifying as a data analyst, you become competent to provide meaningful and precise data insights to help businesses improve and thrive in the competitive market.

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