2020 and Beyond: Unraveling the Role of a Data Analyst

The current events are driving the demand for big data analysts in both large and small organizations. Big data being one of the progressive fields of technological applications, it is predicted to most likely expand in years to come.

We’re in the midway of the year 2020, and we’re closer to IDC’s prediction of IoT devices alone to generate more than 80 ZB of data, not to mention, we’re on the verge of reaching a critical mass. What will come in the coming year will revolve around the fact that the world will be in demand for data professionals – big data analyst, senior big data analyst, data scientist, or data engineer, etc.

Further reading:

The demand for big data analysts will rise

More and more businesses are seeking to extract data and gain positive insights out of it thus the need for more skilled professionals who can handle big data.
Many organizations have started ramping up the hiring spree for such professionals. One of the major reasons says that they’re targeting a broader base of candidates to widen their talent sourcing pool of data science professionals. Not to mention, most data scientists you find today were once data analysts.

The second reason might probably be because they can be viewed to be the cheap version of data scientists i.e. to hire a data analyst with a lower pay scale and train them with data science skills required for the job.

But are these valid reasons that define why data analysts’ jobs are increasing? We don’t think so, it is because such roles have become ubiquitous across industries and even organizations running small and large businesses.

Any reason behind such incidents?

Well, if you look back a decade ago, most of the data gathered strictly by individuals were used for analysis. However, in today’s scenario, data is gathered by both individuals and machines. And since these machines tend to collect more data than a person, more people are required to manage, analyze, and gather positive insights. A data scientist cannot take up all the responsibility, and they’re expensive.

Due to such transformation and shift, the rise of big data analysts and senior big data analysts will be seen.

Predicted jobs of the future

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), by 2022, around 85 percent of companies would have adopted big data and analytics. The WEF also said that 96 percent of the companies will likely be planning to recruit new employees with newer skill sets to meet the demands.

As a result, job roles in the big data domain will be a huge win in 2020 and beyond. Likewise, if anyone is looking to start a career in this domain, perhaps now would be a good time to start.

Who is a big data analyst?

A big data analyst is a skilled professional who generally wears multiple hats - from researching to data mining to presenting research findings. In short, the individual working in this field needs to be versatile.

At its core, big data analytics projects majorly on analyzing data and uncovering insights and hidden trends that further help businesses make better-informed decisions. It is the job of the big data analyst to study the market carefully.

Once the individual takes on a career in this domain, they will need to learn big data tools like Hive, MapReduce, Impala, Apache Spark, HDFS, YARN, HBase, Pig, and Hadoop, etc. As a beginner, a big data analyst will be offered a starting salary of USD 84,955 per year, or USD 43.50 per hour, it depends on the location and the job role. If you have the knack for data, then consider a career as a big data analyst. Aspiring data analysts have started following the game plan by getting themselves enrolled in a data analyst certification program.

While technology keeps infusing new capabilities, so will the need for professionals to use those capabilities.

Data will keep growing. The need for big data analyst skills will drive the demand for newer job opportunities.

However, in the present time, there are still limited individuals who have the required skillset. Thus, this field is likely to skyrocket within the next few years.
The good news is that the year 2020 and beyond is bound to excel in the field of big data, make sure you’re prepared.