4 Data Analyst Career Paths: Your Guide to Leveling Up

Key takeaways

Four career paths data analysts can pursue are data scientist, a role in management, a specialist, and a consultant.

• While working as a data scientist, you can earn a median total pay of $153,000 [1].

• Three data analyst roles are business analyst, financial analyst, and operations analyst.

• You can work as a market research analyst in the field of data analysis.

Explore a variety of exciting data analyst career paths in the areas of data science, management, consulting, and more. If you're ready to jump in right away, consider enrolling in the Meta Data Analyst with GenAI Professional Certificate. In as little as five months, you can learn a variety of key skills, including how to collect, clean, sort, evaluate, and visualize data.

Career path for a data analyst: Entry-level data analyst jobs

If you’re new to the field of data analysis, your first job might be an entry-level role as a junior analyst. If you have some experience with transferable analytical skills from a previous job, you may be able to get hired as a data analyst.

Before applying for that first job, you’ll want to develop some core data analyst skills, including SQL, R or Python, data management, statistical analysis, and data visualization.

Will AI replace data analysts?

Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely not replace data analysts, but it will help individuals working in this field perform their jobs more effectively. If you’ve decided to work as a data analyst, you may want to learn how to utilize AI to make yourself an even more appealing candidate in the job market.

What are the different career paths for a data analyst?

As you gain experience as a data analyst, you may encounter opportunities to advance your career in a few different directions. Depending on your goals and interests, you may progress into data science, management, consulting, or a more specialized data role. 

Let's take a closer look at four possible career paths you might take in the world of data.

1. Data scientist

Many data scientists start as data analysts. Making this transition typically involves:

• Advancing your programming skills

• Learning more advanced mathematics

• Developing an understanding of machine learning 

Many data scientists also have a degree in data science, computer science, or a related field. While a degree may not be strictly necessary, having one can mean more job opportunities. 

Read more: What's the Difference Between a Data Analyst and a Data Scientist

2. Management

Another common career path for data analysts is to move into management positions. You might start out as a data analyst before advancing to senior-level analyst, analytics manager, director of analytics, or even chief data officer (CDO).

If you’re interested in pursuing this path, you’ll want to focus on developing your leadership skills alongside your data skills. In some companies, a master’s degree in data analytics or business administration with a focus on data analytics might be required to attain these higher-level positions.

3. Specialist

As a data analyst, you might work in one of many different industries. Sometimes, your career path might take you deeper into the specialized knowledge of that industry.

• Business analysts use data to help make an organization’s IT processes, organizational structures, or staff development more efficient and effective.

• Financial analysts use data to help guide investment opportunities, identify revenue opportunities, and mitigate financial risk.

• Operations analysts are tasked with optimizing a company’s performance by identifying and solving technical, structural, and procedural issues.

• Marketing analysts, also called market research analysts, analyze market trends to help determine product and service offerings, price points, and target customers.

• Systems analysts use cost-benefit analysis to help match technological solutions to company needs.

• Health care analysts use data from health records, cost reports, and patient surveys to help providers improve their quality of care.

4. Consultant

Once you’ve gained several years of experience analyzing data for a company (or several different companies), you can consider working as a data analytics consultant. Instead of working for a company directly, you’d work as a freelance contractor or for a consulting firm, conducting analysis for a variety of clients.

Working as a consultant often means more variety in the type of analysis you’re performing, as well as greater flexibility (particularly if you’re self-employed).

Data analyst career path and salary information by role

Even entry-level data analyst positions tend to be well-paid. As you add years of experience and advanced job titles, salaries often go up accordingly. Here’s a quick look at the median total pay of different data analyst roles in the US in October 2025, according to Glassdoor:

• Junior analyst: $96,000

• Data analyst: $92,000

• Senior data analyst: $130,000

• Analytics manager: $181,000

• Director of analytics: $218,000

• Chief data officer (CDO): $311,000

• Data scientist: $152,000

• Business analyst: $105,000

• Financial analyst: $106,000

• Operations analyst: $91,000

• Marketing analyst: $93,000

• Systems analyst: $118,000

• Health care analyst: $113,000

• Data analytics consultant: $119,000

All salary information represents the median total pay. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Follow trends and job opportunities in data analytics

Join Career Chat on LinkedIn to stay current with trends and job opportunities in data analytics. You can also check out these free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: Data Analyst vs. Business Analyst: Which Career Path Is Right for You?

• Hear from an expert: 7 Questions with a Data Analytics Professor

• Learn the terms: Data Analysis Terms and Definitions

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