Is Tableau a Programming Language?

Your organization likely produces more data than you realize. It contributes to 180 zettabytes—that's 21 zeros—of data projected to be created, recorded, and stored by 2025 [1]. This data contains valuable information businesses can use to understand their customers, market conditions, and more.

That's why it hires data analysts who use business intelligence tools—also known as BI software—to extract insights from this data and present it to decision-makers within the organization. Tableau is one tool they may use to visualize the data. This visual analytics platform connects data sources and metrics, allowing you to gain insights into your data and display them in features like graphs and charts.

Is Tableau a programming language?

Tableau is not a programming language; it is a tool that helps you translate data into a visual format that is easier to interpret. What started in 2003 as a computer science project by a couple of Stanford students is now used worldwide by businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. It's like a visual microscope that lets you see patterns and trends that you might not be able to see otherwise. Access to this information can help you save time when making important decisions.

How is Tableau different from programming languages?

The primary difference between Tableau and programming languages is how people use them. You use programming languages like Python, Java, JavaScript, and Ruby to write computer instructions. Tableau visualizes raw data by presenting it in easier-to-read graphs and charts. In fact, developers use two programming languages (VizQL and Python) to write and update the code that powers Tableau.

Another key difference is the ease of use. Before writing code in a programming language, you will likely need to take time to understand how coding works and decide which language will be helpful in your personal and professional pursuits. Thanks to the platform's drag-and-drop features and easy-to-use interface, you can use Tableau even if you have yet to learn how to work with a programming language. However, some coding knowledge will benefit you if you want to become a Tableau developer or perform more complex functions. 

Since programming languages power software applications, you can do more with them. When using Tableau, you can access the dashboards and reports already built into the program. If you are fluent in a programming language, you can write your own code to conduct calculations and implement machine learning and deep learning operations. Having this flexibility can give you more control over the data analysis.

How is Tableau similar to programming languages? 

Data scientists and technical users use Tableau to create custom visualizations and dashboards to display data so that viewers can manipulate it to make sense of what they see. For example, users can use Tableau to write calculated fields that perform complex calculations on data. In this way, data scientists and other data professionals can use both Tableau and programming languages to understand and examine data.

You can also use Tableau to automate tasks, much like you could with a programming language. For example, you can create an automated dashboard that updates itself regularly. Similarly, you can automate tasks like this through a programming language like Python.

Tableau allows you to share data and insights with others, and so do programming languages. You can often integrate Tableau into your programming language to connect data sources and create more effective visualizations. To share your work in Tableau, you can publish your story in Tableau Public, share it on Tableau Server, or send a direct link to colleagues. If you prefer, you can write code in Python to display data in your platform of choice, including Tableau. The end result is the same even though the behind-the-scenes process differs.

Who uses Tableau?

Many organizations, from well-known brands like Lenovo, Verizon, and Charles Schwab to data analytics firms, schools, and individuals who work with data. More than three million people are part of Tableau Public, an online community that connects users and allows them to collaborate and share their data visualizations [2].

Careers that use Tableau

Salesforce surveyed business leaders around the globe, and 80 percent of the respondents shared that their businesses rely on data to make decisions that benefit the organization [3]. They're hiring people who can help them access this data, which is one reason jobs for data scientists are growing much faster than average. More than 59,000 jobs in the field should open between 2022 and 2023, according to information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [4].

If your career relies on data—whether extracting, analyzing, or explaining it to others—you may use Tableau to display the information you need to share with stakeholders or make decisions for the organization. Although you can find these careers in just about every industry, the work tends to be concentrated in science and technology, finance, insurance, and enterprise management.

Here are some jobs you might find in these areas:

• Business analyst: $90,572 [5]

• Business intelligence analyst: $99,354 [6]

• Data analyst: $83,519 [7]

• Epidemiologist: $82,171 [8]

• Financial analyst: $79,256 [9]

• Marketing analyst: $75,378 [10]

• Market risk specialist: $115,266 [11]

• Software engineer: $114,727 [12]

• Tableau consultant: $105,747 [13]

• Tableau developer: $105,081 [14]

Next steps

Big data is here to stay, and businesses need people who can help them make sense of all the available data. Tableau is a visualization platform that helps you make sense of your data and build high-quality presentations with a user-intuitive dashboard and interactive features. Learning programming languages and data visualization software give you valuable, relevant skills in today's job market.

With the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera, you can learn job-relevant skills like data cleansing, spreadsheets, Tableau software, and more. Through the coursework and hands-on practice, you can increase your understanding of cleaning and organizing data and presenting your findings. After completing this beginner-level Professional Certificate, you'll receive a shareable certificate and may be able to apply the coursework to an online degree program.