What percentage of data analyst jobs requiring SQL?
Approximately 73 percentage of data analyst jobs requiring SQL as the critical requirement.
📊 Data Analyst Job Market Snapshot
Here is what 1,41,529 job postings actually demand from data analysts
73%
SQL
most demanded skill
68%
Excel
still non-negotiable
42%
Python
rising fast
43%
Dashboarding
every region wants it
30%
Tableau
US and Canada lead
28%
Power BI
EU and India prefer it
We scraped 1,41,529 data analyst job postings from LinkedIn between January 2024 and December 2025.
Every number in this report comes straight from real postings, not guesswork. Let us start with the basics.
Where are these jobs actually coming from?
Where Are the Data Analyst Jobs Coming From?
Regional share of all 1,41,529 job postings analysed
Top 5 Regions
1
🇺🇸 United States
26% of all postings
Largest single market. Finance, healthcare and tech are the biggest hirers.
2
🇪🇺 Europe (EU)
18% of all postings
Germany, Netherlands and France drive most of the EU demand.
3
🇮🇳 India
15% of all postings
IT services and startups are both hiring aggressively for this role.
4
🇯🇵 East Asia
9% of all postings
Japan and South Korea lead, driven by automotive and electronics.
5
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
8% of all postings
London alone contributes the bulk, mostly from banking and consulting.
Other Markets Still Worth Watching
🇸🇬 Southeast Asia 7%
🇨🇦 Canada 6%
🇧🇷 Latin America 6%
🇦🇪 Middle East (GCC) 4%
🇦🇺 Australia & NZ 4%
🇵🇱 Eastern Europe 4%
🇿🇦 Africa 3%
Data source: 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. Percentages represent share of total postings.
Percentage of data analyst jobs requiring SQL
The biggest question most people have before entering this field is a simple one. What percentage of data analyst jobs require SQL? The answer, based on our analysis of 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings, is around 73 percent on average across all 12 regions. In the United States alone, that number jumps to 81 percent. Whether you look at it as the percentage of data analyst job postings requiring SQL or the percentage of data analytics jobs that require SQL, the story is the same. SQL is not optional. It is the single most demanded skill in this entire report, and the sections ahead will break down exactly how that demand shifts by region, seniority, and industry.
What Skills Are Companies Actually Looking For?
Percentage of job postings mentioning each skill, across 12 regions. Skills overlap so values do not add to 100%.
Quick Answers
81%
of US postings require SQL
78%
of India postings require Excel
49%
of Canada postings require Python
52%
of US postings want Dashboarding
Skills Grouped by Priority
Must Have
SQL and Excel
Mentioned in 66 to 81% of postings. Every region demands both. These are your ticket in.
Should Have
Python, Dashboarding, Tableau or Power BI
Show up in 28 to 52% of postings. Which viz tool matters depends on your target region.
Nice to Have
Statistics, Data Visualization, R
Appear in 11 to 36% of postings. Useful for differentiation, not required to get hired.
Specialist
Machine Learning, ETL, Big Data, SPSS
Niche skills at 1 to 24%. Valuable in specific roles but not expected across the board.
The Big Regional Divide
📊 Tableau
Wins in North America
USA at 42% and Canada at 44% lead the way.
Drops to just 20 to 22% in India and East Asia.
📊 Power BI
Wins in EU, India and Middle East
Middle East at 36%, EU at 34%, India at 33%.
Only 24% in the US. Pick based on where you want to work.
🔍 Interactive Skill Explorer
Pick any skill below to see how demand compares across all 12 regions.
Source is 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. A single posting can mention multiple skills.
How Does a Data Analyst Career Actually Progress?
Job titles mapped from actual postings across 11 regions. Five clear stages from entry to management.
5
Career stages from entry to head of analytics
12+
Years to reach the top management level
1
Stage where all 11 regions use the exact same title
11
Regions mapped with real job title data
Pick a Career Stage to Explore
Full Career Ladder Reference
Titles extracted from 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025.
How Much Do Data Analysts Actually Earn?
Salary at every career stage, shown in local currency. Colours show progression within each region only, not cross-region comparison.
Key Takeaways
🇮🇳
India has the steepest climb. Salary grows 7x from entry to manager.
📈
Core to Senior is the big jump. Most regions see their largest single raise here.
🇦🇪
GCC has zero income tax. AED numbers are what you actually take home.
Pick a Region to See the Salary Journey
Full Salary Heatmap
Salary figures are approximate and derived from 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. All values are in local currency.
Do Senior Analysts Need Different Skills Than Juniors?
How skill demand shifts as you move up the career ladder. Percentage of job postings at each seniority level mentioning each skill.
Why This Section Matters
📉
Excel drops 50% from Junior to Manager. It gets you in the door but it does not keep you at the top.
🐍
Python doubles at Lead level. It goes from 31% at Junior to 61% at Lead. This is the single biggest promotion signal in the data.
🤖
ML starts at just 6% for juniors but climbs to 24% at Lead. You do not need it to get hired. You need it to get promoted.
Filter Skills by Pattern
🔍 Skill vs Seniority Explorer
Filter a category above, then pick any skill to see how demand changes across seniority levels.
Full Heatmap Reference
Based on 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. A single posting can mention multiple skills.
What Does the Data Analyst Workforce Actually Look Like?
How job postings are spread across seniority levels in each region. Every bar adds up to 100%.
📊
39–46%
Mid-level is the biggest band in every single region. This is where the real hiring action is.
🇿🇦
34%
Africa has the highest junior share. More than 1 in 3 postings there are entry-level.
🇦🇪
17%
GCC has the highest combined Lead and Manager share. The most senior-heavy market globally.
📉
3–7%
Manager roles are rare everywhere. Competition at the top is fierce in every region.
Seniority Distribution by Region
Region Profile Explorer
🗺️ Pick a Region to See Its Workforce Breakdown
Each region has a different hiring personality. See what that means for your job search.
Based on 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. Each region adds up to 100%.
Which Industries Are Hiring the Most Data Analysts Right Now?
Industry share of postings varies dramatically by region. Finance and Tech together account for roughly half of every market.
8/12
Finance leads in 8 out of 12 regions. It is the single dominant industry for data analyst hiring globally.
30%
Tech peaks at 30% in Southeast Asia. India is close at 28%. Together with East Asia, the Asia-Pacific belt is Tech territory.
38%
Africa’s Finance share is the highest single-industry concentration in any region. Banking drives the continent’s analyst demand.
Industry Distribution by Region
Industry Explorer
🏢 Pick an Industry to See Where It Hires the Most
Each industry has a different geographic footprint. Find out where to look if you want to break in.
Based on 1,41,529 LinkedIn job postings collected between January 2024 and December 2025. Each region adds up to 100%.
So What Should You Actually Do With All This?
So finally here is what it all adds up to.
If there is one takeaway from this entire report, it is this. SQL and Excel are still the foundation. Learn them well and you will get hired somewhere. But if you want to actually grow in this profession and reach the senior and lead levels, Python is the skill that separates the good analysts from the great ones. The data is very clear on this.
Geography matters more than most people realise. The same job title pays very differently depending on where you are, and the skills being asked for shift from region to region. If you have the flexibility to relocate or work remotely, factoring in regional demand is a smart move.
Top 5 Actionable Takeaways
1
Master SQL first
It is mentioned in over 70 percent of job postings across every single region. There is no shortcut here.
2
Do not sleep on Excel
It sounds basic, but 68 percent of postings still ask for it. Especially if you are starting out, Excel proficiency is your ticket in.
3
Learn Python if you want to move up
It goes from 31 percent at the junior level to 61 percent at the Lead level. That jump is too big to ignore.
4
Pick your region based on your career stage
Juniors should look at India and Southeast Asia. Mid-levels have options everywhere. Seniors should eye the Middle East and the US.
5
Target Finance or Tech as your industry
Together they account for the largest share of data analyst postings in almost every region. Pick one and build depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions People Ask About Data Analyst Jobs
Each question below is written the way people actually search for it on Google. The answers come straight from the 1,41,529 postings we analysed.
About This Report
This report is based on 1,41,529 data analyst job postings scraped from LinkedIn between January 2024 and December 2025. The postings were collected across 12 regions worldwide and analysed for job titles, skills mentioned, industries, seniority levels, and salary information. All skill percentages are independent and overlap because a single posting can mention multiple skills. Salary figures are approximate and derived from the data available in job postings. This report was prepared by the team at Statssy.com.
Disclaimer
Salary figures are approximate and based on job posting data, not verified compensation records
Skill percentages represent how often a skill is mentioned in a posting, not whether it is a strict requirement
Regional classifications are based on standard geographic groupings and may not capture every country individually
This report reflects trends from January 2024 to December 2025 and may not account for very recent changes
Statssy.com
Want to Dig Deeper Into the Numbers?
Our team at Statssy.com provides custom data analysis, statistical reporting, and tutoring for students and professionals alike. If this report sparked something, we are happy to help you apply these insights to your own career planning or research.
