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Data analyst skills: what job ads ask for most

Updated 31 October 2026 · 505 data analyst job ads from the last 90 days

What skills does a data analyst need?

In 505 data analyst job ads from the last 90 days, the skills asked for most were SQL (26% of ads), Python (19% of ads) and Data analysis (16% of ads). The ads also name communication skills (13%) and teamwork (12%) explicitly.

Compared with data and AI ads as a whole, data analyst ads ask for Data analysis (16% against 9%) and Tableau (13% against 5%) more often.

Skills and tools in data analyst job ads

Share of data analyst ads that mention each skill, with all data and AI ads for comparison (the thin mark).

  1. SQL26%all 28%
  2. Python19%all 40%
  3. Data analysis16%all 9%
  4. Tableau13%all 5%
  5. Power BI11%all 6%
  6. Looker9%all 5%
  7. Machine learning8%all 34%
  8. Excel8%all 5%
  9. Data visualisation8%all 3%
  10. A/B testing7%all 10%
  11. KPIs7%all 4%
  12. Statistics7%all 8%
  13. BigQuery6%all 7%
  14. dbt6%all 10%
  15. Databricks5%all 9%

Ways of working the ads name

Listing these on a CV proves little; show them in a bullet point or in the interview.

  1. Communication skills13%all 19%
  2. Teamwork12%all 21%
  3. Leadership7%all 12%
  4. Attention to detail5%all 3%
  5. Problem solving5%all 6%

How to use this on your CV (or résumé)

  1. Check the job you're applying for, not just the averages: paste your CV and the ad into the free CV keyword checker to see which of its skills your CV doesn't mention.
  2. For each skill you really have, use the ad's own words in a bullet point that shows how you used it, ideally with a number. The data analyst CV example shows how.
  3. Leave out skills you don't have. Interviewers ask about what's on your CV.

Is your CV missing any of these?

Compare your CV with a real data analyst job ad. Free, no sign-up, and your CV never leaves your browser.

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Skills for other jobs

How these figures are made

  • 505 job ads posted in the last 90 days with “data analyst” (or a close variant) in the title, from public job sources Litjob collects. Most are from the UK, the US and Europe.
  • Each percentage is the share of those ads whose text (not counting the job title) mentions the skill at least once. Duplicate ads are removed.
  • Skills are matched as whole words from a list of about 300 skills, tools and certifications, so a skill described in other words isn't counted.
  • Jobs people add to their own Litjob accounts are never included.

Every role family, and the full method: the skills job ads ask for most, by role.