How Much SQL Should A Data Analyst Know?

As a data analyst, you’ll be working with databases where you’ll be responsible for entering, editing, and deleting data from these databases. As a result, you must learn SQL and master the basic database queries. However, just how much of SQL do you need to know to work as a data analyst?

A data analyst needs to be conversant with the following SQL topics:

• Group By and Aggregation
• Joins
• Derived Tables
• Subqueries
• Basics of any ETL
• Import/Export
• Date format
• Data type

However, the more experience you have working with SQL, the better your chances of getting a job as a data analyst.

That’s not all, as you still need to know if SQL is enough to get a job as a data analyst, whether you need another programming language to work as a data analyst, and how much SQL data analysts earn, which you will learn if you read on.

How Much SQL Experience Does A Data Analyst Need?

A data analyst is probably one of the most important people in the IT department. They’re responsible for keeping data safe and updating the database with relevant information. For this reason, they need to be good at what they do, including being masters of SQL.

Although you don’t need to be a genius, there are some SQL topics that you must master if you’re to work as a data analyst, and they include:

Group By and Aggregation

This SQL statement groups rows with similar values into summary rows to help decongest the data. Oftentimes, this statement is used with the Aggregate functions like AVG(), COUNT(), SUM(), MIN(), and MAX().

Joins

The Join function helps to combine rows from different tables provided they have a related column. The query helps to speed up the database functioning.

Derived Tables

It helps to create a temporary set of records to help shorten long queries. The table expression will often appear in the FROM query.

Subqueries

A subquery is a query within a query and helps to emphasize the first query. In this case, a subquery can be found in WHERE, FROM, and HAVING clauses.

Basics of any ETL

ETL stands for Extract, Transform, and Load, which is a three-part SQL query to help extract information from a database, modify it based on the current needs, and insert it into another database.

Import/Export

The Import/Export SQL function helps you copy data within a database and move it into another database without any security leaks.

Date Format

SQL has a standard date format that you should know, and it looks like this: Date: YYYY-MM-DD Time: HH:MI: SS

Data Type

You should be aware of the type of data that your database can hold, and the common ones include:

• Character data
• Binary strings
• Integer data
• Date and time data
• Monetary data

Is SQL Enough To Get A job As A Data Analyst?

Although SQL is the foundation for any data analyst, having technical and problem-solving skills can also come in handy in a workplace. The ability to sort and interpret data can make one stand out as a data analyst, and it should be your priority to acquire these skills.

However, SQL alone can get you a good data analyst job, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the employer prefers to hire someone who has more skills and experience. Also, knowing SQL alone is a risky move, given that you might be considered redundant and get fired when the company decides to downsize. If you want to get ahead of this calamity, you need to learn these skills:

• Technical skills - help you sort through data quickly and make informative decisions. Such a move can help to cut down inter-department communication time, making you an important asset.

• Communication skills – your ability to pass down information clearly, precisely, and on time to other parties could make you irreplaceable.

• Problem-solving skills – don’t sit around and wait for others to step up and solve problems you can handle on your own.

Do I Need To Learn Another Programming Language AS A Data Analyst?

Although data analysts rely on SQL to perform their duties, it helps a lot to learn other programming languages, as this makes you versatile in a workplace. Also, some programing languages complement SQL, helping with tasks such as automation.

For the purpose of growing your career as a data analyst, you should try learning these programming languages:

• R – it’s a perfect programming language for statistical analysis and automation. You can create software applications to help analyze data, which cuts down the time it would take you to analyze them manually.
• Python – this programming language has a built-in analytics tool that comes in handy when processing complicated data. You can also manage structure fast compared to working with SQL alone.
• C# - it’s one of the most powerful programming languages we have, and it’s uniquely suited for handling large data processing. C# will come in handy if you’re working in a huge organization that receives millions of data daily.

How Much Does An SQL Data Analyst Earn?

Data analysis is probably one of the most rewarding jobs on the market since the role is in more demand than ever. For this reason, it’s possible to come across a data analyst earning over $65,000 annually, but the figure can fluctuate based on the size of the organization and their experience.

The base salary for a data analyst with less than one year of experience is $55,000, and $69,000 for those with three to five years of experience. Analysts with over ten years of experience can earn an upward of $80,000 annually.

Huge organizations pay more, and it’s possible for a data analyst to earn more than $130,000 annually, provided they’re more experienced in their line of work.

Conclusion

A data analyst should master SQL to be effective in their line of work. The more experienced they are using SQL, the better their chances of keeping their jobs. Technical and problem-solving skills would also come in handy, and so is learning several programming languages that complement SQL. An entry-level data analyst can earn around $55,000 annually, with the most experienced getting $130,000.