Entry-Level Analyst Jobs, Salaries, and Skills to Get Hired

Analytics are an essential part of the success and efficiency of modern businesses. Analysts glean insights from data that are valuable to their workplace. They possess skills in data collection and management, business intelligence (BI), communication, and data visualization.

You can use this guide to learn more about the skills, education, and experience you will need to land your first entry-level analyst job.

What are entry-level analyst jobs?

An analyst is responsible for researching and evaluating information. They work to identify methods to improve processes related to data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Analysts often collaborate with different departments to present their data and solutions in a way that is easy to understand.

As an entry-level analyst, you will support more senior-level analysts in increasing your organization's efficiency. The projects within this role typically entail research, data analysis, presenting findings, and implementing strategies for improved company performance. Tasks involved with this process can include:

• Communicating across departments to gather data on business functions

• Organizing and analyzing collected data from various data sources

• Generating proposals and plans for changes to operations

• Presenting proposals to various levels of management

• Producing reports from data obtained

• Assisting business managers with enacting changes

• Assessing the effectiveness of the implemented plan

5 Entry-level analyst job titles

In an entry-level analyst role, you can work in various industries across a broad range of businesses. The sections below contain examples of different types of entry-level analytical roles with their respective salaries. 

*Note: Salary information was sourced from Glassdoor in September 2023 and represents average total pay in the US. Figures include base salary and average yearly additional pay. Additional pay may include profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses. 

Entry-level marketing analyst

Average salary: $63,955 [1]

A marketing analyst is an entry-level position that requires skills in data analysis, web analytics, and marketing platforms. As a support member of a digital marketing team, a junior analyst is responsible for gathering data connected to market conditions, designing strategic marketing plans, and implementing digital and email marketing campaigns.

A background in marketing, communication, business, or data analytics is recommended. Analysts should have strong research skills and experience with Excel, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and Google Analytics.

Entry-level cybersecurity analyst

Average salary: $96,615 [2]

This role requires advanced technical and cloud-network abilities. A cybersecurity analyst will be responsible for monitoring and analyzing network traffic and security. A successful analyst will write threat and incident reports, create security strategies, and identify security gaps within a system. As a team's junior member, they will work under the supervision of a senior analyst until significant skills and experience are established. A bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, or related fields is required.

Entry-level data analyst

Average salary: $80,110 [3]

A principal task of a data analyst is to collect, analyze, and organize data into reports. Entry-level data analyst jobs require cross-functional collaboration with senior-level analysts and sharing the data with other business teams. Preferred education for this role includes a bachelor’s degree in an analytical field such as mathematics, statistics, finance, computer science, or engineering.

Designed to prepare you for an entry-level data analyst role in just 5 months, the Meta Data Analyst Professional Certificate program includes hands-on projects for your portfolio and an opportunity to practice using industry-standard tools like SQL, Tableau, and Python.

Entry-level research analyst

Average salary: $71,396 [4]

An entry-level research analyst focuses on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of investment markets and strategies. Analysts must effectively communicate their findings to a broader team of investors, financial officers, and business leaders. An excellent academic record and knowledge of finance are highly recommended.

Entry-level customer support analyst

Average salary: $59,100 [5]

A customer support analyst is skilled in data management, research, scalable processes, and client and product advocacy. Areas of focus in this role include the customer experience, company profit margins, and sales. A customer support analyst should have strong technical skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, statistics software training, and customer service experience.

Entry-level business analyst

Average salary: $94,767 [6]

A business analyst is a job role that identifies business areas that need improvement. They work closely with other departments throughout the business to increase efficiency, strengthen business processes, and then help implement changes. An entry-level business analyst might be responsible for taking care of the more technical aspects of such a role, like using SQL and Excel to analyze large data sets and creating financial models.

How to get an entry-level analyst job

To become an analyst, you'll need a combination of education, experience, and technical skills. Many companies list a bachelor’s degree as a requirement, listing finance, business, and accounting as the preferred fields of study. Some employers may accept candidates with equivalent work experience, skills, and certifications. However, these majors can provide a solid foundation for the types of assignments you will work on as an analyst.

Earning a relevant certificate and completing an internship can also provide helpful experience toward your career path. Internships and certificate programs offer professional exposure to the tasks and duties of an analyst and allow you to develop skills in a business setting.

Expanding your proficiency with technology is highly advised for the analytical profession. The role of an analyst is continuously more involved with the use of technical programs for obtaining, organizing, and presenting data.

Gain hands-on experience.

If you are already in the workforce and interested in gaining experience as an analyst, you can find opportunities within your company to volunteer for projects that will provide relevant analytical training. These projects can give you exposure to the role, make you a more significant asset to your company, and add a favorable component to your consideration as a candidate when a position opens up within the organization.

As you gain experience, keep a portfolio of the work you create to boost your strength as an applicant when applying for a position. Proof of the work you're capable of doing can give a prospective employer additional confidence that you are the right candidate for the job.

If you don't yet have anything to add to your portfolio, consider getting started with an online Guided Project. The list below contains a couple of relevant options that you can complete in hours:

• (FREE) Scrape and Analyze Data Analyst Job Requirements with Python. This intermediate-level project guides you through helping a recruitment agency improve its job-sourcing process. By the end, you'll be able to write a Python script to extract and store data from websites.

• Introduction to Data Analysis using Microsoft Excel. This intermediate-level project guides you through account setup, document upload, and the use of data analysis functions in Excel to sort and filter data. It can be complete in just two hours.

Study for a degree.

A key to landing an entry-level job as an analyst is having the right combination of education and skills to perform the job. Business, accounting, marketing, and finance degrees provide frameworks in relevant fields and are often listed as the preferred degrees for analytical job postings. You can add skills in computer programming to your resume to help you become a versatile candidate with the aptitude to excel at your position.

Get additional certifications or certificates.

Additional certifications for technical skills can significantly enhance your likelihood of obtaining a job in analytics. Many companies require candidates with specific technical proficiencies like SQL, Python, and MS products.

Build credentials needed for an analytical career with the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate on Coursera, which offers training in Microsoft Excel, Python Programming, SQL, and DataViz.

Build your network.

Networking is one of the best ways to land a job in your dream career successfully. Connections made through people you already know, college mentors, classmates, or coworkers during internships can be valuable in getting your resume in front of the right people. Online communities can also be a great place to start.

Consider an internship.

An internship is a great way to gain work experience in an analyst role before starting your career in the field. Many companies offer internships for college students—during the school year and summer—that provide valuable real-life work experience. This exposure to the job can equip you with additional information to help you determine what career path you would enjoy most as an analyst.

Job outlook for analysts

The outlook for job growth from 2022 to 2032 in the areas of the analytical field, such as computer systems and finance, is faster than the national average [7, 8]. Certain specialties like operations research and information security have strong growth rates of up to 32 percent [9, 10].

Start preparing for an entry-level analyst role today with Coursera

Start now on the path to getting a job as an analyst with one of the many courses and certificates available on Coursera. Sharpen your technical talents and complete a Professional Certificate, such as the  Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, designed to help you prepare for an entry-level job within six months.