Data analysis skills: which tools and jobs use them, and how to show them
Data analysis is collecting, cleaning and examining data to answer a question and explain what it means. O*NET lists tools such as Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics for analysts, and mathematics and critical thinking among the top skills for data scientists.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Skill | Data analysis |
| Source of the occupation data | O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), accessed 31 October 2026 |
| Occupations in this guide that list it | 4 |
| Where to learn more | Our career guides and the O*NET pages linked below |
What is Data analysis?
The work moves from a question, to getting the data, to checking it, to analysing it and then explaining the result to someone who must decide. The last step matters as much as the tool.
Which jobs use it?
The occupation pages on O*NET OnLine list technology skills and top essential skills. These occupations from our career guides include this skill or closely related ones:
- Data Scientists (O*NET 15-2051.00): business intelligence tools (Microsoft Power BI, Alteryx, Google Looker), IBM SPSS Statistics, SAS and Microsoft Excel.
- Financial and Investment Analysts (O*NET 13-2051.00): Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, SAS, IBM SPSS Statistics, SQL and R.
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (O*NET 13-1161.00): Tableau, Google Looker Analytics, IBM SPSS Statistics and Minitab.
- Marketing Managers (O*NET 11-2021.00): business intelligence tools such as Tableau and Google Looker Analytics.
O*NET examples are illustrative, not a requirement for every employer. Read the postings for the role you want.
How do I show it on a resume?
- Start with the question you answered and what changed because of it.
- Name the tools you used for each step.
- Give a number only if you can source it, and never include private data.
- Show the explaining: a report, a dashboard or a presentation to a named type of audience.
See the data analyst resume example for layout, and our guide to an ATS-friendly resume.
On LiveRec, employers who find candidates for a job see up to five of your skills on your card, with the ones that match the job first. Use the exact name of the skill, as in which skills to put on a profile.
Where can I learn it?
We link only official sources we could verify. The O*NET Skills Search shows skills and examples, and each career guide above explains typical education from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ask your employer or school what training it offers, then add what you complete to your profile.
Frequently asked questions
What tools should a data analyst know? O*NET names Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, SQL, SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics for related occupations. Postings tell you which to start with.
Is data analysis only for data scientists? No. O*NET lists analysis tools for financial analysts and market research analysts too.
How do I show analysis with no job title? Describe a project: question, data, method, result, with a link to a sample that has no private data.
Related guides
When you are ready, search jobs on LiveRec.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine, Data Scientists, 15-2051.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-2051.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Financial and Investment Analysts, 13-2051.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2051.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists, 13-1161.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1161.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Marketing Managers, 11-2021.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2021.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Skills Search: https://www.onetonline.org/skills/ (accessed 31 October 2026)