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Job outlook for junior data analysts in the United States
Junior data analyst job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected junior data analyst job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 108,400 new jobs for junior data analysts are projected over the next decade.
Junior data analyst salaries have increased 8% for junior data analysts in the last 5 years.
There are over 58,828 junior data analysts currently employed in the United States.
There are 125,589 active junior data analyst job openings in the US.
The average junior data analyst salary is $59,197.
Are junior data analyst jobs in demand?
Junior data analyst job and salary trends over time
Junior data analyst jobs over time
Junior data analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58,828 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 56,163 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 54,373 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 52,341 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 50,301 | 0.02% |
Average junior data analyst salary over time
Junior data analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,197 | $28.46 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $57,576 | $27.68 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $56,462 | $27.15 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $55,679 | $26.77 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $54,922 | $26.41 | +0.0% |
Junior data analyst jobs by state
Most common states for junior data analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 1,001 | 144% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,255 | 37% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,443 | 36% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,748 | 32% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 290 | 30% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,115 | 27% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 844 | 27% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 201 | 27% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,466 | 26% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 350 | 26% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 185 | 25% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,313 | 24% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 848 | 24% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,884 | 23% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,944 | 22% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 429 | 22% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 226 | 22% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 193 | 22% |
| 19 | New York | 19,849,399 | 4,116 | 21% |
| 20 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,116 | 21% |
Most common cities for junior data analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston | 4 | 3% | $56,751 |
| 2 | Columbia | 4 | 3% | $57,190 |
| 3 | Orlando | 6 | 2% | $57,433 |
| 4 | Buffalo | 4 | 2% | $70,299 |
| 5 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $59,909 |
| 6 | Jersey City | 4 | 2% | $74,097 |
| 7 | Washington | 9 | 1% | $72,372 |
| 8 | Boston | 8 | 1% | $76,382 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 7 | 1% | $62,794 |
| 10 | Jacksonville | 6 | 1% | $58,194 |
| 11 | San Francisco | 6 | 1% | $71,806 |
| 12 | Austin | 5 | 1% | $63,542 |
| 13 | Miami | 4 | 1% | $56,432 |
| 14 | Chicago | 8 | 0% | $67,886 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 8 | 0% | $64,732 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 8 | 0% | $65,557 |
| 17 | Dallas | 4 | 0% | $62,507 |
| 18 | Houston | 4 | 0% | $62,853 |
| 19 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $56,092 |
Junior Data Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of junior data analyst experts
UMass Lowell
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
University of Washington
Mississippi College
University of Southern Maine
Western Kentucky University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Maryland - College Park
Kettering University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Coastal Carolina University
Drexel University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Yipeng Yang: Logic and critical thinking, mathematical modeling, computer programming, data analytics, and communication.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yipeng Yang: Get to know clearly the job duties quickly. Make good connections with colleagues and listen to their advices.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Yipeng Yang: Enhance problem-solving ability. Keep learning and improving new skills in your field.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Joseph Spivey: I’d start by becoming as knowledgeable as possible about the salaries of people in jobs you are interested in. Compare salaries for open positions; you may be able to use your knowledge as leverage to ask for more money. When you interview, ask not just about starting salary but about how raises and promotions are handled. I wish that I had learned some basic negotiation principles when I started my career. I’d recommend the book Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Joseph Spivey: I think technology, especially artificial intelligence, provide increasingly important tools. Mathematics graduates will need to understand how to use technology in all kinds of new ways to improve their output and efficiency. Math graduates will need to be able to identify the best technological tools for a given task and critically interpret the output. As with most technological tools, people will be best served by using technology to augment, rather than replace, their efforts.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Joseph Spivey: My first piece of advice is to recognize that you have achieved something hard and worthwhile by completing a mathematics major. There are not many people on this planet who have the knowledge and skills that you have developed! By completing a math major, you have proven that you have excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and these abilities and confidence in your abilities will pay off. I also think it’s worthwhile to identify a mentor early on who can help guide you to be successful.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Reshad Osmani PhD: As a new graduate starting your career, I recommend staying curious, being open to learning from others, seeking feedback, building networks, and being proactive in tackling challenges. Keep developing your analytical skills, stay adaptable, and remember that mistakes are opportunities for growth. Learning by doing should be your number one priority.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rebecca Bird MAS, BS MT(ASCP): To maximize your salary potential, obtain some experience while you are in school. If there is a clinic to volunteer at or a student job in a lab, take it. Higher pay is almost always offered to the evening and night shift technicians. If your new workplace is on 8-hour nights or evenings, create a schedule where evenings and nights do 10s or 12s and suggest it to the leadership. This makes a much better work-life balance.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Dr. Michael Zhang: In the coming years, turning data into insights and driving business innovation and success is the new compass.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Michael Zhang: Don’t worry about your job title. Regardless of what you do, prepare yourself with data and modeling skills and hands-on experience in applying knowledge for developing, evaluating, refining and implementing analytics solutions to your career.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Michael Zhang: All your study at University is a solid foundation of the bridge between theory and practice. Don’t be afraid of failure, be open-minded, keep learning and adapting to new challenges.
Fawen Zhang PhD
Professor of AudiologyUniversity of Cincinnati Clermont College
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Victor Menaldo: Learn, learn and learn some more. Adopt a growth mindset where you never stop learning. Gain economic literacy and financial literacy and historical literacy and statistical literacy. This will allow you to complement AI: ask it good questions, contextualize and evaluate its answers, and ask good follow up questions.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Victor Menaldo: Interacting with AI and knowing how to best exploit it to get the most out of it: increase productivity and value added in whatever field one is in.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Taylor Poe Ph.D.: Remember to problem solve creatively just as you did in your coursework. The critical thinking and problem-solving skills you learned will be continually tested in whatever field you go into from your math degree. Also remember the benefits of collaborating with colleagues both in the field and in other disciplines.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Taylor Poe Ph.D.: Data analysis is certainly a growing field, and we cannot deny the benefits of having some programming skills. The ability to communicate and work with others will open doors to bigger projects.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Taylor Poe Ph.D.: Sell the strengths that set you apart and be willing to continue learning new skills and areas.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen advises graduates beginning their career in the field to...
Tim Scales
Director of Center for Entrepreneurship – Director Center for Economic Education and Senior Lecturer in Business and EconomicsWhat general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Tim Scales: I would advise a graduate beginning their career in the field to focus on building a strong network, continuously learning and adapting to new technologies and trends, and seeking mentorship from experienced professionals in the industry.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tim Scales: To maximize salary potential when starting a career in the field, it's important to negotiate effectively, demonstrate value through performance, seek out opportunities for advancement and additional responsibilities, and continuously invest in improving skills and knowledge relevant to the industry.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Tim Scales: In the next 3-5 years, I believe skills such as data analysis, digital marketing, and adaptability to changing market conditions will become increasingly important and prevalent in the field.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Timothy Rich PhD: Social science research skills, including research design and quantitative analysis, have broad applications (e.g. local government, think tanks, campaigns, non-profits, business) and students need to be comfortable with data. Writing skills aren't being replaced by ChatGPT, and students need to learn how to write for different audiences and not just for the typical final paper. That means being able to explain complex events or data and synthesize information to someone who has little knowledge about the topic. Students tend to distrust group projects, but learning to work in groups is also a transferable skill and an important one even if working remotely.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Being able to negotiate a salary is also a skill that students need to learn and one that is rarely taught in college. Students need to be able to ask for more than they are offered, but also take jobs at entry levels, prove themselves and then ask for an increase in pay six months into the job after they have shown that they are doing the work and achieving their goals.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: I would advise graduates to be open to considering jobs in lots of different fields. The skills acquired through their major- such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing- are ones that transfer well to a variety of situations.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: The most important skills in my view are flexibility in thinking- the ability to apply knowledge to new situations- and the so-called "soft skills", being able to work with people face-to-face. This is a skill that has somewhat been lost with the advent of Zoom and rise of AI technologies but it is very important in building human connection.
Spyros Kitsiou Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Medical Illustration And Informatics
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Spyros Kitsiou Ph.D.: In terms of hard skills: Data analytics, Machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, Mobile health informatics. In terms of soft skills: Problem-solving, Motivation and drive driven by curiosity, Communication skills.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Spyros Kitsiou Ph.D.: By targeting positions that align with your background and expertise and by adjusting aspects of your CV and cover letter to highlight your skills and competencies in relation to the position you are applying for. Also, by negotiating your salary and providing justification as to why you deserve more than the initial offer. Do your research and talk to people to gain a better understanding of what is the salary range of the position you are applying.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Spyros Kitsiou Ph.D.: Continue to build your health informatics skills and competencies; stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your field; create a professional network by going to venues, conferences, workshops, and other social events; and be professional and respectful in all your interactions. Don't forget to send a Thank you email with 24 hours after your interview.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Sean Cao: Data analytics skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and communication skills will become more important and prevalent in the next few years. Acquiring these skills positions students to gain a competitive edge in the era of AI.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sean Cao: Acquiring in-demand skills and expanding institutional knowledge through industry experience can maximize salary potential at the beginning of your career. First, enhancing these skills through certifications, internships, and active involvement in pertinent projects can significantly boost your attractiveness to employers. Moreover, obtaining industry experience via internships provides invaluable practical knowledge and insights. Furthermore, networking within your industry can provide access to mentorship, recommendations, and insider information crucial for maximizing earning potential. Last, delving deeply into understanding your industry and specializing in niche areas can elevate your salary prospects.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Sean Cao: First, enhancing proficiency in data analytics is important for accounting students aiming to excel in today's data-rich financial environment. It is imperative that students can effectively use advanced data analytics tools to analyze both quantitative and qualitative data, such as 10-K, 8-K, and ESG disclosures. By leveraging analytical tools to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies within financial data, students can transform complex information into actionable insights. This ability not only facilitates informed decision-making but also distinguishes individuals as indispensable assets within any organization. Second, cultivating critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The ability to think critically and solve problems creatively is particularly important in the age of AI. As AI technologies increasingly automate routine tasks, the unique human ability to think critically, evaluate complex situations, and generate innovative solutions becomes more valuable than ever. In addition, strengthening effective communication skills. In an era where technology frequently facilitates interactions, the capacity to articulate ideas clearly and convincingly, both verbally and in writing, is important. Enhancing communication skills contributes to better collaboration with colleagues and management, ensuring that your ideas and contributions are duly recognized and appreciated.
Dr. Osama Aljarrah
Assistant ProfessorKettering University
Manufacturing Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Dr. Osama Aljarrah: The capacity to solve complex problems in real-time settings. What enables you to do that is the ability to analyze information systematically and make data-driven decisions using artificial intelligence, data analytics, lean manufacturing, lean six sigma, and programming skills.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Osama Aljarrah: As someone who deeply cares about my students' success beyond graduation, I strongly recommend seeking a mentor. Choose someone you respect and whose career path inspires you—whether it's a teacher, manager, or even a family member. A good mentor can offer invaluable guidance and support as you navigate the early stages of your career.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Osama Aljarrah: Enhancing your qualifications through additional education can significantly boost your earning potential. This could mean obtaining an advanced degree or relevant certifications, especially in AI, supply chain, and manufacturing.
What general advice would you give to a Junior Data Analyst?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: Ask questions, stay curious and open minded, take opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
Mark Chandler
Director of Government Relations and Professor of PracticeCoastal Carolina University
Intelligence, Command Control And Information Operations
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Chandler: First, focus on being good at your job. Focus on learning your specific assigned area. Get the basics down – analytic skills, communication skills. Build a strong work ethic and professional foundation. If you can find a good mentor, link up with them. Be willing to go the “extra mile” in being a team player and doing things to help others on the team, and put in the hours. In intelligence, you will not always like what policy makers do or say. It’s not our job to agree or disagree with the policy, our job is to study the situation, present the facts and then present a fact-based analytic assessment. Keep opinion, bias, and politics out of our work. This will be a challenge, but it’s one you have to recognize in order to not succumb to it.
What Junior Data Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Stehr PhD: At the start of your career, it's very important to land a role where you learn a lot and find good mentors. The additional skills will pay dividends as your career progresses.
What will help Junior Data Analysts increase their earning potential?
Mark Stehr PhD: The ability to use AI to augment your productivity. We're all still working out what this will look like, but it's certain to be important.