INDEX/JOBS/DATA-ANALYST

COMPUTER & MATHHIGH EXPOSUREREPORT ID #2908

Data Analyst.

Data analysts face high exposure in query writing, report generation, and data cleaning — but strong human advantage remains in hypothesis formation, business translation, and stakeholder storytelling.

EXPOSURE

69%

↑ 2.1pp vs Q1

RESILIENCE

durable index

MEDIAN PAY

$86k

$56k – $124k

10Y GROWTH

+23%

Much faster than avg

Compare with another role

// EXPOSURE

Data Analysts

THE TASK-LEVEL VERDICT

SQL-GEN

DATA-CLEANING

VIZ-ASSIST

REPORT-GEN

Where the score comes from

Time spent, weighted by AI capability.

Distribution by class

39%

35%

26%

AI-Substitutable

AI-Assisted

Human-Critical

Task breakdown

All 9 canonical tasks

	Task	Exposure	Classification	Time share
01	SQL query writing and optimization	91%	AI-Substitutable	16%
02	Data cleaning and transformation	88%	AI-Substitutable	12%
03	Dashboard and report creation	84%	AI-Substitutable	11%
04	Exploratory data analysis	72%	AI-Assisted	14%
05	Statistical analysis	66%	AI-Assisted	12%
06	A/B test design and analysis	58%	AI-Assisted	9%
07	Business hypothesis formation	28%	Human-Critical	12%
08	Cross-functional data strategy	21%	Human-Critical	6%
09	Stakeholder storytelling	18%	Human-Critical	8%

Task profile · radar

Where the work concentrates.

Procedural and Cognitive tasks dominate this role — both highly model-addressable. Social and Judgement axes are smaller but more resilient.

Capability creep · 8 years

Exposure climbed 44pp since 2018.

'18'20'22'24'26

Editorial signals

What the data is telling us.

INSIGHT · 01

EXPOSURE SIGNAL

SQL generation, data cleaning, and dashboard creation are already largely automatable. Text-to-SQL models can match junior analyst output on well-structured schemas.

INSIGHT · 02

AUGMENTATION SIGNAL

Statistical analysis and EDA are being augmented significantly. The analyst's value is increasingly about problem framing, not execution.

INSIGHT · 03

RESILIENCE SIGNAL

Business hypothesis formation and stakeholder translation are where the most senior analysts spend their time — and where models fall short.

Resilient adjacencies

Where data analysts move next.

Data Scientist

Moderate

61%

-8pp vs Data

Analytics Engineer

High

72%

3pp vs Data

Product Analyst

High

65%

-4pp vs Data

Business Intelligence Lead

Moderate

58%

-11pp vs Data

ML Engineer

Moderate

51%

-18pp vs Data

Community pulse

Has AI already changed your work?

12,408 data analysts responded in the last 30 days.

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Data Analyst

69%

AI-Exposed

31% remain human-critical

TASKEXPOSED.COM/JOBS/DATA-ANALYSTRESEARCH BRIEF · MAY 2026

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FAQ

Common questions about Data Analyst AI exposure.

What is the AI exposure score for Data Analysts?

Data Analysts have an overall AI exposure score of 69%, meaning approximately 69% of their time-weighted tasks can be substantially assisted or substituted by current frontier AI models. This places the role in the "High" exposure category.

Will AI replace Data Analysts?

AI is unlikely to fully replace Data Analysts in the near term. The 31% of tasks classified as Human-Critical — including Business hypothesis formation and Stakeholder storytelling — remain strongly human-dependent. AI is more likely to augment the role, raising productivity and shifting focus toward higher-judgment work.

What tasks are most exposed to AI for Data Analysts?

The most AI-exposed tasks for Data Analysts include: SQL query writing and optimization, Data cleaning and transformation, Dashboard and report creation. These have exposure scores of 91%, 88%, 84% respectively.

What skills should Data Analysts develop to stay resilient?

Data Analysts should focus on developing skills in areas that AI struggles with: Business hypothesis formation, Stakeholder storytelling, Cross-functional data strategy. Adjacent careers with lower exposure include Data Scientist and Analytics Engineer.