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Data Technician

Collecting, analysing and presenting data so it's easier to understand

How this role makes a difference

Over the last twenty years, a large proportion of our lives and business activity has become digitalised. On an individual level, every app, purchase, video stream, online search, and social media post we make generates huge amounts of data about how we think and behave. Businesses analyse our data to understand and serve us better, and to offer us products and services that will appeal to us.

They also gather data on other factors that impact their business, such as prices, populations, energy use, and weather conditions. You could be the technician who helps to source, format, and present data securely, to help generate insights that lead to improved services and product innovations.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Blending data from multiple sources
  • Following legal and ethical principles of data collection
  • Explaining the insights the data generated
  • Producing reports containing data and insights
  • Interacting with a wide range of people who have an interest in the data
  • Understanding the types of insights people need to collect appropriate data
  • Processing data using computers
  • Storing and managing data
Useful skills
Technologically minded
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Problem solving
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Critical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Communicating complex ideas
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the role

A fascination with data and how it can be used to build insights and understanding.

A knack for working with technology and creating things on computers.

A thorough approach to your work and great attention to detail when carrying out tasks and producing reports.

A natural instinct to look at a problem from different angles to come up with the best solution.

The ability to think carefully about a subject or idea, ask the right questions and act on what you’ve learned.

Skill at defining or identifying a problem and coming up with a number of potential solutions.

A knack for communicating complex ideas to other people and explaining how to do things.

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- exploring problems and finding answers

- gaming and technology

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

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*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

You could build a career in data analytics in a large accounting or consulting firm, so teams can serve and inform clients in diverse sectors. As your experience grows, you can lead a team of analysts.

Alternatively you might join a consumer retail, marketing agency, or public sector organisation, and use data to develop products, campaigns or services.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

Data collection and analytics is a big part of many industries, including finance, retail, education, health, media, manufacturing, and hospitality. As a Data Technician you will be required to present data securely in a relevant way, so other people understand the insights the data has generated and the outcomes it can help them achieve.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Data Engineer
Data and Reporting Analyst
Security Architect

Discover
technicians who
do this role

Data Technician

Henry Fair
Dan Brown

Data Technician

Dan Brown
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