Will AI replace data analysts?

Much of the work, but not all of it. AI could take on about 68% of the working time in a typical data analyst job today. The other 32% still needs a person.

Data analyst at work

32% of the work still needs a person.

Needs a person: 32%A person checking AI: 23%AI alone: 45%

The bracket under the bar is the evidence range for the share AI could take on: 43 to 68%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry.

17 responsibilities in a typical data analyst job. Median pay $120,230 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Keep up with industry news through contacts
  • Turn data into clear recommendations AI helps
  • Keep dashboards and databases up to date AI helps
  • Spot industry and regional trends AI helps
  • Build dashboards, databases and spreadsheets AI helps
  • Find new markets through tech trends AI helps

AI can do or help with

  • Build reports for managers and clients AI can do it
  • Keep dashboards and databases up to date AI helps
  • Get reports to people on time AI can do it
  • Test that reports match what people need AI can do it
  • Turn data into clear recommendations AI helps
  • Tell users about report and tool changes AI can do it

The biggest responsibilities on each side, ranked by a person's time on the left. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces, so one can show on both sides. See all 17, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace data analysts?

Much of the work, but not all of it. AI could take on about 68% of the working time in a typical data analyst job today. The other 32% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: build reports for managers and clients, keep dashboards and databases up to date, get reports to people on time, test that reports match what people need, turn data into clear recommendations, tell users about report and tool changes.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: keep up with industry news through contacts, turn data into clear recommendations, keep dashboards and databases up to date, spot industry and regional trends, build dashboards, databases and spreadsheets, find new markets through tech trends.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 17 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0). Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range for the share AI could take on is 43 to 68%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry. Scores version 0.8.5, updated November 10, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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