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Alteryx has published new research indicating that the role of the data analyst is evolving towards a more strategic function, although many analysts continue to rely heavily on spreadsheets for data preparation tasks.
The report “The 2025 State of Data Analysts in the Age of AI” surveyed 1,400 data, IT, and operations analysts across five industries to examine the effects of analytics automation and AI tools on their roles. The findings reveal that 70% of analysts believe that AI and automation enhance their efficiency and effectiveness.
Despite the observed productivity gains, 76% of analysts reported continuing to use spreadsheets for data preparation. The survey also found that 45% of professionals spend over six hours weekly on data cleansing tasks, potentially impacting data quality and, subsequently, the reliability of AI outputs.
The research suggests that the data analyst role is becoming more influential in organisations. A notable 94% of surveyed analysts agree that their work has a significant impact on strategic decision-making, with 87% noting an increase in their influence on business decisions over the past year.
Additionally, the survey highlights a positive outlook on career growth in the face of AI integration. Only 17% of analysts express concern about AI taking over their jobs, while 90% foresee AI as a catalyst for career development. This sentiment marks a decline in AI-related job fears compared to a previous year’s survey of IT and data leaders, where 65% anticipated job displacement due to generative AI.
Jay Henderson, Senior Vice President of Product at Alteryx, noted the survey findings: “For data analysts, the results are crystal clear. Leveraging AI as an everyday tool has boosted job satisfaction and reclaimed valuable hours for analysts.
“For organizations, the challenge is to optimize these productivity gains,” he says.
“This involves building a tech stack to manage advanced AI applications effectively. Plans to implement AI across workforces must go hand in hand with providing data workers the tools that consistently validate confidence in AI outputs. A strong starting point is determining whether your data preparation capabilities can meet these shifting demands.”
The research was conducted by Coleman Parkes between November and December 2024, involving 1,400 respondents from the Americas, EMEA, and APJ regions representing banking, insurance, manufacturing, retail or consumer goods, and public sector or education sectors.