Data Analysts are already heading there
99% of Data Analyst postings point toward data & machine learning, the direction that leads to the Data Scientist role.
Titles our analysis points to on the way
- Data Analyst, AI-Augmented Analytics
- Senior Data Analyst, AI-Augmented Analytics
- Data Analyst, AI-Enabled Analytics
Skills employers add along the way
- Prompt Engineering
- AI Assisted Data Analysis
- Machine Learning Basics
- Machine Learning
- Python for Data Analysis
- MLOps
The skills that separate the two roles
Skills Data Scientist postings ask for at least 10 points more often than Data Analyst postings, with the share of each role's postings that ask for them.
| Skill | Data Scientist | Data Analyst |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 85% | 30% |
| Machine Learning | 67% | under 9% |
| MLOps | 32% | under 9% |
What carries over
Skills both roles ask for, where Data Analyst postings already ask at a similar or higher rate.
| Skill | Data Scientist | Data Analyst |
|---|---|---|
| SQL | 45% | 63% |
| Data Visualization | 18% | 49% |
Side by side
| Measure | Data Analyst | Data Scientist |
|---|---|---|
| AI-related postings | 1,172 | 933 |
| Core AI share | 3% | 45% |
| Automation exposure | 55/100 | 36/100 |
| Median pay per month, Netherlands | €5,200 (97 postings) | €5,400 (55 postings) |
FAQ
How do I move from Data Analyst to Data Scientist?
Employers are already moving the role this way: 99% of Data Analyst postings point toward data & machine learning. What separates the two roles in postings is Python (in 85% of Data Scientist postings), Machine Learning (67%) and MLOps (32%), all asked for far less often in Data Analyst postings. The advertised median in the Netherlands is €5,400 per month for a Data Scientist, against €5,200 per month for a Data Analyst.
What skills does a Data Analyst need to become a Data Scientist?
The skills Data Scientist postings ask for far more often: Python (85%, against 30% for a Data Analyst), Machine Learning (67%, against under 9% for a Data Analyst) and MLOps (32%, against under 9% for a Data Analyst).
Which Data Analyst skills carry over?
SQL and Data Visualization: both roles ask for them at similar or higher rates in Data Analyst postings.
Does a Data Scientist earn more than a Data Analyst?
In the Netherlands, the advertised median is €5,400 per month for a Data Scientist and €5,200 per month for a Data Analyst, from 55 and 97 postings that quote pay. Few postings quote pay, so treat the gap as indicative.
See the detail for your role
Every role guide shows its essential skills, the AI skills to learn next, the common gaps and where the role is heading.
Browse all 44 role guidesBuilt from 1,172 Data Analyst and 933 Data Scientist postings, published from March to September 2026 and deduplicated so that a job listed on several boards or by several agencies counts once. Skills are compared on each role's ten most requested; a skill outside the Data Analyst ten is shown as under its tenth skill's share. A skill separates the roles when Data Scientist postings ask for it at least 10 points more often, counting a skill outside the Data Analyst ten at that tenth share, the most it could be. Pay compares the country and period where both roles have the most postings quoting it. How we collect and deduplicate postings.