Top 10 ‘in-demand’ Data, Insight & Analytics Skills 2026

Across Data, throughout Data Analytics, BI, Data Engineering and Data Science, there are some clear themes in what organisations are looking for across the UK. Here are the skills we see again and again, that companies are commonly asking for:

1. SQL
2. Data Visualisation tools (Mainly PowerBI)
3. Analytics Engineering & Data Modelling (dbt, semantic modelling, production ready transformations)
4. Data Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP)
5. Data Engineering & Pipeline Design (ETL, Databricks, Snowflake, reliable data flows)
6. Working with AI / LLM‑enabled analytics (Using AI tools, automation and more)
7. Dashboarding & Self Serve Analytics (Clear storytelling with data insights)
8. Cross‑functional collaboration with Product & Tech (working with stakeholders)
9. Data Quality, Governance & Documentation (Metadata, strong data standards)
10. Practical Statistics & Experimentation (A/B Testing and more)

Hiring into the world of Data or thinking about your next move? We’re always happy to share what we’re seeing & there’s more to come!