Analysts are still in high demand but recruiting them remains a challenge, according the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia's (IAPA) 2014 Skills and Salary Survey Report.
The report's second annual survey, conducted as part of an alliance with the Association of Data-Driven Marketing (ADMA), noted that 90% of respondents found that recruiting analysts was harder than or as hard as last year, with demand for the skillset increasing across businesses and government departments.
“The global trend of demand for talented analysts outstripping supply remains true in Australia with the majority of managers reporting difficulty filling positions,” ADMA/IAPA CEO Jodie Sangster said.
“This is an area we need to address through education and up-skilling to ensure we have the future professionals required in this field."
This demand is also pushing up salaries in these skillsets with analytics professionals earning almost twice the median Australian salary at $125k annually.
While “big data” was the catch cry of 2014, the report found only 15% of respondents found it a challenge. The report's author and SAS chief analytics officer Evan Stubbs said this meant the industry is either “yet to really hit the big data iceberg or we've sailed straight past it”.
The report also found that 24% of respondents to the survey showed “unique set of skills” in being more technical, skilled in business case development and change management, and being more multi skilled.
With the elusive “data scientist” role, which in 2012 The Havard Business Review called the sexiest job of the 21st Century, still lacking a concrete definition, Stubbs said that this skill set could be a start on providing one.
“Without a universally agreed definition of 'data scientist,' perhaps the characteristics of this segment could act as s proxy,” Stubb said.
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