What is the primary role of a data analyst?

The primary role of a data analyst is to interpret data and transform it into actionable insights. This involves analyzing and evaluating complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and relationships within the data. By effectively interpreting the data, a data analyst can provide valuable insights that inform decision-making processes, highlight areas for improvement, and guide strategic initiatives within an organization.

While visualizing data and creating dashboards is an important part of the data analysis process, it serves as a tool to communicate the insights discovered through the analysis. Maintaining database performance and security pertains more to database administrators, while developing new software for data management is typically the responsibility of software developers or engineers. Therefore, the core competency of a data analyst is centered around interpreting data to produce meaningful insights that can drive business decisions.