{"source":"RealAnalystJobs","title":"SQL topics named in analyst job postings, October 2026","question":"Which SQL skills do data analyst jobs actually ask for?","url":"https://realanalystjobs.com/research/sql-skills-for-data-analyst-jobs","answer":"Analysis SQL, not database administration. Of 2,464 analyst postings on realanalystjobs.com read on 7 and 8 October 2026, 1,237 (50%) mention SQL; of those, 524 (42%) ask for strong, advanced or proficient SQL and 279 (23%) mention data modeling. DBA work such as backup and recovery, indexing, installation or replication appears in under 1% of them.","scope":"2,464 analyst postings on realanalystjobs.com read on 7 and 8 October 2026","sampleSize":2464,"temporalCoverage":"2026-10-07/2026-10-08","lastUpdated":"2026-10-10","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"citation":"RealAnalystJobs (2026). SQL topics named in analyst job postings, October 2026. Based on 2,464 analyst postings on realanalystjobs.com read on 7 and 8 October 2026. https://realanalystjobs.com/research/sql-skills-for-data-analyst-jobs (CC BY 4.0).","method":["Sample: analyst-titled postings with a job description in the US, India, UK and Canada, plus the junior analyst set from all countries, read from each role's page on realanalystjobs.com on 7 and 8 October 2026.","Exclusions: postings from the reposting sites Jobgether and Weekday were removed, and duplicates were removed, leaving 2,464 postings.","Counting: a posting mentions SQL when its description names it. Topics were counted within the 1,237 postings that mention SQL, by matching the description text. Joins count only as SQL joins, not phrases like join our team."],"limitations":["A pattern count of what postings say. Topics a posting assumes without naming are not counted.","One snapshot of one board in early October 2026, read from company career pages.","Shares of the tools named alongside SQL are reported as shares only; the counts behind them are in the source analysis."],"tables":[{"caption":"SQL topics named in the 1,237 postings that mention SQL","columns":["Topic","Postings","Share of 1,237"],"rows":[["Strong, advanced or proficient SQL","524","42%"],["Data modeling","279","23%"],["Basic or working SQL","99","8%"],["Query optimization or performance","66","5%"],["Aggregation","51","4%"],["Joins (SQL joins only, not join our team)","48","4%"],["Window functions","32","3%"],["CTEs (common table expressions)","25","2%"]]},{"caption":"Database administration topics in the same postings","columns":["DBA topic","Postings","Share of 1,237"],"rows":[["Backup and recovery","10","under 1%"],["Indexing","7","under 1%"],["Installation and configuration","3","under 1%"],["Replication and administration","2","under 1%"]]},{"caption":"Tools named alongside SQL","columns":["Tool","Share of the 1,237 SQL postings"],"rows":[["Python","59%"],["Tableau","38%"],["Power BI","31%"],["Snowflake","17%"]]}],"data":{"readFrom":"2026-10-07","readTo":"2026-10-08","postings":2464,"mentionSql":1237,"topics":[{"key":"strong","label":"Strong, advanced or proficient SQL","postings":524},{"key":"modeling","label":"Data modeling","postings":279},{"key":"basic","label":"Basic or working SQL","postings":99},{"key":"optimization","label":"Query optimization or performance","postings":66},{"key":"aggregation","label":"Aggregation","postings":51},{"key":"joins","label":"Joins (SQL joins only, not join our team)","postings":48},{"key":"window","label":"Window functions","postings":32},{"key":"cte","label":"CTEs (common table expressions)","postings":25}],"dbaTopics":[{"key":"backup","label":"Backup and recovery","postings":10},{"key":"indexing","label":"Indexing","postings":7},{"key":"install","label":"Installation and configuration","postings":3},{"key":"replication","label":"Replication and administration","postings":2}],"alongside":[{"tool":"Python","pct":59},{"tool":"Tableau","pct":38},{"tool":"Power BI","pct":31},{"tool":"Snowflake","pct":17}]}}