How to Become A Big Data Engineer (Step by Step Guide 2025)

In a world where the growing amount of data processed is becoming one of the largest assets, the need for professionally-trained individuals who can make sense and draw out relevant insights from the data is on the rise. Analytics of complex data requires skills in data cleaning, raw data processing as well as running appropriate tests on the data to draw insights and conclusions. This is where the role of a big data analyst comes into the picture. 

In India, the demand for big data analysts has been on a consistent rise owing to the emphasis being placed on data analytics and data science. As a result, it is one of the most coveted and compensated careers in India, along with its allied fields like data science, data analytics, etc. 

In this blog, we take you through the pertinent details about this career, including its scope, compensation, growth potential and relevant courses to consider to become a big data analyst. 

Why Choose a Career in Big Data & Analytics?

The field of data analytics is a highly prosperous domain that is up and coming in India, and has shown significant growth over the years. There are a number of reasons which make this career worth considering for your future, a few of these have been enlisted below. 

• Expanding Demand Across Industries: The scope for big data analytics is on the rise in India, and leading industries like e-commerce, BFSI, healthcare, retail and telecom are investing heavily in hiring data analysts to optimise their data usage and decision-making.  
• Gap in Demand vs Skilled Professionals: While big data analysts are well-regarded and highly demanded professionals in India and in the global ecosystem, there still exists a significant gap in the demand and the availability of formally-trained and skilled professionals, making it a domain with high potential. 
• Scope for Learning in Indian Educational System: In India, the learning ecosystem for enthusiasts of data analytics and big data is quite supportive, as not only are eminent HEIs offering higher education courses in data science and analytics, but also extending these courses in the online format now to make them more accessible and affordable for students to venture into.  
• Contribution in Cutting-Edge Technology: Big data analysts work with modern technologies including AI, ML, cloud computing and the likes, and in turn get an opportunity to train themselves and contribute towards the creation of cutting-edge technologies and digital developments.  
• Attractive Growth Prospects: Lastly, but importantly, in addition to the reasons cited above, data analytics as a field offers lucrative compensation and prosperous opportunities for career growth to professionals, both of which make it an attractive career option to consider. 

Roles & Responsibilities of a Big Data Analyst 

In this section, we take a look at the major responsibilities and performance areas which a big data analyst takes care of. 

As the role title suggests, big data analysts have primary functions of data cleaning, data processing and data analysis in their role. However, the role also involves communication of insights to stakeholders and collaboration with them to transform these analytics into actionable insights for businesses. 

The major job responsibilities of a big data analyst are listed below. 

Key Skills Needed for Big Data & Analytics 

This section elaborates on the skill set that you should focus on developing if you want to venture into big data analytics, including technical, functional, and soft skills required for the role. 

1. Technical Skills & Knowledge to Succeed as a Big Data Analyst

Technical and functional knowledge is important to succeed in data analyst roles, and for big data analysts, some of the core skills include programming knowledge, data query language expertise, big data tools, statistical skills and so on. The details for the same are provided below. 

Key Skills	Specifications
Programming Languages	Being proficient in programming languages such as Python, R, Java, or Scala to work with large and complex datasets and manipulate them
Data Query Languages	Having a thorough understanding of data querying languages like SQL, Cassandra, MongoDB etc. to make quick queries, retrieve and manage structured and unstructured datasets.
Big Data Tools	Being well-versed and comfortable in using big data tools like Hadoop, Apache Spark, Hive, Flume etc.
Statistical Skills	Having a strong conceptual understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics, regression analysis, predictive modelling, and so on.
Data Warehousing	Being able to manage data pipelines and data tranformations using tools like Apache NiFi, Talen, Informatica and so on.

2. Soft Skills to Succeed as a Big Data Analyst

Soft skills help in supporting an individual to fulfill their responsibilities in their role in addition to their competence in functional areas. For a role like big data analytics that involves significant stakeholder interactions, soft skills and interpersonal effectiveness become even more pertinent. Details about the same are elaborated below. 

Key Skills	Specifications
Analytical Aptitude	Having strong analytical ability, breaking down complex data problems into manageable chunks and effectively arriving at solutions for them.
Problem-solving Ability	Being well-adept in approaching complex problems with a calm demeanour and identifying root causes for the issue while also developing feasible solutions to address them.
Time Management	Proficiently managing multiple deliverables and delivering quality results well within committed deadlines.
Attention to Detail	Being attentive to minute details in complex and large datasets, having skills in noticing patterns, errors and exceptions in large datasets
Business Orientation	Being strategic and entrepreneurially oriented, effectively translating data insights into actionable business decisions and recommendations.

Career Analysis: Scope of Big Data & Analytics 

In this section, we analyse the function of big data analytics from an industrial perspective, evaluating its career options, growth prospects, and top recruiters. 

1. Career Opportunities in Big Data & Analytics  

A person qualified to venture into big data analytics can consider options that open up for them in several allied fields like data science, business analytics, business intelligence, market research, and so on. These fields are prosperous and provide excellent scope for growth as they are currently in their booming stages in India. 

A few of the prospective career options that open up for an individual with a big data analytics background have been enlisted below along with their current compensation standards in India. 

Career Option	Average Salary (Per Annum)
Big Data Analyst	INR 6 LPA
Business Analyst	INR 7,12,000
Data Analyst	INR 5,17,000
Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst	INR 6,35,000
Market Research Analyst	INR 7 LPA
Product Analyst	INR 11 LPA
Big Data Engineer	INR 7.9 LPA

The major recruiters of big data analysts include product-based and service-based technical giants in India and across the globe. Additionally, players in the BFSI sector, healthcare, market research, e-commerce, etc., also provide employment opportunities to big data analysts. Some of these major recruiters are listed below for reference. 

• Infosys 
• IBM India 
• Accenture
• Google 
• Amazon (AWS) 
• Oracle 
• Apple 
• Goldman Sachs  

2. Career Growth Trajectory of Big Data & Analytics 

Big data analysts can reasonably expect to grow quite well in their career on a financial basis, as the field is well compensated with commendable scope for growth with due upskilling and experience gathering over the years. 

An illustration for the prospect of financial growth as a big data analyst is represented below. Please note, the graph indicates projected figures based on current statistics about compensation on the role, and is liable to change with time. 

Career Navigator: What Course to Pursue for a Career in Big Data & Analytics?

To practise as a big data analyst, a strong foundation in mathematics and statistics is important. As a result, those willing to pursue this career should have studied either math or statistics in their higher secondary level education. Further, a relevant UG degree like a BBA/BCA/B.Sc in a relevant specialisation can lay the foundation to kickstart your data analytics career. 

One can start exploring job opportunities right after graduating or can further take up higher courses like a PG degree/diploma/Certification in the online or regular mode to hone their data analytics skills. 

The overall career roadmap for the same is provided below. 

The major formal online course options available in data analytics and related domains are summarised below along with details of their course fee. 

Course Name	Approximate Course Fee
Online BCA in Data Analytics	INR 2,00,000
Online BBA in Data Science & Analytics	INR 2,40,000
Online BBA in Data Analytics	INR 2,25,000
Online B.Sc in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (AI)	INR 3,50,000
Online MBA in Data Science	INR 2,50,000
Online MBA in Business Analytics	INR 2,50,000
Online MBA in Data Analytics	INR 55,000
Online Certificate in Big Data Engineering	INR 20,000
Online Executive MBA in Data Science & Analytics	INR 63,000
Online M.Sc in Data Science	INR 3,00,000
Online DBA in Data Science	INR 7,50,000
Online Diploma in Data Analytics	INR 45,000
Online Certification in Data Science	INR 40,000
Online Certification in Data Visualisation	INR 25,000

Some of the eminent colleges and institutions of India that offer courses in big data analytics and allied fields are enlisted below. These include both private and public institutions, which have course offerings in the regular as well as fully online mode. 

Conclusion

The field of big data analytics is agile, developing and attractive in terms of the scope in near future. This makes it a lucrative career option for those having a knack for processing and interpreting data and using insights to guide businesses.