HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a data analyst in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to data analysts. Here is how to share data safely, own the work and agree the hours.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a data analyst in five steps

  1. Write down the questionsThe business questions you want answered, before the data analyst opens a file.
  2. Share only what is neededRemove names and contact details where the analysis does not need them.
  3. Agree hours and deliverableA report, a dashboard or a cleaned dataset, with estimated hours.
  4. Put data terms in writingHow the analyst stores, uses and deletes your data.
  5. Own the outputsReports, dashboards and code assigned to your business.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses data analysts in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Examples of past work, a reference and written terms on data are what count.

Ask for an anonymised sample report or dashboard and a client you can contact.

Processor terms for personal data (UK GDPR)

A data analyst working on personal data for you acts as a processor. The ICO's guidance lists what a written contract between you and a processor must cover, including acting only on your instructions, security and deletion at the end.

Agree written data terms with the data analyst before sharing any personal data. ico.org.uk →

Keeping data secure and minimal

Data protection rules, enforced by the ICO, require personal information to be kept secure, accurate and up to date. Sharing only the fields an analysis needs reduces the risk.

Strip out personal details the work does not need before sharing the file. gov.uk →

Off-payroll working (IR35)

A data analyst working through their own limited company may come under HMRC's off-payroll rules; usually the client decides status, unless it is small and in the private sector.

Ask how the analyst is engaged. gov.uk →

VAT

Data analysis is standard-rated: a registered data analyst charges 20% on the hours or fixed price, and warehouse or cloud bills come to you separately. Registration becomes compulsory once a data analyst has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the data analyst for the VAT number before work begins and for VAT on the analysis fee as a line of its own. gov.uk →

“What data analysis have you done in my sector?”

A good answer: Examples, anonymised, with the data analyst's method explained.

“How many hours will this analysis take?”

A good answer: An estimate per stage, with a check-in before going over.

“What data do you actually need from me?”

A good answer: The minimum fields, with personal details removed where possible.

“How will you store and delete my data?”

A good answer: Secure storage on their own encrypted devices, and deletion on a set date.

“Will the dashboard keep working after you finish?”

A good answer: A plan for data refreshes and who maintains it.

“Who owns the reports, dashboards and code?”

A good answer: Your business, by a written assignment.

“How will the data analyst explain the findings?”

A good answer: A plain-language summary with clear charts, not just tables.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate and estimated hours, or a fixed price
  • Who actually attends to your data: the data analyst named in the processor terms, an employee, or a subcontracted analyst
  • The deliverable: report, dashboard or dataset
  • Software, data warehouse or cloud costs listed separately
  • Data handling and deletion terms
  • Ownership of outputs and code
  • Engagement basis
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the analysis hours shown separately

Walk away if

  • Asks for full customer data when a summary would do
  • No written terms on data handling
  • Keeps dashboards in their own accounts
  • Findings with no method explained
  • No estimate of hours
  • Avoids the IR35 question
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£48

What a data analyst costs: £20–£48 per hour

Data analysts usually charge by the hour or day against an estimate; software and cloud costs are separate. Data Analyst price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Data analysts near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. ScopingQuestions and available data agreed.
  2. PreparationData cleaned, joined and checked.
  3. AnalysisTrends and answers found.
  4. Report or dashboardFindings presented clearly.
  5. HandoverFiles, method notes and access returned.

Dashboard
A live view of key figures, updated from your data.
Data cleaning
Fixing errors and duplicates before analysis.
Pseudonymised data
Data where names are replaced with codes; still personal data.
SQL
A language for querying databases.
Data refresh
Updating a dashboard with new data.
Processor
Someone who handles personal data on your behalf.

AFTER

When the job is done

Confirm deletion of shared dataAsk in writing once the work is done.
Check the numbersSpot-check a few figures against your own records.
Move dashboards into your accountsSo they keep running when the analyst has gone.
Leave an honest reviewRate the data analyst on the things that mattered to you: the result, the communication, the price. Anything wrong goes through make-it-right before the review is published.

STEP 1Start with the data analystExplain to the data analyst, in writing, which part of the job fell short and what you want done. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you ask for it to be put right at no extra cost, or for money back.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyBelow four stars, Locufy asks if the data analyst should be told first and given a chance. We follow it up; your review goes live once it has run its course.
STEP 3The consumer helplinesWith no regulator for data analysts, the data analyst can be referred to Trading Standards by the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsIf the data analyst still will not refund or fix it, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a data analyst: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or qualification applies in any UK nation.

If the analyst processes personal data for you, UK GDPR expects written terms; the ICO lists what they must include.

Agree it in writing; ask for outputs and code to be assigned to your business.

The range is £20–£48 per hour, and £30 is a typical figure. Tools, messy data, dashboards rather than one-off reports and seniority move the hourly rate. The data analyst price guide covers what changes it; enter your town above to compare local data analysts.

They can, if the analyst works through their own company.

Small analyses take a few days; dashboards and larger projects take weeks.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

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Data analysts near you

Data analysts in LondonData analysts in ManchesterData analysts in BirminghamData analysts in GlasgowData analysts in BelfastAll data analysts on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. ICO — contracts between controllers and processors
  2. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  3. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register