Data Visualization Developer with Tableau Salary in 2024

Where is Tableau used?

Tableau Alternatives

Power BI

Microsoft's Power BI is a business analytics service providing non-technical users with tools for aggregating, analyzing, visualizing, and sharing data.

// Comparison between Power BI and Tableau often involves language used
// DAX in Power BI:
CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), Sales[Country] = "USA")

// Tableau's equivalent, using calculated fields:
SUM(IF [Country] = "USA" THEN [Amount] ELSE 0 END)

• More affordable than Tableau.

• Tightly integrated with other Microsoft products.

• Less robust on very large data sets.

Qlik Sense

Qlik Sense is a self-service data visualization and discovery application designed for individuals, groups, and organizations.

// Load script in Qlik Sense to transform data, unlike drag-and-drop interface in Tableau
LOAD Customer,
     OrderDate,
     Sales
FROM SalesData.qvd(qvd);

• Unique associative analytics engine.

• Flexible and scalable.

• May have a steeper learning curve.

Looker

Looker is a data exploration platform that helps companies get value from their data with real-time insights benefiting all departments.

// LookML code shows data modeling in Looker, differing from Tableau's approach 
view: order_items {
  measure: total_revenue {
    type: sum
    sql: ${sale_price} * ${quantity} ;;
  }
}

• Highly customizable with LookML.

• Seamless integration with Google Cloud Platform.

• Less intuitive for casual users.

Quick Facts about Tableau

Birth of a Data Wizard: Tableau's Enchantment Begins

Picture it: 2003, a world drowning in data but gasping for insight. Along come Stanford's data viz magicians, Christian Chabot, Pat Hanrahan, and Chris Stolte, waving their wands of computer science wizardry to conjure up Tableau. Poof! Suddenly, data's not just numbers; it’s stories waiting to be told.

Disrupt-o-Matic 9000: Tableau Shakes Up Data Analysis

In the dull sea of spreadsheets, Tableau emerged as the rainbow unicorn, transforming how humans play with data. Its drag-and-drop sorcery made analytics as easy as swiping right. 2010 marked the debut of Tableau Public, the free platform for data-storytellers, making data analysis hotter than a summer romance.

Viva la Evolution: Tableau’s Ever-Spinning Upgrade Wheel

Life’s constant, change, and Tableau gets it. Like a chameleon on a disco floor, it’s always evolving. Cue Tableau 2020.2, dropping the mind-bending feature ‘Relationships’ – a breakthrough letting tables relate without getting hitched, simplifying data models like never before. It’s data relationship therapy at its finest!

What is the difference between Junior, Middle, Senior and Expert Tableau developer?

Top 10 Tableau Related Tech

1. 
   

   SQL

   
   

   Let's start with the cool granddaddy of data manipulation: SQL, or as I like to refer to it, the "Swiss Army knife" for data enthusiasts. SQL is to Tableau what garlic is to Italian food – it enhances everything! With its querying superpowers, SQL allows you to slice and dice data, making it a primo pick when prepping your numbers for a visual feast in Tableau.

   
   

   
   SELECT dish, COUNT(*)
   FROM kitchen
   WHERE chef = 'Gordon Ramsay'
   GROUP BY dish;

1. 
   

   R or Python

   
   

   Next in line, R and Python are kind of like the Batman and Superman of data analysis. They're both mighty on their own, but when you use them with Tableau, it's like the Justice League of data visualization! Use these languages for advanced analytics before unleashing the results onto Tableau's dashboard for some eye-candy charts.

   
   

   
   # Python snippet for data munging
   import pandas as pd
   df = pd.read_csv('delicious_data.csv')
   df['tasty_metric'] = df['sugar'] / df['spice']

1. 
   

   Tableau Prep

   
   

   Then we have Tableau Prep, a.k.a. the data wrangler. It's like the sous-chef that does all the prep work so that when you're ready to cook up some visualizations, everything is chopped, seasoned, and marinated to perfection!

   
   

   
   // Hypothetical Tableau Prep code
   Input: "raw_ingredients.csv"
   Clean: UpperCase("ProductName")
   Output: "prepped_data_for_viz.hyper"

1. 
   

   Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)

   
   

   Oh, databases – the trusted vaults for your precious data treasures. Whether it's MySQL's ease of use or PostgreSQL's robustness, you're gonna want to cozy up with these storage units since Tableau adores sifting through them to help create your masterpiece dashboards.

1. 
   

   ETL Tools (Informatica, Talend, etc.)

   
   

   ETL tools are the movers and shakers in the data world. Picture them like those fancy airport conveyor belts that get your luggage from check-in to your final destination. They efficiently transport and transform your data, ensuring it's ready for the glam lights of Tableau.

1. 
   

   Apache Spark

   
   

   If you're dealing with mountains of data, you're gonna want a sherpa like Apache Spark to help trek through it all. Spark is like having a jetpack that accelerates data processing, which means less time crunching numbers and more time charming folks with your dazzling Tableau visuals.

1. 
   

   JavaScript API

   
   

   Sometimes, you've got to get fancy with your Tableau dashboards, and that's where JavaScript API sashays in with a little extra sparkle. Want to integrate your Tableau visual into a web app? Bam! JavaScript API makes it happen, leaving your audience ooh-ing and aah-ing.

   
   

   
   // JavaScript snippet to embed a Tableau viz
   var containerDiv = document.getElementById("vizContainer"),
       url = "http://tableau.server/views/SuperAwesomeViz";
     
   var viz = new tableau.Viz(containerDiv, url);

1. 
   

   Tableau Server

   
   

   Tableau Server is like the stage for the grand performance of your data. It’s where your visualizations go live and are shared with the data-hungry audience. Understanding its ins and outs is crucial for ensuring your visualizations are always ready for their prime time.

1. 
   

   APIs for Data Sources (Facebook, Twitter, Google Analytics)

   
   

   APIs for various data sources are the behind-the-scenes ninjas that silently sneak in a heap of data into Tableau. While nobody sees them, their power is undeniable, fetching data from social media giants and digital analytics platforms straight into your projects!

1. 
   

   Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

   
   

   Last but not least, let's talk cloud platforms – the luxurious high-rise apartments of the data world. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer a swanky residence for your data, ensuring high availability and scalability to serve up Tableau viz that's as reliable as a Swiss watch.