Commercial Analyst
This page gives you the real story about what it's like to be a Commercial Analyst (with insights from someone who’s actually doing the job).
Your goal: Decide if this sounds interesting enough to explore further, or if it's clearly not for you. Both answers are useful!
If it sounds like something you'd like to know more about, you'll be able to:
📞 Join a call - Ask your own questions and hear more about what the job's really like
🎯 Attend a careers event - Meet employers and find out exactly how to get roles like this
It will take about 5 minutes to read through - by the end, you'll know if this is worth exploring or if you should look at something else.
What do they do?
A commercial analyst is someone who works with numbers and data to help businesses make smart financial decisions.
They analyse contracts, build financial models, look at costs and revenues, and help figure out whether business deals make sense. They're the people who work out "will this make us money?" and "what's the best deal here?"
They don't make the final business decisions themselves - they provide the analysis that helps senior people make those decisions.
Think of it like being really good at maths problems, but instead of abstract equations, you're solving real questions about money and business - and people actually use your answers.
How much do they earn?
Salaries vary depending on the company, location, and your experience level. Here's a rough guide for commercial analyst roles:
Apprentice (Modern/Graduate Apprenticeship) £18,000 - £25,000 per year You're learning on the job while earning
Uni Graduate £26,000 - £35,000 per year
With Experience £40,000 - £55,000 per year
Senior Level £60,000 - £90,000+ per year
What affects your salary:
The size of the company you work for
Whether you're in a city (usually higher) or a smaller town
The specific sector you're in
Additional qualifications (like accountancy or finance qualifications)
Remember: These are approximate figures for Scotland and can vary. The good news is there's clear progression as you gain experience.
You'll Be Successful In This Career If...
The Bottom Line
If you enjoy making sense of numbers, are good with details, and are interested in business, then this is a good fit for you. Every sector needs these people, and with experience you’ll get real responsibility and strong pay.
You enjoy working with numbers
Not just “can do maths in exams” - you’re genuinely curious. When there’s a question with numbers behind it, you want to figure it out.
You like working things out logically
If something doesn’t add up - a club event goes over budget, two phone plans look similar, or prices keep changing - you dig into the numbers to see what’s really going on.
You’re curious about the money side
You ask “why does that cost so much?” and “how do they make money from this?”. You like understanding how the numbers stack up, and the reasons behind it.
You’re good with spreadsheets and details
Excel/Sheets don’t scare you. You like tidy data, accurate formulas, and spotting small errors before they become big problems..
You can explain numbers in plain English
You’re able to ‘tell the story’ behind the numbers. You can take the numbers on a spreadsheet and turn them into clear takeaways: what matters, what it means, and what you’d do next.
Meet Emil – Commercial Analyst at Vattenfall
Emil works in the commercial analysis team at Vattenfall, helping model the financial side of energy projects. He joined after a few years in finance because he wanted his work to feel more connected to the real world.
What the job actually involves
“If you want to work as a commercial analyst, you have to love looking at spreadsheets. That’s where most of the job happens. You’re taking numbers from engineers and project teams, and using them to see if an investment makes sense.”
“It’s about making sure decisions are based on solid data… double-checking the numbers and working with other teams to make sure everything adds up.”
Why he likes it
“I like taking something really complicated and working out which parts actually make a difference… the things that change how a project turns out.”
“You’re always finding smart ways to make things work with what you’ve got being creative while staying realistic… this is what we have and this is what we want and like how do we do this best.”
Why he chose this path
“I used to work in the financial sector, but I just felt like I didn’t feel as attached to the final outcome… here I feel like I’m working on projects where I could see the project actually happening in the real world.”
His best advice
“If you’re someone who likes learning new things and problem solving… like people that like games and figuring out how to solve a puzzle… I think that would be useful.”
“What Does A Typical Day Look Like?”
Where he works:
Most of Emil’s work happens in the office, using spreadsheets and financial models to test project ideas.
What he’s actually doing:
“You start the day by checking for updates… new emails, new numbers, or changes to your models… then talk with the teams who feed in information to make sure everything still makes sense.”
“It’s about taking all these inputs… data, prices, forecasts… and making sure the model still makes sense. You’re constantly updating, questioning, and improving it.”
Breaking that down more specifically:
Reviewing emails and project updates first thing in the morning
Updating models with new price data or forecasts
Talking with engineers, sales, and finance teams to check figures
Comparing project options to see which makes most sense financially
Presenting your findings to colleagues or managers
Refining models as projects evolve and new data comes in
The Summary
Every sector (energy, finance, retail, manufacturing, tech, healthcare, construction and more) needs commercial analysts to help make smart financial decisions.
So if you're good with numbers, like solving problems with data, and want to see your analysis make a real impact on business decisions, then commercial analysis gives you the chance to turn your abilities into a well-paid and satisfying career.
Want to find out more?
Join the webinar where you can hear more from Emil and ask questions to find out if this is a good career option for you
Attend the event in Aberdeen in January to meet employers who will tell you the routes you can take to get this role, and what they’re looking for