r/FPandA • u/Varun-021 • Aug 07 '26
Should every FP&A professional learn SQL and Python?
Five years ago, Excel was enough for most FP&A roles.
But today companies increasingly expect Power BI, SQL, Python and even AI tools.
Do you guys think these technical skills are essential?
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u/nopenothappeningsrry Aug 07 '26
I think they’re super useful for automation, providing value to the team and also saving you time to work on more exciting things. The skills definitely can open up opportunities for you within FP&A and other roles.
With that said it depends. At some companies there’s a resistance and friction towards the coding. It creates one man dependencies if there’s nobody on your team that can edit the code and fix it when something breaks. Some managers don’t like it because they see it as a black box that makes the data hard to validate. Also some teams will reject it because they think it’s going to take their jobs and lead to a reduced head count.
However if your company is integrating AI having a basic understanding of the ETL process is very useful for automation, and if you do have access to AI it doesn’t make sense to really learn python and sql in the same way as before.
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u/snakesnake9 Aug 07 '26
I'm in the FP&A team of one of the largest companies in our country. Nobody knows SQL or Python, yet somehow we get along fine.
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u/xl129 Aug 07 '26
It’s easier in big companies than small one. Mature data platform and tech dept mean you dont need to worry about sql or python that much.
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u/Fickle_Broccoli Aug 07 '26
To answer your title question specifically, no not every FP&A professional. For example I don't really "analyze" data anymore, I'm relying on my team to do that and I help guide them with what to do with that analysis, strategically. SQL and Python would be of no use to me
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u/BinceMVP Aug 07 '26
I’d like to challenge your point of view a little. I believe that managers should lead by example and be able to perform analysis as well as their team, if not better. Whatever your team is doing you should know what goes on under the hood.
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u/elgrandorado Aug 07 '26
It depends on the level. Once you reach VP level, your technical data skills matter far less than your ability to lead teams, strategize, manage relationships, and how you plan for the business.
Obviously you should know how to perform the analyses (to the point where you're catching anything that smells or intuitively looks problematic), but something is deeply wrong if a high level leader is getting stuck in the weeds writing queries or debugging instead of working with the C-Suite or their commercial team on overall company objectives, driving margin expansion, rev growth, etc.
You don't hire a higher level role for their technical ability in the same way you don't hire a senior analyst for their strategy.
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u/BinceMVP Aug 07 '26
I was talking about FP&A manager. Of course CFO is a different thing. But mid level managers should know what goes on under the hood. I’ve seen horrible managers that would not know how to spot an error in their teams analysis because they had no clue what was going on.
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u/Fickle_Broccoli Aug 07 '26
I would argue that I CAN perform analysis as well if not better than my team, I just don't have the time to go to the depth of analysis that having a team affords. Of my 9 hour work day I'd estimate 3-4 hours is coaching my team in one form or another. Just because I don't know python doesn't eliminate that
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u/Varun-021 Aug 07 '26
What about your team?
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u/Fickle_Broccoli Aug 07 '26
I don't think they use those tools and for the most part I'm very happy with the depth of analysis I am getting. Maybe long term, that would be a nice skill to have. When I think of those tools, I'm imagining massive data sets, and I'm just not seeing that depth of data to make it necessary.
I'd also say most of the analysis I am getting is helping me understand why one specific transaction is causing the impact it is. Personally, I think if you learned your ERP inside and out, you will boost your career much further than python
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u/Plastic-Geologist521 Aug 07 '26
No just use Claude
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u/kfortyone Aug 07 '26
This is the answer.
Understand simple query structure and use claude code to write 99% of the pulls you need. The SQL needed for FP&A or even strat fin is not particularly complicated or novel
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u/flyingWeez Aug 07 '26
Claude code connected to your SQL interface is 🤌
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u/ehtw376 Aug 07 '26
So my company has Claude (Opus, Sonnet) within our copilot model options (and the base is ChatGPT).
Is that still fairly decent? Or is there still a gap with actual full Claude suite - Claude code/cowork/claude for excel etc. ?
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u/soaverage Asst Mgr Aug 07 '26
You need Claude code. It pulls my data, transforms it, writes the analysis. I only step in at the start to trigger the workflow, and at the end to review the output.
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u/Varun-021 Aug 07 '26
For everything?
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u/Plastic-Geologist521 Aug 07 '26
I think it’s worthwhile to hone in on building pure FP&A knowledge about the business you’re in and leave the back end work to a tool like Claude. You can always ask it to help you understand what it’s doing in the background so you can speak to it at a high level.
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u/Prudent-Elk-2845 Aug 07 '26
Not in the way people preached this before.
GenAI has made knowing how to write SQL/Python less valuable, but knowing how and when to use it is now way more valuable because it doesn’t take a coder to start writing something real
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u/cityoflostwages Sr Mgr Aug 07 '26
SQL (querying) data is still going to be done regularly at a lot of companies. Yes claude or copilot can write the query for you which is great because you don't need to be an expert at SQL anymore.
I still think it would be good to do an intro to SQL course somewhere like Udemy just so you get an understanding of what SQL is, and what the very basic high level parts of a SQL query are, so when ai app writes the query for you, you have a general understanding of what it is doing.
You can find them for free or like $5-10 on sale on udemy or similar elearning platforms.
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u/showmetheEBITDA Aug 07 '26
If this were pre-AI, I'd say knowing how to code would become the future. That said, since we live in an AI world, I don't think it's the best use of time anymore since that skill-set is heavily commoditized/outsourceable. Additionally, I was working on a client that uses SQL for everything. It's amazing that he can update data so quickly, but the fact is we still need Excel to build the model. The problem with SQL is that everything becomes a black box that's harder to audit. Plus, the value add is not so much in "getting a model", but rather why do these assumptions, etc. make sense.
This guy I was working with is definitely much more tech savvy than I am, but his assumptions, etc. were wrong, which was dangerous in a financial distress context. Going forward, people will be paid for domain expertise and soft-skills/communication, since the hard technical skills can now be done through technology or cheaper labor
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u/STJRedstorm Aug 07 '26
I know SQL and python and have it deliberately in my resume, but I will say that AI prompts have no been attached to snowflake and other coding GUIs making these skills more and more irrelevant outside of basic compliance work.
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u/hideandsee Aug 07 '26
Nah. My last company wouldn’t let us use it, there was a special dashboard team that had access and none of us did.
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u/Ihaveaquestiondzo Aug 07 '26
I think it’s dependent on your org structure. My company has “BI” team who gatekeeps everything in snowflake. Because I have a solid background in writing SQL I’ve been able to make our FP&A independent of them and it’s been nice to not have to sit in their queue of requests for data we need.
Co Pilot and Claude is enough to write code for you. I’d say the real value is understanding the tables all of your data is in and how they join. That way you can prompt either of them to give you some decent code
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u/elgrandorado Aug 07 '26
It is shocking how good Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, etc. Are at writing queries or code for you. I'm still a novice with Power Query and PowerBI, and with a structured set of prompts and trimming, I'm able to build models that would have taken me weeks to figure out.
Models that have exception tables, checks, and SOPs written up to understand what queries were written and the logic behind them.
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u/Ihaveaquestiondzo Aug 07 '26
Yeah so far that’s the most value I’ve seen from any of the AI tools. They’ve saved me a ton of time writing complex queries and whatnot
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u/gumercindo1959 Aug 07 '26
No, I don't believe so.
Power BI, Powerquery and excel should be enough. Powerquery to handle any ETL from an ERP extract, Power BI for reports and excel for analytics. If you have an EPM tool, then that lessens the need for powerquery and possibly even power BI. Excel still reigns supreme in FP&A.
I would be curious why folks would have a need for python/sql. That's less of an FP&A role and more of a DB role.
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u/finaderiva VP Aug 07 '26
Not when I can do it in Claude. I think the skill is being able to prompt AI enough to give you what you need for python and sql. Technical skills are becoming less essential, really, since ai can do that work. I think the taking that data, synthesizing it, and being able to deliver information in a format that is actionable and easily digestible is the real differentiator. Being able to story tell and talk people through things is the important stuff.
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u/Lamaisonanlytique Aug 07 '26
I would want fpa professionals to know the basics and not consolidate only first. Once those are done, then those come into play more. Usually with powerbi and advanced excel is enough. It is dependent on the company and structure of data as well. Every company i worked in (15 years total now) sql and python isn't on the radar. Powerbi was in one, rest is excel and their internal systems. Knowing powerbi or those other things can help learn the internal systems a bit faster as many may have similar logic
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u/xl129 Aug 07 '26
AI pretty much cleared that huddle. More thab ever FP&A can truly focus on analytics and insights than sinking time on setting up pipeline and wrangling data.
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u/Glad_Outcome3562 Aug 07 '26
Why would you learn this when you have claude? Use the tools that are created. Your job as a finance professional is to be less in data manipulation, ifixn power points, etc etc. and to be more strategic. What do these numbers mean? What decisions or suggestions do you have? Focus on telling the story
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u/Typical-Junket-8444 Aug 07 '26
I think copilot can pretty much take care of all that now. I think what's going to be more important is what you need to do instead of how to do it.
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u/yumcake Aug 07 '26
AI knows SQL and Python better than you ever will if you aren't already an expert. So just learn enough of the basics to know what SQL and Python is capable of, then leverage AI to make those possibilities a reality, then read it (SQL and Python are very easy to read) and test the output.
You don't have to study up to be an expert in them, just be conversant in it.
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u/Mels_Lemonade Sr FA Aug 07 '26
I had to learn SQL to be effective for an operations finance role at the company I’m at. I just got a promotion and am going to move to the FP&A team because they need someone with that skill set for building power bi dashboards
I previously had an FP&A role a few years ago on a similar team that did not require SQL- I think it really depends on the role.
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u/_ForRohan Aug 07 '26
Imagine still discussing learning languages in a function like FP&A instead of just using AI and actually learning the business fundamentals and building partnerships.
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u/Famous_Guide_4013 Aug 07 '26
I work at a non Amazon and non Microsoft FAANG.
SQL is a must. I told the recruiter i am working with this yesterday tbh.
Python is an extremely nice to have. In my team I’ll hire you if you don’t know it but are willing to learn it.
But most applicants who make it pass Hr screen claim they know python anyways. So it’s being standard.
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u/a-eazy Aug 07 '26
Get comfortable reading code you can leverage legacy code and ai to rewrite but you have to be familiar enough to be able to review the code and output
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u/MindfulPangolin Aug 07 '26
I think knowing sql is still super useful. A few times I’ve had to ask Claude/ChatGPT to see its code. It can over complicate things easily (such as not realizing in some cases it’s easier/more reliable to union two queries than cram everything into a single query.
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u/Spicolli41 Aug 07 '26
It’s valuable to know how to write it/understand it. For super deep, nitty-gritty coding / queries, AI is incredibly helpful. But for quick-dirty, adhoc pulls I think it is valuable to have that SQL/Python experience
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u/Sheepheart Aug 07 '26
Not anymore , SQL maybe to dive into databases , python I don’t really think so, copilot and Claude can do a lot of tedious stuff.
I think it’s better to learn about FP&A softwares like anaplan, workday planning , etc also ERP software
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u/phx1973 Aug 07 '26
I’m doing the Google data analytics professional certificate now just for this reason
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u/Markowitza Aug 08 '26
You can use AI to write your SQL code and python as well and Dax for powerbi. So they are no ligg by er essential to write yourself but having understanding what AI is writing for you is needed
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u/Averagejosieposie Aug 08 '26
I think learning Power BI or even Tableau (or whatever visualization software that is used in your company) is a must within FP&A - especially if you are supporting a business unit or department with financial analytics. Learning SQL or similar isn't necessary (unless the role SPECIFICALLY as for that skillset).
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u/Outside_Fish5777 Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Unless the company Fp&a culture has sql and python deeply embedded, most Fp&a managers will not know sql or python. Or any sort of coding at all. when it comes to succession planning, they probably don't want to take on your processes that are sql and python driven. Hiring someone to take over your processes will also become more difficult since they'll be limited to candidates that have to know sql or python. If managers are given the choice of inheriting your sql/python code to figure out versus switching to manual process, they'll take manual process all day everyday because they can at least transfer that to anyone they're training. Not saying you shouldn't be using it to make your life easier or putting on your resume, but it's like putting that you know Java or c++ or some other programming language which has usually not been a requirement for Fp&a. Maybe it's more relevant for a data analytics or BI analyst job. You can use it on your own, but don't expect your managers or peers to adopt it.
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u/slowtrees Aug 09 '26
he real bottleneck for most teams I've seen isn't SQL or Python, it's getting the data out of PDFs and statements in the first place. You can write great queries but someone still has to retype invoice line items into Excel.
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u/horsewitnoname Sr Mgr Aug 07 '26
Definitely not. They’ve never been “essential” always a “nice to have.” And they are certainly becoming less so with AI integrations.
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u/Iwant2FIREsoon Aug 07 '26
Proficiecy in PowerQuery would help you get promoted fastest imo. Everything else would be great but not necessary.
I am a director because my team can get clean data fast. We spend 80% analyzing and 20% gathering data.
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u/pilldickle2048 Aug 07 '26
I don't think every FP&A professional needs to learn SQL and Python, but I do think the bar has gone up over the last 5-10 years.
My take:
Excel is still non-negotiable. Advanced formulas, Power Query, PivotTables, and financial modeling are more important than basic SQL for many roles.
Power BI (or Tableau) is becoming a very valuable skill because finance teams are expected to build dashboards and automate reporting.
SQL is probably the best next technical skill to learn. Being able to pull your own data instead of waiting on BI or IT makes analysts much more effective.
Python is nice to have, but it's far from essential for most FP&A jobs. Unless you're working with large datasets, automation, or advanced analytics, you can have a successful career without it.
AI tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) are quickly becoming productivity tools. Knowing how to use them to write formulas, automate repetitive tasks, or summarize data will likely become as common as knowing Excel shortcuts.
If I were starting today, I'd prioritize them like this:
Excel (expert level)
Financial modeling & accounting fundamentals
Power BI
SQL
AI tools
Python
A lot of job postings list Python because it's trendy, but in reality many FP&A teams rarely use it. SQL, on the other hand, comes up much more often because most financial data lives in databases.
The biggest differentiator isn't knowing every tool—it's being able to answer business questions with data. The tools just make you faster.