ETL is an acronym for extract, transform, load. This describes a computer programming process that automatically extracts, transforms, and loads multiple forms of computer data from a variety of data sources, and then transmits them to a data storage facility or data warehouse repository. ETL was introduced half a century ago in computing circles to help computer techs better integrate and load data into large computer mainframes for computation purposes and data analysis. The ETL process was originally designed to support business intelligence needs. It is still used today, generally for smaller repositories of data, and other forms of data integration software are being used for larger volumes of data.

Why is it important to learn about ETL?

Learning about ETL can help you further your data storage knowledge, which is such a huge part of today's interconnected networks. Knowing ETL will help you understand why companies use the process to sort through their data, decide what to keep, and what to eliminate. Learning ETL can help you manage data projects more efficiently. This is especially true for anyone eager to learn about scalable data analytics processes and optimal business intelligence warehousing.

What type of careers use ETL?

The typical careers for someone who has learned ETL include data warehousing, data storage, network functionality, computer networking, systems architecture, and other similar roles within companies or agencies. Realistically, you could work in just about any data-intensive industry and find employment as an ETL developer. Many industries are moving toward big data repositories, and having the knowledge of ETL processes can be a tremendous asset for someone aspiring to find ETL work.

How can taking online courses help me learn ETL?

When you take online courses about ETL, you can learn the basics of data warehousing for business intelligence. But that's just the start. Within the wide variety of online courses about ETL, you can branch-off to pursue your interests in data warehousing, data storage, SQL database learning, visual modeling, and much more. Learning about these interconnected specialties can help you stay ahead of the big data revolution.

What are the benefits of taking an online Extract Transform Load (ETL) course?

Online Extract Transform Load (ETL) courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Extract Transform Load (ETL) skills. Choose from a wide range of Extract Transform Load (ETL) courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Extract Transform Load (ETL) courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Extract Transform Load (ETL), it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best ETL Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the ETL Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
IBM
ETL and Data Pipelines with Shell, Airflow and Kafka
Skills you'll gain: Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Data Warehousing, Data Transformation, Data Migration, Web Scraping, Data Integration, Shell Script, Data Processing, Data Mart, Unix Shell, Big Data, Performance Tuning, Scalability, Command-Line Interface
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
432 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
BI Foundations with SQL, ETL and Data Warehousing
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Linux Commands, SQL, IBM Cognos Analytics, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Data Visualization, Dashboard, File Management, Star Schema, IBM DB2, Business Intelligence, Interactive Data Visualization, Relational Databases, Stored Procedure, Databases
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
24K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Data Engineering
Skills you'll gain: NoSQL, Apache Spark, Data Warehousing, Apache Hadoop, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Web Scraping, Linux Commands, Database Design, SQL, IBM Cognos Analytics, MySQL, Database Administration, Data Store, Generative AI, Professional Networking, Data Import/Export, Python Programming, Data Analysis, Data Science
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
61K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Extract, Transform and Load Data in Power BI
Skills you'll gain: Extract, Transform, Load, Power BI, Data Validation, Data Transformation, Data Cleansing, Data Storage, Data Quality, Data Analysis, Data Integration, Data Storage Technologies, Business Intelligence
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
976 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Coursera Instructor Network
Data Warehousing: Schema, ETL, Optimal Performance
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Snowflake Schema, Star Schema, Business Intelligence, Data Modeling, Database Design, Data Management, Data Integration, Performance Tuning, Databases, Data Transformation, Scalability
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
16 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Pearson
Data Science Fundamentals, Part 1
Skills you'll gain: Extract, Transform, Load, Data Validation, Data Transformation, Applied Machine Learning, Object-Relational Mapping, Data Wrangling, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Data Integration, Web Scraping, Data Quality, Data Pipelines, Pandas (Python Package), Descriptive Statistics, Data Modeling, Data Science, Python Programming, Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Data Analysis
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 4 Weeks

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Status: Free Trial
Google
The Path to Insights: Data Models and Pipelines
Skills you'll gain: Data Modeling, Database Design, Extract, Transform, Load, Databases, Data Warehousing, Database Systems, Data Pipelines, Business Intelligence, Data Integrity, Performance Tuning, Data Mart, Data Management, Process Optimization, Data Quality, Data Transformation, SQL, Performance Testing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
684 reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Warehouse Fundamentals
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform, Load, Star Schema, IBM DB2, Data Modeling, Snowflake Schema, PostgreSQL, Database Design, Data Architecture, Data Mart, Database Systems, Data Lakes, Data Validation, Data Integration, SQL, Data Cleansing, Query Languages, Data Quality
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
242 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases
Skills you'll gain: SQL, Relational Databases, Microsoft SQL Servers, MySQL, Query Languages, Database Systems, Databases, Database Management, Stored Procedure, IBM DB2, Data Manipulation, Data Analysis, Transaction Processing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
648 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Preview
Coursera Instructor Network
AWS Data Automation: Glue & Lambda Integration
Skills you'll gain: Data Integration, Extract, Transform, Load, Metadata Management, Amazon Redshift, Amazon Web Services, Data Pipelines, Data Warehousing, Amazon S3, Automation, Cloud-Native Computing, Data Transformation, Serverless Computing, Process Optimization, System Monitoring
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Hands-on Introduction to Linux Commands and Shell Scripting
Skills you'll gain: Linux Commands, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, File Management, Linux, Unix Commands, Linux Servers, Scripting, Command-Line Interface, Ubuntu, Scripting Languages, Unix, Operating Systems, Network Protocols, Automation, Software Installation
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Google
Google Business Intelligence
Skills you'll gain: Data Modeling, Database Design, Stakeholder Engagement, Dashboard, Business Intelligence, Extract, Transform, Load, Tableau Software, Databases, Data Warehousing, Database Systems, Data Pipelines, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Visualization, Interviewing Skills, Business Process, Business Analysis, Professional Development, Google Gemini, Data Analysis, SQL
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
5.6K reviews
Advanced · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months