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Business Intelligence Analysts

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $120,230 Median per year · $57.80/hr Most earn $67,240–$199,130

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Create business intelligence tools or systems, including design of related databases, spreadsheets, or outputs.
  • Communicate with customers, competitors, suppliers, professional organizations, or others to stay abreast of industry or business trends.
  • Identify and analyze industry or geographic trends with business strategy implications.
  • Synthesize current business intelligence or trend data to support recommendations for action.
  • Manage timely flow of business intelligence information to users.
  • Conduct or coordinate tests to ensure that intelligence is consistent with defined needs.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
35% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 24,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Computer systems design and related services9.8%
  • Management of companies and enterprises9.6%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services5.4%
  • Credit intermediation and related activities4.7%
  • Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services4.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Business Intelligence Analyst is usually not an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 2 to 4 years in a related analyst role before moving into this work.

  1. Bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, statistics, or computer science

    4 years

    You learn data handling, statistics, and how businesses use numbers, which is the base for everything in this career.

  2. Data Analyst

    2-4 years

    You work with real datasets, build reports and dashboards, and learn to spot patterns and explain them to non-technical people.

  3. Business Intelligence Analyst

    Career role

    You query data repositories, design methods to find trends in financial and market data, and produce regular reports for decision-makers.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Business Intelligence Analyst

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on bigger projects, mentor junior analysts, and set the methods your team uses to find and report trends.

  2. Data Scientist

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    You build more advanced statistical and machine learning models, which usually means strengthening programming and modeling skills.

  3. Business Intelligence Manager

    5+ years of experience first

    You lead a team, decide which data projects matter most to the business, and spend more time on planning than on hands-on analysis.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and statistics coursesAlgebra, statistics, and any data or computer science classes build the reasoning this career depends on.
  • Join a math, business, or computer clubClubs like these give you practice solving problems with data and working on teams.
  • Enter a math or data competitionCompetitions teach you to analyze information under time pressure and show colleges what you can do.
  • Get a starter job that involves money or record-keepingA part-time job at a store or bank helps you practice tracking numbers and noticing patterns in sales or customers.
  • Learn basic spreadsheetsUsing formulas and charts in a spreadsheet is the first hands-on skill you'll use in data work.

In college

  • Major in business analytics, finance, economics, statistics, or computer scienceThese majors build the data and business knowledge that BI analysts use every day.
  • Take a database or SQL courseQuerying data repositories is a core task in this career, so this skill is worth building early.
  • Get an internship in analytics, finance, or marketingInternships give you real datasets and reporting work, which is the experience employers look for.
  • Work a campus job that uses dataJobs like a campus office assistant or research assistant let you practice organizing and analyzing information.
  • Join a finance, analytics, or data student clubThese groups offer workshops, projects, and networking with people already in the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Learn SQL and a spreadsheet tool well. Querying data and organizing it are daily tasks in this job.
  • Build a small portfolio, such as a chart or report analyzing public financial or market data, to show employers what you can do.
  • Practice explaining what your numbers mean in plain language. Clear communication sets BI analysts apart.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $66,567 a year · typical debt $20,646
  • Computer Science Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $73,638 a year · typical debt $20,500
  • Economics Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $58,734 a year · typical debt $18,968
  • Mathematics Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $53,660 a year · typical debt $19,250
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $66,366 a year · typical debt $20,500
  • Chemistry Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,530 a year · typical debt $19,800

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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