A business intelligence analyst assists a company in putting the data that it collects to better use by boosting the organization’s efficiency and increase profits. A business intelligence analyst will comb through large sets of data by making effective database queries, and then make reports and pinpoint trends to produce business insights. These professionals must have strong skills in big data, especially data analysis, and an excellent understanding of the company’s business. (Discoverdatascience.org)
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Some of the common duties of business intelligence analysts are:
- Meet with clients to determine any needs and concerns in the business
- Perform information-collecting interviews and obtain feedback from customers and clients
- Collect and extra data from databases for reporting, by using modern querying techniques
- Analyze company data with software applications
- Create reports of the organization’s current standings
- Provide recommendations to managers about how to use data to increase sales, profits, and efficiency
- Oversee the implementation of technological changes to better handle data
- Develop new analytical techniques and models for the company to standardize the collection of data
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Business Intelligence Analyst Salary Outlook
If you want to become a business intelligence analyst, you will need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business analytics or a related discipline.
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Before you earn this degree, it is important to understand what your salary potential is in this field. Below is detailed salary information for business intelligence analysts and related occupations.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the related profession of operations research analyst earns a median salary of $83,900, with the top 10% earning more than $136,000 per year. (BLS.gov).
The median wages for operations research analysts in the top industries in May 2018 were as follows:
- Federal government: $113,000
- Manufacturing: $92,100
- Professional, scientific and technical services: $86,200
- Professional, scientific, and technical services: $86,700
- Management of companies and enterprises: $85,250
- Finance and insurance: $82,300
Payscale.com
Payscale.com reports the average salary for business intelligence analysts is $67,650, with a range between $49,000 and $95,000. (Payscale.com). The website also lists these salaries for this profession at specific companies:
- Amazon: $89,000
- The Boeing Company: $80,000
- Ingram Micro: $68,000
- Banco Santander: $56,000
- CenturyLink: $79,000
- Sprint Nextel Corporation: $60,000
- Rowe Price Group: $61,000
Also, your salary as a business intelligence analyst will rise with your experience. Payscale.com reports that a business intelligence analyst with less than one year of experience will earn $58,200, with 1-4 years of experience earning a wage of $65,200, and 5-9 years of experience resulting in earnings of $76,200. If you have 10-19 years of work experience, you can expect to earn $84,100 per year.
This field also has varying pay based on your city. Your average wage can be well above or below the median wage of $67,650:
- San Francisco: +26%
- Seattle: +14%
- New York City: +11%
- Boston: +8%
- Austin: +6%
- Chicago: +2%
- Atlanta: -1%
Ziprecruiter.com
Ziprecruiter.com reports the average salary for business intelligence analysts is $66,686. The salary range is between $23,000 and $127,500. The site also notes that most people’s salaries range between $40,500 and $87,500. (Ziprecruiter.com).
Indeed.com
Indeed.com reports the average salary for business intelligence analysts is $92,799, with a range between $33,000 and $181,000. (Indeed.com).
This source also lists the following salaries from various companies:
- Google: $116,900
- EY: $102,000
- NTT Data Services: $93,200
- Quivadore: $121,000
- Blueline Consulting: $102,125
- Dice: $98,300
- GM: $78,200
- SDLC Management: $78,000
Glassdoor.com
Glassdoor.com reports the average salary for business intelligence analysts is $80,400, with a range between $57,000 and $118,000. (Glassdoor.com).
Job Demand for Business Intelligence Analysts
BLS does not report job demand specifically for business intelligence analysts. However, the related position of operations research analyst is projected to grow 26% from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than average. As technology gets better and companies attempt to become more efficient and cost-effective, demand for these professionals should soar. Also, more demand will occur for business intelligence analysts in the analytics field to enhance business planning and corporate decisionmaking. (BLS.gov)
Advances in technology are making it easier for companies to obtain large amounts of data that need to be sorted and analyzed by skilled analysts. Also, enhancements in analytical software have made business research more affordable and more easily used in more areas. More organizations are expected to use business intelligence analysts to make better company decisions in all areas of their business.
Business intelligence analysts and operations research analysts are needed to manage and analyze this data to better business operations, supply chains, pricing models and marketing.
It also is worthwhile to review job demand for market research analysts, which also is related to business intelligence analysts. Employment for market research analysts is poised to grow 20% from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than average. (BLS.gov)
Employment growth is coming from greater use of data and market research across a variety of industries. They are needed to better understand the needs and wants of customers and to measure how effective marketing and business strategies are. Also, the greater use of big data, including social media comments and online product reviews, can offer major insights into consumer preferences and behaviors. Many businesses will need market research analysts and business intelligence analysts to perform analyses of information and data.
Business Intelligence Salary by State
| State | Hourly Wage | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York - Business Intelligence Salary | $50.34 | $104,710 |
| Massachusetts - Business Intelligence Salary | $49.93 | $103,854 |
| New Hampshire - Business Intelligence Salary | $49.00 | $101,914 |
| Maryland - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.52 | $96,762 |
| Hawaii - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.01 | $95,700 |
| Alaska - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| Nevada - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| Montana - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| North Dakota - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| Wyoming - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| Idaho - Business Intelligence Salary | $46.00 | $95,689 |
| Vermont - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.93 | $95,532 |
| Nebraska - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.87 | $95,406 |
| Connecticut - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.81 | $95,286 |
| Washington - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.74 | $95,143 |
| Rhode Island - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.28 | $94,187 |
| California - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.23 | $94,085 |
| Virginia - Business Intelligence Salary | $45.01 | $93,623 |
| New Jersey - Business Intelligence Salary | $44.10 | $91,719 |
| Arizona - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.88 | $91,269 |
| West Virginia - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.79 | $91,092 |
| Colorado - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.69 | $90,868 |
| Pennsylvania - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.54 | $90,554 |
| South Dakota - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.48 | $90,430 |
| Minnesota - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.47 | $90,410 |
| South Carolina - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.40 | $90,264 |
| Oregon - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.36 | $90,186 |
| Tennessee - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.32 | $90,096 |
| Delaware - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.20 | $89,855 |
| Utah - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.08 | $89,598 |
| Kentucky - Business Intelligence Salary | $43.00 | $89,449 |
| Kansas - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.82 | $89,059 |
| Ohio - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.74 | $88,903 |
| Indiana - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.53 | $88,462 |
| Oklahoma - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.43 | $88,245 |
| Wisconsin - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.27 | $87,923 |
| Iowa - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.21 | $87,803 |
| Louisiana - Business Intelligence Salary | $42.07 | $87,507 |
| Maine - Business Intelligence Salary | $41.88 | $87,101 |
| Texas - Business Intelligence Salary | $41.45 | $86,212 |
| Alabama - Business Intelligence Salary | $41.12 | $85,540 |
| Georgia - Business Intelligence Salary | $41.12 | $85,530 |
| Arkansas - Business Intelligence Salary | $41.09 | $85,468 |
| New Mexico - Business Intelligence Salary | $40.75 | $84,755 |
| Mississippi - Business Intelligence Salary | $40.52 | $84,292 |
| Michigan - Business Intelligence Salary | $40.36 | $83,945 |
| Illinois - Business Intelligence Salary | $40.26 | $83,747 |
| Missouri - Business Intelligence Salary | $39.47 | $82,105 |
| Florida - Business Intelligence Salary | $38.71 | $80,525 |
| North Carolina - Business Intelligence Salary | $35.24 | $73,309 |
Source: Ziprecruiter.com, January 2020.
Summary
Business intelligence analysts are employed in vital work that uses advanced analytical and mathematical methods to help companies solve their business problems and challenges. As the world economy becomes more dependent on data and technology, the demand for business intelligence analysts is only going to increase. This higher demand will inexorably lead to higher salaries, especially for professionals with a master’s degree in business analytics or a related field. So if your interest lies in data analytics, becoming a business intelligence analyst could be a solid career choice.