Business Intelligence Analyst Salary Guide
A business intelligence analyst works with company data to look for trends and maximize company goals. Discover the skills you need to start a career in this field, along with details about the average business intelligence analyst salary.
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Key takeaways
Business intelligence analysts have high earning potential in the United States. Factors like experience and education can influence salaries.
The annual median total salary for business intelligence analysts is $116,000, according to Glassdoor [1].
Top-paying skills for business intelligence analysts include data analysis, business intelligence, and proficiency with Power BI and Tableau software.
You can further enhance your career prospects as a business intelligence analyst by obtaining certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate.
Learn more about the average business intelligence analyst's salary and explore how factors such as education, location, experience, and skill set can impact your salary. Afterward, if you’re ready to build essential job skills to succeed in this role, enroll in the IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst Professional Certificate. Beginner-friendly, this program offers insights into statistical analysis, data warehousing, relational databases, and more.
What does a business intelligence analyst do?
As a business intelligence analyst, you collect and analyze data about company operations to understand trends, look for new opportunities, and communicate the data or action plan to company stakeholders. The data you collect may come from publicly available information, business intelligence software or tools, industry reports, or paid research. Based on your findings, you will analyze the data and make recommendations to senior leadership.
What are the 4 types of business analytics?
Descriptive, diagnostic, prescriptive, and predictive make up the four types of business analytics. While descriptive analytics summarizes historical events, diagnostic analytics reveals root causes, predictive analytics projects future outcomes, and prescriptive analytics suggests optimal actions. Together, they enable smarter business decisions.
What is the average salary of a business intelligence analyst?
The average business intelligence analyst salary ranges from roughly $79,439 to $116,000 annually, according to February 2026 data from five salary and career websites. The data from each of the sources breaks down as follows [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:
| Glassdoor* | Indeed | Payscale | Zippia | ZipRecruiter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $116,000 | $95,261 | $79,439 | $80,249 | $99,864 |
*Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.
Factors that impact business intelligence analyst salary
To estimate how much you could earn as a business intelligence analyst, look closely at your resume. Depending on your highest level of education, any credentials you’ve earned, experience in the field, or the area where you wish to work, you can determine how salaries vary depending on your situation.
Education
Zippia offers a breakdown of business intelligence analysts' salaries by education level. Check out the average salaries per February 2026 data [4]:
Associate: $72,155
Bachelor’s: $83,982
Master’s: $92,166
Doctorate: $92,601
Location
Your education is only one of several details that factor into salaries. Where you wish to live and work can also make a significant difference. The top five highest-paying states and districts for business intelligence analysts, according to Zippia, are [4]:
New Hampshire: $94,092
California: $91,673
District of Columbia: $91,659
Maryland: $88,515
Washington: $87,094
On the other side of the Payscale, the lowest-paying states include [4]:
Hawaii: $59,510
South Dakota: $67,914
Louisiana: $67,987
Mississippi: $68,502
Wyoming: $68,971
Experience
Your previous experience in similar roles will also typically impact how much you can earn as a business intelligence analyst. Glassdoor and Payscale offer further insight into the average salaries of entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level positions [1, 3]:
| Glassdoor* | Payscale | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | $98,000 | $65,489 |
| Mid-level | $131,000 | $89,020 |
| Senior-level | $142,000 | $99,906 |
*Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.
Skills
The specific skills listed on your resume can also impact your career as a business intelligence analyst. Payscale offers insight into which skills could potentially equal the most value in your paycheck [3]:
Structured query language (SQL): $79,982
Business intelligence: $81,460
Tableau software: $81,066
Data analysis: $79,877
Microsoft Power BI: $78,024
What qualifications are needed for a job as a business intelligence analyst?
To become a business intelligence analyst, you'll likely need to earn a college degree and gain relevant experience. You may also benefit from earning a certificate in business intelligence.
Educational requirements
Typically, employers will require a bachelor’s degree for business intelligence analysts. According to Zippia, a bachelor’s degree is the most common for a business intelligence analyst, held by 68 percent of those in the field [6]. Of the remaining 32 percent, 24 percent hold a master’s degree, 5 percent hold an associate degree, and 3 percent have a diploma or other degree. Business is the most common major, pursued by 20 percent of business intelligence analysts [6]. Data science, business analytics, computer science, economics, and finance are common majors for this line of work.
Experience requirements
Although requirements vary, it’s typical for employers to ask for two to four years of prior experience working in a business or data-related role. To gain relevant experience, you can consider working as a data analyst, data report writer, or business analyst. These and other entry-level roles can help you learn the skills you’ll need to be successful in a business intelligence analyst role.
Read more: What Is a Business Analyst? Career Guide
Certifications and certificates
Extra credentials can boost your resume and provide tangible proof of your skills and knowledge. Professional certifications like the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate and the TDWI’s Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) accreditation can be valuable.
Additionally, while you may not need a certificate to work as a business intelligence analyst, it is helpful to demonstrate your range of skills to an employer and learn specialized skills for the career of your choice. The Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate, for example, helps you earn a shareable Professional Certificate in as little as two months to demonstrate that you have the skills needed to work successfully as a business intelligence analyst.
What skills do I need to work as a business intelligence analyst?
In this career, you’ll need skills such as using business intelligence tools, working with data, visualization, databases, and teamwork.
One way organizations collect business intelligence is through software that stores and organizes data in formats such as charts, graphs, and dashboard overviews. You’ll need to know programs such as Tableau. You will need experience managing large data sets and analyzing them to find trends and other interesting information. Doing so will require a solid analytical sense and expertise to determine the data quality.
You’ll need to understand databases and other data interaction methods. Lastly, you’ll need strong human skills to communicate effectively with the rest of your team and the company's stakeholders. These include analytical and critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation.
Business intelligence analyst career outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that operations research analyst jobs will likely grow 21 percent between 2024 and 2034, which is much faster than the average for all occupations [7].
In increasingly complex markets, business intelligence is essential for companies to make informed strategic decisions. As new tools and technology make collecting and understanding data easier, the need for business intelligence analysts will continue.
Explore our free resources for business intelligence analysts
Join Career Chat on LinkedIn to get weekly updates on popular skills, tools, and certifications. Discover more about business intelligence with our other free digital resources:
Learn the terminology: Power BI Terms and Definitions
Enhance your data skills: How to Start Learning Data Analysis: Custom Course Guide
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Article sources
Glassdoor. “Business Intelligence Analyst Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/business-intelligence-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,29.htm.” Accessed February 12, 2026.
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