Business Intelligence Analysts
SOC code 15-2051 · O*NET-SOC 15-2051.01 · Considerable preparation needed · Computer and IT
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Business Intelligence Analysts pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$120,230
a year
Hourly
$57.80
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$126,800
$60.96 per hour
Middle 50%
$85,660 – $158,880
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$67,240 – $199,130
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
262,440
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
These pay and employment figures are for the broader BLS group “Data Scientists”, not this job alone.
- 10th percentile
- $67,240
- $32.33/hr
- 25th percentile
- $85,660
- $41.18/hr
- Median percentile
- $120,230
- $57.80/hr
- 75th percentile
- $158,880
- $76.39/hr
- 90th percentile
- $199,130
- $95.74/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+34%
Growing much faster than average
245,900
jobs in 2024
328,300
projected for 2034
About 82,400 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does a business intelligence analyst 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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Generate standard or custom reports summarizing business, financial, or economic data for review by executives, managers, clients, and other stakeholders.
- Maintain or update business intelligence tools, databases, dashboards, systems, or methods.
- Manage timely flow of business intelligence information to users.
- Provide technical support for existing reports, dashboards, or other tools.
- Identify and analyze industry or geographic trends with business strategy implications.
- Document specifications for business intelligence or information technology reports, dashboards, or other outputs.
- Create business intelligence tools or systems, including design of related databases, spreadsheets, or outputs.
- Collect business intelligence data from available industry reports, public information, field reports, or purchased sources.
How to become a business intelligence analyst
Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 68% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Bachelor's Degree68%
- Master's Degree23%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate5%
Common questions
How much does a business intelligence analyst earn?
The national median is $120,230 a year. The full range runs from $67,240 at the 10th percentile to $199,130 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a business intelligence analyst without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is business intelligence analyst in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 34% between 2024 and 2034 — growing much faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Mathematics3.5/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.3/5
- Mathematics3.8/5
- English Language3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.1/5
- Economics and Accounting3.0/5
- Communications and Media2.6/5
- Education and Training2.5/5
Transferable strengths: Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving.