Mathematical Science Occupations

How to become a Business Intelligence Analyst

Official title: Business Intelligence Analysts

Also called: Business Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst (BI Analyst), Business Intelligence Consultant (BI Consultant), Business Intelligence Coordinator (BI Coordinator), Business Intelligence Specialist (BI Specialist), Competitive Intelligence Analyst, Intelligence Analyst, Market Intelligence Analyst, Market Intelligence Consultant, Strategic Business and Technology Intelligence Consultant

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.

Main tasks

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 one

Data scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or a related field to enter the occupation. Some employers require or prefer that applicants have a master's or doctoral degree.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Business Intelligence Engineer.
College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $120,230 a year The middle half earn $85,660 to $158,880.
About 275,600 people work in this job now, and about 371,000 are projected by 2035. (+34.6%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Business Intelligence Analyst?

How much does a Business Intelligence Analyst earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $120,230 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $85,660 to $158,880.

Is a Business Intelligence Analyst a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 35% by 2035, from about 275,600 to about 371,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Business Intelligence Analyst?

Usually. 86% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Business Intelligence Analyst?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.