Did You Know?
Business analysts at a major airline discovered that passengers who booked window seats were significantly more likely to buy in-flight upgrades than those who booked aisle seats, a finding that changed how the airline structured its upsell offers across millions of flights
The Numbers Behind the Career
The 2024 median annual salary for management and business analyst in the U.S. was $90,744.
There are about 1,075,100 management and business analysts employed in the U.S.
About 50,000 management and business analyst positions are expected each year over the next decade.
Where This Career Is Headed
Over the next decade, the business analyst role will expand significantly in both scope and influence as organizations collect more data than ever before and face increasing pressure to act on it intelligently. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools will automate the more routine parts of data processing, freeing analysts to focus on higher-order work: framing the right questions, interpreting complex findings, and translating them into organizational strategy. At the same time, data governance, the question of how information is collected, stored, and used responsibly, will become a growing part of the analyst's professional landscape as regulations around data privacy tighten across industries and geographies. The analysts who will be most valuable in the years ahead are not those who can run the most sophisticated models, but those who combine technical fluency with the judgment to know what the data should and should not be used for.
As AI tools take over routine data processing tasks, business analysts who specialize in strategy, interpretation, and stakeholder communication will become more central to organizational decision-making, not less.
The expansion of data collection into new sectors, including healthcare, education, urban planning, and climate science, will create demand for analysts who can work across disciplines and apply data thinking to problems that have never been approached that way before.
Growing investment in data infrastructure across government agencies, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations will open analyst roles in fields where data-driven decision-making has historically been underdeveloped.
Education & Certification
Business analysts typically enter the field with a bachelor's degree in a quantitative or business-related discipline, with common majors including business administration, economics, statistics, computer science, and information systems. The most effective analysts tend to have a blend of technical and communication skills, and many programs now offer concentrations in data analytics or business intelligence that combine both. Graduate degrees, particularly an MBA with an analytics focus or a master's in data science, can accelerate advancement into senior or specialized roles. Some analysts enter the field through non-traditional paths, building technical skills through bootcamps, online certifications, or on-the-job experience, particularly in industries where domain expertise matters as much as formal credentials.
Professional certifications are widely available and can meaningfully strengthen a candidate's profile, particularly early in a career. The Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), offered through the International Institute of Business Analysis, is one of the most recognized credentials in the field. For analysts who work extensively with data tools, certifications from platforms such as Microsoft, Tableau, or Google in data analytics and visualization are increasingly valued by employers. These credentials are not always required, but they signal technical competence and professional commitment in a field where the tools evolve quickly.
To Prepare...
Courses in statistics, mathematics, and computer science build the quantitative foundation that business analysis programs and employers expect candidates to have when they come in.
Taking economics or business electives that focus on decision-making, market analysis, or organizational behavior helps develop the strategic context that makes technical analysis meaningful.
Pursuing coursework or self-directed learning in data tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or introductory Python or SQL gives students a practical head start on the technical skills the profession runs on.
