Smart decisions are informed decisions. Weighing a job opportunity, selecting a new mattress, deciding on a dinner spot — these choices are easier to make and result in better outcomes when they’re backed by research and data (even if that research is simply, “What haven’t we eaten this week?”).
The same applies in the workplace. Successful companies know data can revolutionize how they target customers, refine their offerings, and shape their culture. For this reason, they place a high value on talent that understands how to gather and apply business data effectively.
If that sounds intriguing to you, you might enjoy becoming a business intelligence (BI) analyst. Here’s everything you need to know about this in-demand job.
What is a business intelligence analyst?
BI analysts typically sit under the business intelligence team within an organization, or serve as an offshoot of the engineering team, where a lot of data is housed and harnessed. They’re similar to, and sometimes compared to, data analysts, but the two might differ in the skills and software they use day to day.
What does a business intelligence analyst do?
Business intelligence analysts don’t work without assistance. They have a variety of BI tools at their disposal from major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, or Amazon. These tools allow them to streamline data visualization and data collection so they’re not spending hours at a time pulling information or building graphs.
Typically, the work of a BI analyst consists of the following:
Data collection and analysis: BI analysts gather data from various sources such as databases, spreadsheets, and business applications. They clean, transform, and organize the data to ensure its accuracy and reliability. They then analyze the data using statistical techniques and data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI to identify patterns, trends, and correlations.
Reporting and visualization: BI analysts create visually appealing and easy-to-understand reports, dashboards, and data visualizations to present their findings. They use tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Excel to create charts, graphs, and interactive dashboards that enable stakeholders to quickly grasp the insights derived from the data.
Performance monitoring: BI analysts track key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitor business metrics to assess performance against goals. They identify areas of improvement, spot anomalies or deviations, and provide recommendations for optimizing processes or strategies.
Forecasting and predictive analysis: BI analysts use statistical modeling and forecasting techniques to predict future trends and outcomes based on historical data. This helps organizations make informed decisions and plan for the future.
Beyond handling and maintaining data, BI analysts might also:
- Weed out errors in data or enrich it with new information or filters
- Build or edit data models
- Translate data into charts, dashboards, or other helpful tools for others to use
- Present market trends, predictions, or insights
- Attend meetings or sprints for projects in which data may come into play
- Manage or mentor more junior business analysts
How to become a business intelligence analyst: a step-by-step guide
To make your career journey simple, we’ve broken down the exact steps for how to become a business intelligence analyst if you’re starting from scratch.
1. Weigh the pros and cons
Business intelligence isn’t for everyone. (If it were, companies would have a much easier time filling jobs!)
Before you do anything, you have to get confident as to whether going down this path, or switching careers to BI, is the right move for you.
In general, the pros of a BI analyst role are job security and high compensation (relative to other industries). Cons might be the barrier to entry and time commitment required to develop key skills. As you research, you’ll likely come across elements to the role that are of more direct relevance to you.
2. Go to school (or take an online course, or sign up for a bootcamp)
Some people want to break into business intelligence from a related field, but even those who majored in math or statistics may need additional technical training to actually land a job.
Going back to school is an option, and a great one if you have the time, money, and drive to make the most of your experience. Having a reputable university on your resume can be a big job search boost, and many colleges offer robust career and job placement services for alumni.
Another route is a part-time or self-paced certification program. They can be completed online, in person, or in a hybrid environment, depending on your preference and schedule. Many people choose a bootcamp for the cost alone: unlike a full-time degree, which might cost somewhere in the high five or six figures, programs such as these cap out at around $15,000 on average. Plus, the flexible schedule allows professionals to keep their current jobs while learning, and caters nicely to parents, caregivers, and entrepreneurs with other responsibilities.
Bootcamps come with their own pros and cons, so do your research before signing up: Read reviews and testimonials, talk to current or former students, and ask questions of the lecturer or organization in charge.
3. Complete some practical training
You’ll want to put your skills to the test in a real-life setting to confirm you know what you’re doing and prove to employers you can apply your education to their needs.
If you attend graduate school or a bootcamp, you might already get exposed to this practical experience through externships or internships, or projects in partnership with tech companies. But if not, you could raise your hand for data-driven projects in your current job, or build your own data project based on a personal or professional problem you’ve encountered.
4. Develop your network
Of course, meeting people in a new field is easier said than done. This is where a formal program can be most helpful. You’re taught how to network and then encouraged to collaborate with other aspiring BI analysts and regularly attend talks led by BI experts. Upon graduation, you often can also apply to join a pool of alumni who work for various companies.
But you can cultivate your network solo, too, by sending personalized messages to people you admire on LinkedIn or attending data-focused conferences and events.
5. Prepare your job search materials
The last step before you apply to jobs or ask your network for a referral is to build a well-crafted resume.
If you’re making a career change, previous experience may be less relevant to BI analyst jobs than others. When in doubt about what to include, consider what the job description is asking for and whether your background, hard skills, or soft skills relate to it. Employers admire candidates who can tie a clear line between even the most irrelevant experience and the role’s responsibilities.
If you’re coming out of a bootcamp or degree program, be sure to highlight not just what the curriculum entailed but how your contributions made an impact.
What skills do you need to be a BI analyst?
BI analysts have a strong balance of hard skills and soft skills in their career toolboxes.
Common hard skills include:
- Data management using tools such as Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel
- Database systems and programming languages such as SQL or R
- Data visualization and analytics using tools such as Tableau, PowerBI, or Google Data Studio
- Data warehousing solutions such as Amazon’s Redshift, Google’s BigQuery, or Microsoft Azure
- ETL (extract, transform, and load) tools such as Informatica, Talend, and Microsoft’s SQL Server Integration Services
- Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and/or natural language processing
- Data governance and ethics
In terms of soft skills, business intelligence analysts are experts in and passionate about:
- Presentation and storytelling
- Problem solving and critical thinking
- Communication
- Time management
- Attention to detail
Do you need a degree to become a business analyst?
You can certainly develop these skills through an undergraduate or graduate program in computer science or data science — especially if you prefer that kind of learning environment. But plenty of online bootcamps and professional certificates provide the same training at a fraction of the cost and time.
What is a business intelligence analyst’s salary?
According to Glassdoor as of this writing, entry-level BI analysts typically make between $79,000 and $122,000 depending on location and company size. Major tech hubs pay more; for example, average salaries for BI analysts in San Francisco range from $113,000 to $172,000. In mid-size cities like Charlotte, NC, salaries fall between $93,000 and $141,000. Experience matters, too. In the US, the average salary for business intelligence analysts with four to six years of experience increases to $98,000 to $155,000.
When conducting salary research for a business intelligence role and reading job descriptions, be sure to take these factors into consideration.
Become a BI analyst with TripleTen
In just four months, you can launch your business intelligence career with TripleTen. Our Business Intelligence Analytics bootcamp requires no previous STEM or IT experience. In addition to covering all the basics from top to bottom, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a real-life project for a real-life company, and you’ll gain access to an abundance of job search resources and coaching.
Upon graduation, 82% of TripleTen students land a job — some going on to work for Spotify, Google, or Apple. If you’re not able to land a job within 10 months of completing our program, we’ll refund your tuition.
FAQ
Can I transition into BI from a completely different field?
You can absolutely transition into BI from a different field. Lots of BI analysts come from backgrounds like finance, marketing, operations, or even teaching. If you've worked with data in any capacity, e.g., reports, spreadsheets, metrics, you've got transferable skills. The trick is learning the technical tools and being able to tell the story of why your previous experience makes you valuable.
Can a non-technical person become a business analyst?
Non-technical people can become business analysts, but need to get comfortable with technology. BI isn't programming-heavy like software engineering, but the position is about working with databases, software tools, and technical concepts daily. If you're willing to learn and don't panic when things don't work the first time, you can absolutely do this. It's more about persistence than natural talent.
How long does it realistically take to become job-ready?
On your own, becoming job-ready for BIA takes four to six months if you're focused and going full-time. Part-time self-study while working another job? More like nine to 12 months. You need time to learn SQL, get comfortable with visualization tools, understand data modeling basics, and build a portfolio of projects. Don't rush it. Employers can tell when someone's expertise is surface-level. Bootcamps can speed this process up.
What technical skills do I absolutely need to learn?
You need to learn SQL. That's non-negotiable. After that, pick up at least one major BI tool like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker. You should understand basic statistics, know how to clean and transform data, and be comfortable with Excel (yes, still). Database concepts are important too. Start with these and build from there based on job postings you're targeting.
Are BI certifications worth the money?
BI certifications can be worth the money, but it really depends. Microsoft Power BI or Tableau certifications can help you stand out, especially if you don't have a degree or formal experience. They run $200-$300 and show you're serious. But a strong portfolio of real projects beats certifications every time. If you've got budget constraints, invest in building projects first, certifications second.
What's the difference between a BI analyst and a data analyst?
The differences between BI analysts and data analysts aren’t too strict, but generally: BI analysts focus more on business metrics, dashboards, and reporting to help companies make decisions. Data analysts might do more statistical analysis, exploratory work, and ad-hoc investigations. BI is usually more structured and tool-focused. In smaller companies, the roles are basically the same.
How do I build a portfolio when I don't have professional experience?
To build a portfolio without prior professional experience, use public datasets from sources like Kaggle, government databases, or industry-specific data repositories. Build dashboards that answer real business questions. Analyze retail sales trends, healthcare outcomes, or sports statistics — whatever interests you. The key is showing your thought process: what question you asked, how you analyzed the data, and what insights you found.
Do I need to be great at math and statistics?
You don’t need to be great at complex math, but you should be comfortable with basic statistics: means, medians, percentages, trends. You won't need advanced calculus or complex modeling. Most BI work is about understanding what the numbers mean for the business, not proving theorems. If you can handle high school algebra and think logically, you're probably fine.
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