Business Intelligence Analyst Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Business Intelligence Analysts earn a median of $120,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 136% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $57.80/hr. The middle half earn between $85,660 and $158,880. The top 10% earn $199,130 or more.

The median hourly wage for business intelligence analysts is $57.80 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $120,230 annual median works out to about $10,020 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of business intelligence analysts earn less than $67,240 a year and the bottom quarter less than $85,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

Yes, more often than not. The median is $120,230, so more than half of business intelligence analysts earn over $100,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 31 states the median itself is above $100,000: Washington ($163,350), California ($141,590), Maryland ($136,370), New Jersey ($135,280), and 27 more.

The highest state medians for Business Intelligence Analysts are Washington ($163,350), California ($141,590), Maryland ($136,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split business intelligence analysts' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $199,130, against a median of $120,230 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Washington ($163,350), California ($141,590), Maryland ($136,370).

Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Business Intelligence Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 68.2% hold bachelor's degree.

BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for business intelligence analysts is a bachelor's degree. O*NET classes the work as needing considerable preparation.

Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 34.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 24,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Data scientists use analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data. A core O*NET task: generate standard or custom reports summarizing business, financial, or economic data for review by executives, managers, clients, and other stakeholders. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.

Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 33% of business intelligence analysts usually work more than 40 hours a week, 67% work exactly 40 and 0% work fewer. 91% say their schedule is regular and 9% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Business Intelligence Analysts highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, INTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

Women make up 41.8% of business intelligence analysts, against 47.1% of all employed people: more men than in the workforce as a whole. Only 12.6% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce. The median worker is 38.4 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Other mathematical science occupations".