How Much Does Business Analyst Get Paid

Business organizations face cutthroat competition to maintain an edge over their competitors and become more successful. Business analysts play an essential role in an organization running sound financial assessments toward effective business decisions. Their valuable suggestions to businesses drastically improve operations, from integrating suitable tools to planning new processes. Therefore, it is pretty understandable that data analysts are becoming indispensable. 

It is important to note that a business analyst’s salary for beginners is lucrative, which is bound to grow further with experience. This article will discuss business analytics salary at every level in detail. 

Average business analyst salary in the USA

The average salary business analyst salary in the USA is approximately $65,471 per annum. As per data, most analysts earn cash bonuses along with their wages. The amount of cash bonus is roughly $2,500 annually. 

Experience is greatly considered while ascertaining the salary of a candidate. This stands true for business analysts as well. The salary of a fresher business analyst will be lower than a senior business analyst’s salary. 

Mentioned below is the annual average salary of a business analyst based on experience in the relevant industry:

• Less than 1 year – $62,052
• 3 – 5 years – $69,339
• More than 10 years – $77,501 

Source

Location-Based Business Analyst Salary

Location plays a significant role in deciding business analytics salary. Some regions in the USA offer higher salaries to business analysts compared to other areas with the same experience and expertise level. Location considers the cost of living and assigns the salary based on it. For the same reason, many analysts prefer shifting to regions where salaries are high. For instance, in Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia, business analysts’ salary is the highest, roughly reaching $95,266 annually. In contrast, various regions have a salary below $82,169 annually or just above it. 

While everyone can’t shift locations to improve their salary, you can look for ways to upgrade your skillset or increase your experience to aim for a better salary package. 

Comparative Business Analyst Salary in the USA

This section will discuss the average salary of a business analyst in the USA, depending on industry experience. Our focus will be on conservative salary estimates to know the average salaries. However, if anyone has good negotiation skills, the salary might increase despite fewer experience years. 

• Salaries of entry-level/fresher business analyst

You must have an undergraduate degree to kick start your business analyst career. If your degree does not cover statistics or data-related courses, you will have to get a certification for fundamental data analytics skills. Basic knowledge of statistics, Python SQL, advanced Excel, and some understanding of common enterprise IT systems are preferred for the role. 

An entry-level business analyst’s salary in the USA ranges around $60,540 annually, as per a conservative salary estimate which is considerably beyond the real median income of the country, which is around $36K. 

At this level, you must focus on honing your presentation skills and working on project management knowledge to bag a business analyst role in any reputed organization.

• Salaries of mid-level business analyst

A mid-level business analyst earns anywhere between $77,521 annually in the USA. At this stage, the analyst will be able to carry out different data-related activities. The candidate will also possess solid knowledge of AI algorithms and other data engineering tools. 

Working in this industry gives abundant knowledge to data analysts. However, candidates must focus on improving their communication skills at this stage, as it is imperative for financial modeling and incorporating strategic planning in work. You might also have hands-on experience with different aspects of process engineering. This is the perfect stage for building up your career as an expert data analyst if you are ambitious. 

• Salaries of senior-level business analyst

As per a conservative estimate, senior business analyst salary in the USA is at around $87,162. This entirely depends on expertise levels, experience in the industry, and negotiation skills. 

Generally, when business analysts gather substantial experience, they move to other data-related arenas. Business analysts are free to take up other data roles like data science for better earning potential or can concentrate on specific business verticals like finance or IT. 

• Salaries of expert business analyst

Your expertise and opportunities grow with the number of years you devote to the industry, winning you a lucrative salary and the title of being an expert business analyst.

As an expert data analyst, you will figure out project goals, characterize projects’ scope, implement plans, sort out details, instruct everyone required, and finally show them outputs. The entire charge is on the data analyst, making it a highly responsible position.

The average yearly salary for an expert business analyst is approximately $91,616

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• Salaries of business analyst consultant

The business analyst consultant position requires around 10-15 years of industry experience. As a business analyst consultant, you will be able to check, survey, and measure explicit business frameworks and understand how these will benefit the organization through years of accumulated experience. 

As a consultant, you will be the top-level authority of your department. All inquiries of the employees of the relevant department will be forwarded to your direction. 

It is estimated that the average annual compensation for a business analyst consultant can be around $98,800. 

Proven Methods to Increase Business Analyst Salary

These are proven and tested methods to increase your salary as a business analyst and obtain more opportunities. 

• More experience – The mentioned salary structures imply that more experience brings more lucrative opportunities. Your salary growth is directly proportional to your experience in this industry. Work experience considers the years dedicated to the job and how precise you are at your work with expansive knowledge. An experienced business analyst can easily locate issues quickly, thus, resolving them quickly. Their suggestions will benefit the organization in all aspects. 
• Certification – A certification course in business analytics is a sure-shot way to receive monetary growth from the company implying your practical finesse in in-demand skills and an active interest in the field. Reports show that candidates received a hike of almost 11-12% on their salaries after completing a certification course in Business Analytics which can often go higher with advanced levels. 

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• Size of the company – Freshers are recommended to start from a small company and gather as much experience and expertise as possible. Then you can leap and jump to a larger company, where you will have a handsome increment of almost 10-12%. 

Conclusion

This article covers a fair share of the business analytics world, business analyst salaries, and the opportunities offered in the USA-based analytics industry. It is also clear that your job title, level of data analytics skills, experience in the industry, and job location are major factors that influence your business analytics salary. Business analytics continues to be one of the most sought-after professional courses. So, gain as much proficiency as possible to bag lucrative job opportunities. 

Give your business analyst salary a boost with upGrad

The number of business analyst aspirants has risen steeply over the years. An increasing number of organizations seek business analysts to make effective and financially viable business decisions. 

One of the best ways to boost your career is to take up a Business Analytics Certification Program from upGrad. You will excel as a business analyst and learn exploratory data analysis, business problem solving, and predictive analysis by taking up the course. The program offers more than three case studies and projects and live sessions with industry experts. 

Apply now and enroll in the course to become a successful business analyst.