Why You Should Consider Becoming a BI Analyst in 2025

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Two businesspeople read a laptop screen
November 28, 2023

Blog Updated on January 22, 2025.

Increased salary potential. Exciting career opportunities. Heightened job security.

These are just some of the many reasons why becoming a business intelligence analyst may appeal to you. Beyond the personal benefits, entering the role of a business intelligence (BI) consultant also gives you the opportunity to make a tremendous impact at your company, within the industry and on the marketplace at large.

Several examples highlight the value of BI analysis. The South Korean online shopping site Lotte.com used a data-driven behavioral analytics system — the first system of its kind in Korea — to increase sales by $10 million within a year. The international cement company Cementos built a center fully dedicated to business analytics, and deeper insights into its customer base similarly led to higher profitability. Sabre Airline Solutions delivered a data warehouse system that provided real-time data on consumer behavior and business health; this not only delivered increased revenue but also boosted client satisfaction.

 These examples show the remarkable positive difference a professional specializing in business analytics and intelligence can make for a company and their customers. Consider what a career as a business analyst may look like and some of the primary reasons to think about pursuing the educational steps to become a BI analyst in 2025.

 

What Is a BI Analyst?

Before understanding how BI can yield corporate dividends, it’s important to understand what business intelligence analysts do. Those in the role work with data to produce meaningful insights that lead to informed business decisions. Their responsibilities generally include collecting, organizing and analyzing data to create insights and data visualizations that can empower the company toward more successful outcomes. Their findings may pertain to sales, marketing, operations or advertising.

Any area of a company that produces data can benefit from the perspective and observations of a qualified BI consultant or analyst.

 

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a BI Analyst?

The roles and responsibilities of a BI analyst may include the following:

  • Collecting, cleaning and organizing company data, so it’s useful for analysis
  • Analyzing data to answer specific questions about organizational performance
  • Producing reports that feature visualizations and clear insights
  • Collaborating with team members to identify company needs and leverage data to create a plan for meeting them
  • Developing and maintaining documentation
  • Recommending processes to improve corporate efficiency

In short, anywhere that data can be found and leveraged for the sake of a company’s success, a BI analyst can play a role. Their ability to assess market trends and communicate their findings clearly and effectively makes the BI consultant invaluable in nearly every area of the industry.

 

What Skills Do You Need to Become a BI Analyst?

BI analysts need to understand many aspects of working with data, including modeling, analysis, preparation, mining and visualization. A BI consultant’s technical skills must also include database management and reporting. They’ll likely need to be skilled in statistical programming languages; machine learning; coding; and business intelligence tools, such as data visualization programs. They must also have a fundamental understanding of business regulations and policies, particularly any specialized regulations pertaining to their industry.

In addition to these technical skills, BI analysts need to develop a range of soft skills, such as active listening, critical thinking and problem-solving. They need to be able to work both independently and collaboratively. Finally, BI analysts need strong written and oral communication skills, as they’re regularly called upon to explain and present their uncovered data insights.

 

Where Do BI Analysts Work?

BI analysts conduct data analysis and present key insights in just about every professional setting. From privately owned organizations to public companies and nonprofit agencies to government offices, BI analysts are working to make the most of the data their workplace generates through stronger sales, improved risk management and streamlined processes.

The professional settings where business intelligence analysts work include the following:

  • Financial services and banking
  • Insurance
  • Health care
  • Telecommunications
  • Intelligence agencies like the FBI, National Security Agency (NSA) and CIA
  • Human resources
  • Defense
  • Nonprofit
  • Real estate
  • Information security
  • Retail
  • Technology

Many industries are actively hiring BI consultants, making the role a great fit for individuals with work experience in any given field. The widespread use of BI analytics is also allowing individuals to pursue a career in a field that’s relevant to their interests. Through training in data analysis and BI, these professionals can advance in their given field or transition into a different industry.

 

Reasons to Become a BI Analyst in 2025

There are many reasons to consider a career as a business analytics and intelligence professional, given the dynamics of the modern marketplace. Technology is always developing, so the opportunity for BI analysts to collect, analyze and present data in meaningful ways will continue to evolve as well. More and more leaders are understanding the power of data analytics, too, leading to greater opportunities and respect in the workplace for BI analysts.

As more and more organizations work to become truly data-driven, the demand for qualified BI analysts will only increase. In fact, the BI market is predicted to reach $75.7 billion by 2033. This number underscores how crucial the field will continue to be in the future.

While there are many reasons to consider a career as a BI analyst, three stand out:

  • Exciting career opportunities
  • Good salaries and job security
  • Job satisfaction through professional development and problem-solving

 

Exciting Career Opportunities

Just like there are many industries that employ BI analysts, there are a variety of jobs within those industries that BI analysts can fill. Those roles may include the following:

  • Market Research Analyst: Those in this role study and project sales and marketing trends to facilitate data-driven company decisions. They help organizations identify the products and services the public is interested in, what segment of the population would buy them and what they would be willing to pay. They can also help determine the effectiveness of existing marketing strategies.
  • Business Consultant: Those in this role, who are also called management consultants or management analysts, either work within a specific company or are contracted to work with various clients. They gather data through interviews, records and documentation and then recommend new systems, processes or changes to help an organization thrive. They also work with company management to assess whether implemented changes were successful.
  • Operations Research Analyst: Those in this role use research, assessments and data analysis to help companies identify operational inefficiencies. They also develop recommendations to correct these issues and potentially improve operational flow.

Other titles that may be used for BI consultants include BI manager, business analyst and data analyst. Leadership titles in BI may include director of BI and analytics, director of risk analytics and policy or chief analytics officer.

 

Good Salaries and Job Security

The salary potential and job outlook for professionals trained in BI are quite favorable compared to other professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the mean annual wage for all Americans in 2023 was $65,470. The bureau predicts an average growth rate of 4 percent for all occupations between 2023 and 2033.

When it comes to BI roles, the BLS lists the following 2023 median salaries and 2023-2033 job growth predictions:

 

Ongoing Professional Development and Problem-Solving

The potential for BI to further enhance every area of industry is great. Since new BI tools and techniques are regularly introduced to the marketplace, BI consultants never face a shortage of things to discover, explore or try. This makes BI a great profession for individuals who love to learn, have a lot of curiosity and enjoy finding new ways to solve old problems.

There are many factors driving this increased interest in business analytics and intelligence. These include the following:

  • An Increase in Data Points: The rise of cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) provide businesses with more opportunities to collect data. BI professionals will be needed to make sense of all of this data and identify patterns, leading to more effective business decisions.
  • Advanced Analytical Tools: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are no longer the domain of science fiction. They’re increasingly important tools that use data to identify patterns in consumer behaviors. This data can help businesses build proactive strategies that anticipate consumers’ needs.
  • A Better Understanding of What’s at Stake: More people in management are recognizing the power that data analytics has to positively impact their businesses. As this awareness increases, business analytics and intelligence professionals will likely be in continuing demand.

 

Become a Business Analyst With an Online Doctorate of Business Administration in Business Intelligence from Marymount University

Do you want to collect, mine and analyze data to create meaningful insights that help your organization meet and even surpass its key performance indicators (KPIs)? Are you passionate about presenting data in clear, actionable and visually appealing ways?

If so, the online Doctorate of Business Administration in Business Intelligence from Marymount University Online may be the right next step for your career. As a fully online program, the DBA in BI is designed for working professionals who want to enhance their careers without pausing them. The curriculum includes coursework in high-demand skills like data visualization, data strategy and AI.

The DBA in BI offers intakes in both fall and spring. This cost-effective program can be completed in just under three years.

Graduates of the DBA in BI are prepared to work as agile leaders in various professional settings. The expert faculty members who lead the program teach using applied research so that students learn to effect practical change in real-world marketplace scenarios. With coursework and the dissertation writing process integrated from the beginning of the program, students are set up to succeed and graduate.

Receive an interdisciplinary education in business, innovation, leadership and technology and become a business intelligence expert with an online DBA in BI from Marymount University.

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