Business analytics professionals apply data, statistical models and analytical tools to help organizations make better decisions. Demand for this skill set is growing across industries, and salaries reflect that demand.
Whether you are entering the field, changing careers or planning your next step, this guide covers what business analytics professionals earn, what drives compensation and how education, including programs such as the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) online Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Business Analytics program), can affect earning potential. An MBA with business analytics concentration prepares graduates for roles where data and leadership converge. The salary information below was retrieved in July 2026, and actual salaries will vary based on factors such as location and experience level.
What Is the Average Business Analytics Salary?
Business analytics professionals earn a wide range depending on job title, from entry-level analyst roles to senior director-level leadership positions. Business analytics spans several job titles, and compensation varies by role.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $101,190 for management analysts, the occupational category that includes many business analytics and strategy roles, with a 10th-to-90th percentile range of $59,720 to $174,140. Operations research analysts, who apply quantitative methods to business problems, earn a median of $91,290. The BLS projects 9% growth for management analysts and 21% growth for operations research analysts from 2024 to 2034, both faster than the average for all occupations.
Salaries in business analytics depend heavily on the specific role, years of experience, industry and location. These factors are detailed, with direct sourcing, in the sections below.
Business Analytics Salary by Job Title
Job title is a stronger predictor of compensation than years of experience alone in analytics. The table below outlines typical ranges across common roles.
| Job Title | Typical Salary Range (10th-90th percentile) | Source |
| Business Analyst | $97,932-$131,449 | Salary.com – Business Analyst |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $93,040-$133,933 | Salary.com – Business Intelligence Analyst |
| Operations Research Analyst | $52,930-$148,920 | BLS OEWS, May 2023 |
| Analytics Manager | $116,283-$158,706 | Salary.com – Business Analytics Manager |
| Director of Analytics / BI Director | $188,554-$247,270 | Salary.com – Business Analytics Director |
Pay tends to increase most sharply at the transition from individual contributor to manager, where responsibility shifts from producing analysis to directing analytics strategy. That climb becomes even clearer when compensation is viewed by years of experience rather than title alone.
Business Analytics Salary by Experience Level
Experience drives compensation growth in analytics, particularly as professionals move into management. According to Salary.com’s business analyst compensation data, professionals with less than one year of experience earn an average of $71,177. Average pay rises to $86,805 for one to two years of experience, $110,631 for two to four years, $134,041 for five to eight years and $151,437 for professionals with eight or more years of experience.
Salary growth in analytics is not purely seniority-based. An analyst who adds Python or R, earns an advanced degree, or builds deep industry expertise can accelerate compensation significantly within three to four years. Professionals seeking that acceleration often pursue a credential such as SIUE’s online MBA in Business Analytics degree, which pairs technical training with the management skills tied to director-level pay.
Business Analytics Salary by Industry
Industry significantly affects analytics compensation, particularly at the mid and senior levels. The table below shows how Salary.com prices the business analyst title across the five highest-paying sectors, compared with a national average of $111,403 (July 2026).
| Industry | Average Annual Salary | vs. National Avg |
| Financial Services | $133,684 | +20% |
| Internet | $133,684 | +20% |
| Biotechnology | $128,113 | +15% |
| Energy and Utilities | $128,113 | +15% |
| Telecom | $124,771 | +12% |
Source: Salary.com business analyst salary by industry (July 2026)
Salary.com notes that industry can affect a business analyst’s earning potential by as much as 40% between the highest- and lowest-paying sectors, with transportation, education, government and nonprofit roles typically on the lower end. Healthcare data analytics remains a strong growth area even where base pay runs closer to the national average: BLS projects continued growth in healthcare analytics employment as health systems expand their data infrastructure and value-based care models deepen.
Business Analytics Salary by Location
Geography affects base compensation, though remote work has narrowed regional gaps. Using Salary.com’s business analyst data, the highest-paying metro areas are:
- San Francisco, CA: $138,974
- New York, NY: $128,268
- Boston, MA: $123,791
- Washington, DC: $122,677
- Chicago, IL: $115,124
Illinois, where SIUE is located, offers business analysts an average salary of $113,553 (Salary.com), below the top coastal metros above but with access to large employers across healthcare, insurance, and financial services in the Chicago area. The lower cost of living relative to coastal markets means Midwest analytics salaries can be competitive in real dollars, even though nominal figures are lower.
Skills That Increase Business Analytics Salary
Technical skills have the most direct impact on compensation at the individual contributor level. Management and communication skills drive compensation at the leadership level.
SQL is the baseline. Analysts without it are limited to entry-level roles. Advanced SQL, covering window functions, query optimization and complex data transformations, is a differentiator at mid-level.
Tableau and Power BI are standard expectations for mid-level and senior business analytics roles. Certification in either platform accelerates compensation growth.
Python or R, even introductory proficiency, expands the range of available roles and raises salary ceilings. Analysts who can automate data workflows and build predictive models occupy a different compensation tier than those limited to reporting tools.
Statistical modeling skills, including regression, time series and scenario analysis, are standard in operations research and senior business analytics roles. INFORMS identifies quantitative modeling alongside business problem framing as core competencies in its Analytics Framework, the standard many employers use to evaluate senior analytics hires.
Business Analytics Job Outlook
The job market for business analytics professionals is strong and broad. Analytics roles exist at virtually every large organization across every industry.
BLS projects 21% growth for operations research analysts from 2024 to 2034 and 9% growth for management analysts, both above the average for all occupations. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 finds that geoeconomic trends, including increased government subsidies and industrial policy and rising trade restrictions, are expected to drive demand for business intelligence analysts and business development professionals through 2030.
How Education Affects Business Analytics Salary
A bachelor’s degree is the standard entry requirement for most business analytics roles. A master’s degree or MBA with an analytics concentration increases earning potential, particularly for professionals pursuing management-track roles.
Master’s-level credentials carry a measurable pay premium, though the size of that premium depends heavily on which data source and job level are being measured. Payscale reports an average base salary of $82,000 for holders of a Master of Science in business analysis, based on 172 survey responses as of its August 2025 update, most of them entry- and early-career professionals, while Salary.com’s employer-reported data shows an average of $136,377, with a typical range of $116,283-$158,706 for a business analytics manager. The gap between these figures reflects career stage; the earning potential of the degree grows substantially as graduates move into management.
AACSB International accreditation, the highest standard in business education, signals that a graduate business program meets rigorous benchmarks for curriculum quality, faculty qualifications and student outcomes. Graduates of AACSB-accredited programs with analytics specializations consistently report strong outcomes relative to the broader business analytics job market.
An MBA in business analytics, such as SIUE’s online MBA, specifically prepares graduates for roles where data and leadership converge, including analytics managers, strategy directors and BI leaders. These roles increasingly demand both technical credibility and business authority, a pairing that technical training or management experience alone rarely delivers.
Ready to move into analytics leadership? SIUE’s online MBA in Business Analytics builds the technical and management skills employers pay for.
Business Analytics Salary FAQ
Compensation questions in business analytics rarely have one-size-fits-all answers, since job title, experience, industry and education each move the numbers in different directions. The questions below pull together the figures already covered in this guide for quick reference.
What is the average business analytics salary?
It depends heavily on the job title. Business analysts earn $97,932-$131,449 (10th-90th percentile), while titles at the director level, such as director of analytics / BI director, range from $188,554-$247,270. See the Job Title table above for the full breakdown by role.
What is the highest-paying business analytics job?
Director of analytics / BI director tops the list, with a typical range of $188,554-$247,270, according to Salary.com.
How much does an entry-level business analyst make?
Salary.com’s experience-level data shows that business analysts with less than one year of experience earn an average of $71,177, rising to $86,805 by the one-to-two-year mark.
Does a master’s degree or MBA increase business analytics salary?
Yes, though the premium depends on career stage. PayScale reports an average base salary of $82,000 for early-career professionals with a Master of Science in business analysis, while Salary.com’s data shows business analytics managers, typically several years into their careers, average $136,377.
Which industries pay business analytics professionals the most?
Financial services and internet are the two highest-paying sectors for business analysts, each averaging $133,684, about 20% above the national average, per Salary.com.
What is the job outlook for business analytics roles?
Strong. The BLS projects 9% growth for management analysts and 21% growth for operations research analysts from 2024 to 2034, both faster than average for all occupations.
About SIUE’s Online MBA in Business Analytics
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s online MBA in Business Analytics degree combines core MBA coursework in leadership, strategy and finance with a concentrated focus on data-driven decision-making. The program is designed for working professionals who want to build both the technical analytics skills and the business judgment needed to move into management-track roles.
Coursework covers statistical modeling, data visualization and business intelligence tools alongside traditional MBA fundamentals, giving graduates the dual credibility, technical and managerial, that analytics leadership positions increasingly require. That blend of technical depth and managerial insight is designed to help graduates step confidently into the analytics leadership roles this guide has outlined.
