Business Analyst Salary Guide

The breadth of roles found in the field makes it difficult to pin down a typical business analyst salary. It’s possible to gain a better understanding of what a business analyst may earn by taking into account the variety of roles in different industries, as well as discrepancies in salaries among analysts at different stages of their careers. Location also plays a role in determining business analysts’ salaries, as some areas of the country offer higher pay.

Business Analyst Salary by Experience

The BLS doesn’t publish wages for business analysts by experience level. In explaining why pay differs among workers, it notes that more experienced workers tend to have higher wages and that workers in the same occupation may have different levels of responsibility.

For management analysts, the occupation that includes business analysts, O*NET reports that a considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge or experience is needed. In O*NET’s survey of the occupation, 57% of respondents said a new hire needs a bachelor’s degree and 24% said a master’s degree is required. Readers weighing an advanced degree, such as a master’s in business analytics or an online master’s in business analytics, should note that the BLS doesn’t publish wages by education level, according to its answers to common questions about the wage data.

Pay also varies widely within the occupation. The table below shows the BLS wage percentiles for management analysts in May 2025. Percentiles describe the spread of wages across workers at all experience levels, so the 10th percentile isn’t the same as an entry-level salary, and the 90th percentile isn’t a guaranteed ceiling.

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates.}

Entry-Level Business Analyst Salary

The BLS doesn’t publish wages for entry-level business analysts. For readers starting out, this section compares management analysts with four related analyst occupations that the BLS classifies separately. These are related career paths, not entry-level business analyst positions. Those who are interested in business analytics but have no experience can still take steps toward becoming a business analyst.

The BLS’s occupational definitions describe these occupations as follows:

• Information Security Analyst. Plans, implements, upgrades or monitors security measures that protect an organization’s computer networks and information.
• Computer Systems Analyst. Analyzes business and other data processing problems to develop solutions, and works to integrate and improve existing computer systems.
• Management Analyst. The occupation that includes business analysts. Conducts organizational studies and evaluations and designs systems and procedures to help management operate more efficiently.
• Budget Analyst. Examines budget estimates for completeness, accuracy and conformance with procedures and regulations, and analyzes budgeting and accounting reports.
• Market Research Analyst. Researches market conditions and gathers information to determine potential sales of a product or service.

According to the BLS’s education and training assignments, a bachelor’s degree is the typical education needed to enter each of these occupations. The BLS lists less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical for information security analysts and management analysts, and no related work experience for the other three. Each of these occupations had a median annual wage above the $50,980 median for all occupations in May 2025.

The table below shows each occupation’s median annual wage for May 2025 and the work experience in a related occupation that the BLS lists for it. These medians cover workers at all experience levels in each occupation, so they aren’t entry-level pay.

^{Sources: Wages from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (market research analysts are reported with marketing specialists). Work experience from BLS Table 5.4, Education and training assignments by detailed occupation, 2025.}

Senior Business Analyst Salary

The BLS doesn’t publish wages for senior business analysts either. This section shows four management occupations that the BLS classifies separately from management analysts. They are related career paths, not senior business analyst positions. Three of them (financial managers, computer and information systems managers and marketing managers) typically call for 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation, according to the BLS’s education and training assignments.

The BLS’s occupational definitions describe these occupations as follows:

• Financial Manager. Plans, directs or coordinates accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities and other financial activities of a branch, office or department.
• Computer and Information Systems Manager. Plans, directs or coordinates activities in fields such as electronic data processing, information systems, systems analysis and computer programming.
• Advertising and Promotions Manager or Marketing Manager. Advertising and promotions managers plan, direct or coordinate advertising policies and programs. Marketing managers plan, direct or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services.

The table below shows each occupation’s median annual wage for May 2025 and the work experience in a related occupation that the BLS lists for it. These medians cover workers at all experience levels in each occupation, not pay for experienced business analysts.

^{Sources: Wages from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates. Work experience from BLS Table 5.4, Education and training assignments by detailed occupation, 2025.}

Top Paying Locations/States for Business Analysts

Where a business analyst chooses to work may play a role in determining their salary, as business analyst salaries often vary by region, state and city. The term “business analyst” encompasses a broad range of roles and occupations, making it difficult to determine which regions offer the highest business analyst salaries.

But some clear patterns can easily be identified. To simplify this issue, we have again used BLS data for the more specific title of management analyst, which includes business analysts, to provide a clearer picture of business analyst salaries and earnings opportunities across the country.

May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Massachusetts and Virginia had the highest annual mean wages for management analysts, at $147,080 and $137,480, respectively. The District of Columbia had the third-highest annual mean wage, at $130,350.

These five states had the next-highest annual mean wages for management analysts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025):

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state estimates (linked by state). Rankings compare the 50 states and the District of Columbia.}

And these were the five metropolitan areas with the highest median annual wages for management analysts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025):

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 metropolitan area estimates (linked by area). Metropolitan areas without published wage estimates are not ranked.}

But those are not necessarily the areas where the most business analysts work. These five states had the highest employment of management analysts in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shown with each state’s median annual wage for the occupation:

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state estimates (linked by state).

Business Analyst Salary by Industry

A business analyst’s specific industry may be another factor in determining their salary. The BLS publishes wage estimates for management analysts by industry. These five industries employed the most management analysts in May 2025:

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national industry-specific estimates for management analysts (linked by industry).}

The BLS also tracks related occupations in fields such as information technology, finance and health care. Here are three examples, described using the BLS’s occupational definitions.

Information Technology. Computer systems analysts analyze business and other data processing problems to develop solutions, and work to integrate and improve existing computer systems. The BLS put the median annual wage for computer systems analysts at $105,850 in May 2025.

Finance/Insurance. Financial and investment analysts conduct quantitative analyses of investment programs or the financial data of public or private institutions, including business valuation. As of May 2025, the BLS reported that the median annual wage for financial and investment analysts was $102,740.

Health care. Medical and health services managers plan, direct or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies and similar organizations. O*NET lists electronic health record software, such as Epic Systems, and data analysis software, such as Tableau, among this occupation’s technology skills.

Data from the BLS shows that the median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $123,860 in May 2025.

^{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates.}

FAQs About Business Analyst Salary

Pay for management analysts, the occupation that includes business analysts, differs by state, metropolitan area and industry, as the BLS tables above show. Below are some frequently asked questions about business analysts’ salaries.