If you’re a natural problem-solver and strategizer, with a knack for storytelling, a business analyst career may be the perfect vocation for you to pursue. The main function of a business analyst is to leverage analytical skills to help organizations “improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase revenue, and meet their organizational goals.” Although serving many functions within an organization, you can think of a business analyst’s role as the bridge between business needs and technology solutions.
The employment of management analysts or business analysts “is projected to grow 11 percent from 2023 to 2033,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The same report states that there will be an average of 95,700 openings for business and management analyst jobs each year until 2033. In Arizona, among the top 50 biggest employers in 2025 are primarily in the healthcare, insurance, financial services, banking, and aviation industries — with major companies like Mayo Clinic, Bank of America, Boeing, Cigna, and more, hosting over 4,000 Arizona employees each. As a plus, business analyst salaries in the state of Arizona, on average, hover around $97,000+ annually; that’s over $12,000 more than the national average, according to Indeed’s employment statistics.
Whether you’re just starting out on your professional journey or transitioning from another field, business analysis is a highly in-demand skill. The emphasis on the growing demand for certified business analysis professionals is largely due to the growth of Machine Learning algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI). With ongoing cybersecurity threats and increased potential for data breaches, data-driven decision-making and business intelligence are crucial skills to have on any team. As you can imagine, business analysts are especially helpful in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance industries (or BFSI) — Arizona’s top cluster of industries, as previously mentioned.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Business Analyst
The roles and responsibilities of a business analyst revolve largely around data — collecting, synthesizing, documenting, and ultimately reporting on said data. By and large, no matter the industry, most business analyst jobs will require the following responsibilities:
Business Analysis and Problem-Solving: Business analysts are in charge of identifying and analyzing business problems and optimizing processes to resolve them — helping the organization make more informed decisions.
Data Analysis and Insights: Utilizing segmentation tools like ArcGIS Business Analyst, along with data analytics platforms like Microsoft Excel and Tableau, business analysts can derive actionable insights on how to augment profitability.
Project and Process Management: Documenting and improving business processes to align with organizational goals. Oftentimes, business intelligence analysts will partner with project managers to ensure successful project delivery while also ensuring key performance indicators (KPIs) are being met.
Stakeholder Engagement: Communicating effectively with stakeholders is a key function for business analysts — here is where storytelling skills come into play. Business analysts need to be able to present ideas and findings with ease. In addition, facilitating cross-functional team discussions with management consultants and product managers helps business analysts ensure the best possible solutions are outlined for business needs to be met.
Professional Development: It is important for business analysts to keep their skills up-to-date. They can do this by way of certifications such as Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) and becoming familiar with the BABOK® Guide.
The University of Arizona’s Continuing and Professional Education offers a Business Analytics Certificate Course, in collaboration with Ziplines Education, that features flexible, on-demand learning. In as little as 10 weeks, you’ll create a Strategic Business Analytics Playbook to present to future employers. Showcase your expertise in strategic concepts such as data modeling, accessing data with SQL, data visualization, and KPI development for a real-world company. This mentor-led course prepares you for entry-level business analyst roles with hands-on learning opportunities.
Daily Tasks of a Business Analyst
A typical workday for a business analyst may vary based on business needs and projects; however, you can expect the following tasks to fill your days as a business analyst:
Identifying Business Needs: Most business analysts start their day off in meetings. These meetings may include many different departments of the company. Business analysts are essentially conducting interviews to get a sense of what each team’s most pressing challenges are and how that may relate to the overarching business needs.
Collecting and Analyzing Data: Collecting and analyzing data is one of the foundational responsibilities of a business analyst. As Noble Desktop so succinctly puts it, “Data analysis is a significant part of a Business Analyst’s role, as they must spot patterns or trends in the data, articulate the problem, and propose applicable solutions.”
Interpreting Data: Business analysts are responsible for using data to tell clear and concise stories. In order to tell a story, they need to isolate patterns and trends to provide context for the data. They do this by utilizing segmentation tools to display local, national, and international trends. This pertinent data provides implications on ways to improve overall performance and efficiency.
Collaborating with Cross-functional Teams: An organization is only as strong as the sum of its parts. Because of this, it is essential for business analysts to be strong collaborators — planning meetings, brainstorming, and working alongside marketing teams, project managers, product teams, engineers, and more. It’s imperative that business analysts work with different teams and departments, as their responsibility is to search for potential business issues within the entire organization and present solutions.
Documenting Processes and Creating Reports: In order to provide context for cross-functional teams and stakeholders, business analysts are responsible for documenting processes and creating reports. Documenting processes helps all stakeholders understand what went right and ways to duplicate the process in the future — along with areas warranting improvement. Creating reports is also vital to a business analyst, as this provides clear insights into key trends and potential areas for improvement.
Presenting Findings: With all that work interpreting and identifying key data trends, business analysts need to be able to visually tell the story to stakeholders – internally and externally. They do this through reports and charts, showing a visual representation of important information in an accessible way (leaving out the technical jargon).
As with any profession, there is a lot of flexibility in professional responsibilities for business analysts based on seniority — ranging from junior business analysts to senior analysts and management analysts.
Job Outlook and Career Path
Career Growth Opportunities
There are many pathways to becoming a business analyst or management consultant. Typically, the trajectory of a successful senior business analyst starts with a job as a junior business analyst. Once the junior business analyst develops hard skills and refines their soft skills, they will continue on to become a business analyst. After a few years of taking on larger projects, it’s possible to move up to a senior business analyst, business architect, or management consultant role.
Skills and Certifications
Since business analytics is a highly technical field, it’s imperative to develop analytical skills (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking) when first starting out. Not only that, but having a solid understanding of business administration will help you succeed in a business analyst role. The best way to make informed business decisions around data is by familiarizing yourself with the practical aspects of how businesses operate.
In addition to skills, obtaining certifications in Tableau and CBAP® will help validate expertise and credibility in the field. Not only does this leverage marketability and competitiveness in the job market, but it also supports continuous commitment to excellence and devotion to the craft.
By enrolling in the Business Analytics Certificate Course at Arizona, in collaboration with Ziplines Education, you’ll not only gain real-world experience in data modeling, SQL, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), but you’ll also earn a certificate of completion in data analytics to show off to future employers. Plus, once you’ve completed the program, you’ll be fluent in Tableau and prepared to take the Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification Exam.
Diverse Career Options
Obtaining a certificate in business analytics can open up many potential career paths. Here are a few roles that you can explore:
- Data Engineer
- Data Scientist
- Data Analyst
- Project Manager
- Business Architect
Business Analyst Salary and Job Market
The business analyst job market is not only strong, it’s growing at an alarming rate — 4-6% more than the national job average. According to Market Research Future, “the market size for business analytics was valued at USD 43.25 Billion in 2023.” As more and more companies and industries invest in AI and Machine Learning, business analysts will become increasingly necessary for the successful completion of company goals. Combining expertise in business operations and data analysis, business analysts will carry the baton toward exponential growth as companies navigate the ever-changing American economy.
As stated previously, business analysts in the state of Arizona make an average of $97,000+ annually — over $12,000 more compared to the national average. With Arizona’s average cost of living hovering around $44,875 per year, according to SoFi, you’ll have a large sum of money left to invest, spend on travel, or use toward other activities or passions outside of work.
Understanding the professional environment in your local area can have a tremendous impact on your career growth. In Arizona, major companies fall within the financial services, banking, aviation, and healthcare industries. It may benefit you to familiarize yourself with one or more of these industries and refine your business analysis skills to become successful and knowledgeable within a specific field. The more you can find your niche, the better you can position yourself as an expert — warranting a higher salary, refined job responsibilities, and fulfillment in your career.
Conclusion
A career in business analytics is nothing short of exciting, rewarding, and dynamic. Through decision-making, collaboration, and storytelling, you’ll be able to efficiently and strategically propel your company’s mission forward. It’s an extremely crucial time to get into the world of business analytics. With companies steadily investing in AI, Machine Learning, cybersecurity, and data protection, getting a certification in business analytics offers a highly competitive edge in this volatile job market.
If you’re interested in how to become a business analyst in Arizona, jumpstart your journey by enrolling in the Arizona Business Analytics Certificate Course, in collaboration with Ziplines Education. You’ll build a Business Analytics Playbook to present to future employers — showing off your skills in problem-solving, data modeling, accessing data with SQL, data visualization, KPI development, and more. Starting a new career path demands a lot of research, a bit of courage, and a can-do attitude. Build the career of your dreams today with a certificate in business analytics.
