How to hire a business analyst

How to hire a business analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step business analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a business analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new business analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a business analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your business analyst job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a business analyst for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a business analyst to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a business analyst that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of business analysts.

   Type of Business Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Analyst	A business analyst is someone who analyzes an organization or business domain (real or hypothetical) and documents its business or processes or systems, assessing the business model or its integration with technology.	$25-49
   Technical Analyst	A technical analyst is responsible for analyzing technical information and aligning it to the business strategies and procedures in meeting project goals. Technical analysts monitor technical system errors and provide immediate resolutions to ensure an efficient and smooth flow of operations... Show more	$28-44
   Developer Analyst	A developer analyst is a professional who is responsible for building application requirements and develops database solutions that allow operational efficiency and user-friendly tools. Developer analysts are required to develop a detailed definition of business solutions that can include database design, data flow, and transaction processing requirements... Show more	$30-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Data Analysis
   • Business Analysis
   • User Stories
   • User Acceptance
   • Test Cases
   • Scrum
   • Strong Analytical
   • SDLC
   • Jira
   • QA
   • SQL Server
   • UAT
   • Power Bi

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the implementation of a web-base application in an UNIX environment for an organization that manages pharmacy claims data.
   • Lead CRP sessions during implementation, design and testing.
   • Manage the resolution of forty plus software issues with PeopleSoft's design and development teams.
   • Used ALM as the requirements management tool to capture, prioritize, and manage requirements.
   • Complete updated version of website and provide CMS system to internal staff to manage website content.
   • Manage PeopleSoft security audits, end-user support for security issues, and security changes to role and permission lists.

   More business analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your business analyst job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A business analyst salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, business analysts' average salary in hawaii is 35% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level business analysts earn 49% less than senior-level business analysts.
   • Certifications. A business analyst with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a business analyst's salary.

   Average business analyst salary

   $74,431yearly

   $35.78 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level business analyst salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average business analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$91,966	$44
   2	Washington	$88,529	$43
   3	New Jersey	$81,060	$39
   4	New York	$77,893	$37
   5	District of Columbia	$76,558	$37
   6	Connecticut	$76,558	$37
   7	Delaware	$73,976	$36
   8	Pennsylvania	$73,972	$36
   9	Virginia	$73,886	$36
   10	Illinois	$72,961	$35
   11	North Carolina	$72,704	$35
   12	Minnesota	$72,518	$35
   13	Massachusetts	$72,421	$35
   14	Arizona	$72,092	$35
   15	Ohio	$71,698	$34
   16	Michigan	$71,680	$34
   17	Indiana	$69,804	$34
   18	Nebraska	$68,075	$33
   19	Missouri	$67,561	$32
   20	Georgia	$67,262	$32

   Average business analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Citadel	$146,891	$70.62	6
   2	Bunge	$129,370	$62.20	4
   3	ICE Mortgage Technology	$128,671	$61.86
   4	Meta	$128,267	$61.67	203
   5	Apple	$127,963	$61.52	98
   6	Safeway	$127,372	$61.24
   7	Fundbox	$127,186	$61.15
   8	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$126,082	$60.62	6
   9	Google	$126,080	$60.62	51
   10	NVIDIA	$125,618	$60.39	17
   11	Putnam Investments	$125,141	$60.16
   12	Relationship Science	$125,035	$60.11
   13	AEA Investors	$124,914	$60.05
   14	NerdWallet	$124,591	$59.90	1
   15	Cambridge Associates	$124,498	$59.85
   16	Twitter	$124,383	$59.80	1
   17	Western Digital	$124,287	$59.75	1
   18	Centerbridge Partners	$124,118	$59.67
   19	ORIX USA	$123,209	$59.24	6
   20	PayPal	$123,086	$59.18	12

4. Writing a business analyst job description

   A good business analyst job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a business analyst job description:

   Business analyst job description example

   KPMG New Zealand is part of the international KPMG network, one of the world's leading professional services organisations. We provide audit, tax, and advisory services to individuals, SMEs, not-for-profit organisations, multi-nationals and government agencies.
   
   KPMG Digital Lighthouse is comprised of several specialist chapters who combine to design, deliver and operate cutting edge digital solutions on a variety of architectures, supporting our cross-sector clients to digitally transform their organisations and thrive on a global scale. We are a passionate, inclusive and supportive team who care about our clients, our people and the work we do. Join us today and accelerate your digital career with KPMG.
   
   The opportunity:As a Business Analyst you will work with business users to improve processes and systems, helping our clients deliver more efficient, cost effective, agile and competitive outcomes. This includes helping to develop business cases, working with stakeholders eliciting business requirements, functional specifications, managing business processes and acting as a liaison between business users and Digital Lighthouse technical teams
   
   Day to day you will:Leveraging the latest technologies, gather, validate and document requirements, functional specifications, develop wireframes and support guides Model business processes and identifying opportunities for systems and process improvements Support in the development of business cases and design of solutions; identifying issues, risks and benefits of existing and proposed solutions, and outlining the business impacts Facilitate requirements workshops and document outcomes effectively Participate in activities that take place during solution ideation, solution design, and solution implementation
   
   What you'll bring to the team:Strong technical skills and experience in business analyst methodologies, frameworks and guiding principles Business acumen and commercial awareness with experience in facilitating trade-offs between competing business needs Excellent business process analysis and documentation skills Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills Strong communication skills. The ability to use active listening techniques to ensure stakeholders feel heard; sets clear expectations and delivers as a mechanism to build trust; follows through on commitments
   Life at KPMG
   
   We offer rewarding careers to talented individuals and a range of benefits to help provide holistic support for your work life, whatever your circumstance. As a KPMG employee, we will offer you:
   - An array of health and wellness benefits such as free flu jabs, subsidised sporting events, access to EAP, additional leave to support you if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, access to e-bikes and other facilities. You will also have access to our Wellbeing@KPMG portal which has an extensive array of health and wellness advice.
   - Hybrid Working - a mix of working in the office and at home to enhance your work/life balance as well as access to technology to get your 'home hub' set up.
   - Work from Overseas policy - extend time connecting with friends and family outside New Zealand
   - Flexible leave options, including the ability to purchase additional annual leave.
   - Access to ‘Whanau@KPMG' - 18 weeks' paid flexible leave for all new parents - primary and secondary carers
   - Unlimited access to digital accreditations through our partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn Learning, with bespoke learning pathways for all employees.
   - Corporate discounts on a range of lifestyle goods and services.
   - Opportunity to join any of our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity networks as a participant and ally.
   - Opportunity to join our Social club and enjoy activities such as cooking classes, painting, quiz nights and more.
   - Time off for volunteering.
   - Eligibility to our annual discretionary bonus scheme.
   - Opportunities for local and international secondments.
   
   We believe that diversity of background and experience strengthens relationships and delivers meaningful benefits to our people, clients and communities. Our goal is to be recognised as an employer of choice for all, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, generation, flexible work status, family circumstances, sexual orientation or disability. Further info can be found on our website
   
   We are a 2022 Circle Back Initiative Employer - we commit to respond to every applicant.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right business analyst for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with business analysts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit business analysts who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your business analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit business analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with business analyst candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a business analyst applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new business analyst

   Once you have selected a candidate for the business analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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