How To Become A Business Analyst/Program Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a business analyst/program manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Rebecca Sarver,

Dr. Daryl Green

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a business analyst/program manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $55.68 an hour? That's $115,812 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 11% and produce 108,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a business analyst/program manager?

Rebecca Sarver

Lecturer in Human Services Studies, Elmira College

Listen more than you talk. There is so much to be learned from clients, seasoned human service workers, and the community that you work within. By listening and observing versus always feeling compelled to speak, you will learn job skills, people skills, and your clients' needs.

ScoreBusiness Analyst/Program ManagerUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $115,812

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 14.42%

Black or African American 7.48%

Hispanic or Latino 8.48%

Unknown 4.45%

White 65.01%

Gender

female 42.22%

male 57.78%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.2

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a business analyst/program manager

Explore business analyst/program manager education requirements

Most common business analyst/program manager degrees

Bachelor's

72.4 %

Master's

19.6 %

Associate

5.0 %

Start to develop specific business analyst/program manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Shared Services	17.40%
Program Management	7.90%
Risk Management	5.89%
Business Process	4.52%
Business Analysis	4.30%

Complete relevant business analyst/program manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business analyst/program managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a business analyst/program manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business analyst/program manager resumes.

Research business analyst/program manager duties and responsibilities

Lead development of custom quoting tool build in Salesforce from requirements definition to implementation.
Design, socialize and implement SOA PMO and governing framework.
Collaborate with the company owner on developing the portfolio, evaluating products/services, determining pricing, and creating training/marketing materials.
Guide developers in architecture, design and development.

Prepare your business analyst/program manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business analyst/program manager resume.

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