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What is a business analyst/programmer and how to become one
What general advice would you give to a business analyst/programmer?
Eduardo Zambrano
Professor of Economics, Orfalea College of Business
Every Economics graduate should feel very comfortable with coding and data management. This training can be obtained, if your school does not offer it, by attending software and data carpentry workshops online (https://carpentries.org/). A graduate with good Python and R skills, and working knowledge of SQL, will stand out in a crowded field, no matter what sub-field of economics the graduate may be interested in.
Now, here is some 'big picture' advice:
Economic data does not analyze itself, and it does not come from 'nature.' Economic data is the result of the decisions of individuals. To understand data generated by a human activity, you need to think about the incentives that lead individuals to make the decisions that are captured in this data. Therefore, knowledge of econometrics is essential, as it is knowledge of economic theory. What distinguishes Economists from other kinds of data analysts is this emphasis on the understanding that if you do not factor accurately how individuals respond to incentives in the analysis of your data, your review is likely to be flawed or, at least, incomplete. Getting good at this way of data analysis takes many years, and graduates should be prepared to continue learning how to do this well past their college years. With this advice comes a caveat, and an acknowledgment of responsibility: every data analyst must understand that decisions based on data have ethical implications, and can affect some gender or ethnic groups in different ways. These considerations must be explicitly addressed, or the analyst may provide biased and ultimately undesirable advice to the decision-makers.
Avg. Salary $77,277
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 9%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.19%
Asian 14.59%
Black or African American 10.22%
Hispanic or Latino 10.99%
Unknown 5.00%
White 59.01%
Genderfemale 35.67%
male 64.33%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Business analyst/programmer career paths
Key steps to become a business analyst/programmer
Explore business analyst/programmer education requirements
Start to develop specific business analyst/programmer skills
Skills Percentages Microsoft SQL Server 7.79% Access Database 6.72% Java 5.86% VBA 3.65% DB2 3.40% Complete relevant business analyst/programmer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business analyst/programmers 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/programmer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business analyst/programmer resumes.Research business analyst/programmer duties and responsibilities
- Manage the UNIX server and run scripts for maintenance and support.
- Manage and mentore QA upon overall projects including dial-up emulations with testing.
- Create and refine ETL processes to bring system from Microsoft DTS packages to SSIS packages.
- Enhance system and business application-level web services using HTML, ASPX, JavaScript XML, and AJAX.
Prepare your business analyst/programmer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business analyst/programmer resume.
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Apply for business analyst/programmer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a business analyst/programmer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first business analyst/programmer job
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Average business analyst/programmer salary
The average business analyst/programmer salary in the United States is $77,277 per year or $37 per hour. Business analyst/programmer salaries range between $58,000 and $101,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do business analyst/programmers rate their job?
Business analyst/programmer reviews
Managing projects or leading large projects as this makes the BA role difficult to do well
-interacting with end users or customers - delivering successful products or services
It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client
Challenges, problem-solving,communicating with differnet individuals
some daily monotonous aspects of job.
Updated January 8, 2025
