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What is a business development associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
William Aniskovich JD,
Michael Mamo Ph.D.
introduction image

A business development associate works to identify new business opportunities and build relationships with potential clients. They research market trends, develop revenue strategies, and collaborate with other departments. A business development associate also manages existing accounts, tracks sales performance, and prepares reports to management. They possess excellent communication skills, strong analytical abilities, and independence. The role often requires a bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field.

What general advice would you give to a business development associate?

William Aniskovich JDWilliam Aniskovich JD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Albertus Magnus College

Work hard, be honest, choose a job you love doing with a company that makes your community a better place. Everything else, money included, will take care of itself.
ScoreBusiness Development AssociateUS Average
Salary
5.1

Avg. Salary $65,126

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 8.83%

Black or African American 6.36%

Hispanic or Latino 9.39%

Unknown 4.56%

White 70.43%

Gender

female 45.54%

male 54.46%

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
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a business development associate?

Pros

  • Chance to work on high-profile projects with major clients

  • Possibility for career advancement and growth within the company

  • Opportunity to develop sales and negotiation skills

  • Potential for a high salary and bonuses

  • Ability to travel and attend industry events

Cons

  • Long hours and high stress levels, especially during peak periods

  • Requires a lot of cold calling and prospecting, which can be tedious and demotivating

  • Often requires working evenings and weekends to accommodate clients' schedules

  • May require extensive travel, which can be tiring and disruptive to personal life

  • Can be challenging to keep up with constantly changing market trends and competition

Business development associate career paths

Key steps to become a business development associate

  1. Explore business development associate education requirements

    Most common business development associate degrees

    Bachelor's

    78.3 %

    Master's

    11.7 %

    Associate

    5.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific business development associate skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service9.22%
    PowerPoint5.72%
    Project Management5.33%
    Market Research5.17%
    Lead Generation4.34%
  3. Research business development associate duties and responsibilities

    • Manage RFP process including search and qualification of requests and coordinate fulfillment.
    • Manage logistics, control engineering and design, order placement, vendor relationships, customer utilization and technology.
    • Enhance company social media platforms by updating all product information across Facebook and LinkedIn.
    • Utilize LinkedIn as necessary for any recruiting initiatives or research that is needed.
  4. Prepare your business development associate resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business development associate resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a business development associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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    Business Development Associate Resume
    Business Development Associate Resume
  5. Apply for business development associate jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a business development associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first business development associate job

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Are you a business development associate?

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Average business development associate salary

The average business development associate salary in the United States is $65,126 per year or $31 per hour. Business development associate salaries range between $39,000 and $106,000 per year.

Average business development associate salary
$65,126 Yearly
$31.31 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do business development associates rate their job?

-/5

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4 stars

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Business development associate reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021
Pros

Cultivating relationships with customers and accessing customers needs , I like solving their problems with the product or service that I am pre selling to them before passing the lead to a sales executive.

Cons

I am passionate about my role as a BDR and there is nothing that I don't like. I don't like to be put in a box so to speak I enjoy reaching high and don't like to limited.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Innovating a business model is key for a profitable business and growth. Without a proper and sustainable business model, even the best product or technology innovations will not flourish. Learn the skills and knowledge needed to start improving your business as you learn through real-life examples from fellow entrepreneurs, innovators and leading experts on business model innovation. Benefit business owners, entrepreneurs, business consultants or business developers who seek better understanding of business models and the tools to develop them.

Cons

There's nothing much not to like about this role.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

B2B Communication and Building Relationships, Product\Strategy Development and Implementation, Solving Problems


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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