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What is a business process analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Erik Johnson Ph.D.,
Jana Carpenter
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A business process analyst evaluates an organization’s processes to increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability. They collaborate with stakeholders to identify issues, gather data, and develop solutions. Business process analysts use analytical tools to map out processes, identify bottlenecks, and recommend improvements. They also develop training materials and provide training to employees for new processes. Business process analysts often work in finance, healthcare, and technology industries to help organizations save time and resources while improving customer satisfaction.

What general advice would you give to a business process analyst?

Erik Johnson Ph.D.Erik Johnson Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Economics, Carthage College

Economics gives you a set of tools to analyze a variety of policy and business problems. However, determining which tools to apply in which situation requires that you learn the industry, you are working from top to bottom. When you begin a new job in a new field, be sure to do everything you can to understand how the organization and the industry work to understand the primary incentives that everyone faces. One right way to do this is to make as many connections within the company you are working for as possible, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities within the company and how they can help you learn more. Moreover, do your best to ensure that a significant portion of your job involves some creative endeavors, such as economic modeling or building tools for yourself or others to use. As computing power continues to become cheaper, and artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, relatively repetitive tasks become more comfortable and easier to automate. Therefore, you will have less job security. Creative tasks, such as modeling and tool building, are difficult to automate and are more likely to provide you with more satisfaction.
ScoreBusiness Process AnalystUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $78,215

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 14.64%

Black or African American 7.58%

Hispanic or Latino 8.55%

Unknown 4.45%

White 64.61%

Gender

female 50.52%

male 49.48%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a business process analyst?

Pros

  • High demand for skilled business process analysts

  • Opportunity for career advancement and growth

  • Exposure to new technologies and software

  • Ability to see projects through from start to finish

  • Possibility of remote work or flexible scheduling

Cons

  • May require long hours or tight deadlines

  • May require extensive travel or relocation

  • Work may become repetitive or monotonous over time

  • May require learning complex software or systems quickly

  • Can involve working independently for extended periods of time

Business process analyst career paths

Key steps to become a business process analyst

  1. Explore business process analyst education requirements

    Most common business process analyst degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.6 %

    Master's

    18.4 %

    Associate

    8.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific business process analyst skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Process Improvement9.22%
    Project Management8.11%
    Subject Matter Experts5.91%
    Customer Service4.81%
    Continuous Improvement4.63%
  3. Complete relevant business process analyst training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business process analysts 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 process analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business process analyst resumes.
  4. Research business process analyst duties and responsibilities

    • Apply control concepts to develop and manage KPIs and establish internal processes.
    • Program manage the roll-out of new and efficient solution that house all SOX documentation.
    • Upgrade programs from FoxPro to SQL server to automate and streamline the assumption update process with SQL procedures and DTS packages.
    • Manage technical design and architecture sessions to ensure functionality deliverables meet business requirements.
  5. Prepare your business process analyst resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business process analyst 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 process analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable business process analyst resume templates

    Build a professional business process analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your business process analyst resume.
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    Business Process Analyst Resume
  6. Apply for business process analyst jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a business process analyst 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 process analyst job

Zippi

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Average business process analyst salary

The average business process analyst salary in the United States is $78,215 per year or $38 per hour. Business process analyst salaries range between $57,000 and $106,000 per year.

Average business process analyst salary
$78,215 Yearly
$37.60 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do business process analysts rate their job?

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Business process analyst reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

-interacting with end users or customers - delivering successful products or services

Cons

Managing projects or leading large projects as this makes the BA role difficult to do well


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Challenges, problem-solving,communicating with differnet individuals

Cons

some daily monotonous aspects of job.


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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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