Can a systems analyst be a business analyst?

Yes, a systems analyst can be a business analyst. Many people think of business analysts and systems analysts as the same role; however, this is not usually the case. While one role can transition into the other, business analysts and systems analysts are typically considered two different positions.

How much money does a senior business analyst make?

A senior business analyst makes $104,319 a year. However, this can range from as low as $74,000 a year to as high as $150,000 a year. Factors such as the location of the job, company size, and some years of experience can all impact earning potential.

What is a senior analyst's salary?

A senior analyst's salary is approximately $80,000 annually. This salary can vary based on employer and location. While the average salary for a senior analyst is substantial, there are companies that pay a senior analyst a great deal more. The average senior analyst at Goldman Sachs earns approximately $87,000 annually. Some senior analysts at Liberty Mutual Insurance earn as much as $123,000 per year.

What qualifications do you need to be a systems analyst?

The base qualification needed to become a systems analyst is a bachelor's degree in information technology. After this, a systems analyst should be able to demonstrate that they have a high level of analytical, communications, and technical skills.

What is a business systems senior analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Erik Johnson Ph.D.,

Dr. Pauline Mosley

A business systems senior analyst ensures that a company's software and systems run effectively. They analyze business processes, identify areas for improvement, and develop solutions to increase efficiency and productivity. This involves researching new technologies, leading projects, testing systems, and training staff. They also collaborate with other departments to integrate systems and meet business needs. A business systems senior analyst has excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and software development knowledge.

What general advice would you give to a business systems senior analyst?

Erik Johnson Ph.D.

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 Systems Senior AnalystUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $103,098

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.19%

Asian 19.75%

Black or African American 9.32%

Hispanic or Latino 10.99%

Unknown 5.00%

White 54.75%

Gender

female 44.78%

male 55.22%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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

Pros

High earning potential
Variety of tasks and responsibilities keeps work interesting
Exposure to different areas of the business
Possibility for remote work or flexible scheduling
Potential for international travel

Cons

High pressure to deliver timely and accurate solutions
Can be stressful when systems or projects fail or encounter issues
Potential for burnout due to high workload and stress levels
Limited creativity as solutions must fit within existing systems and processes
Can be repetitive, particularly when working on long-term projects

Key steps to become a business systems senior analyst

Explore business systems senior analyst education requirements

Most common business systems senior analyst degrees

Bachelor's

68.3 %

Master's

21.4 %

Associate

7.2 %

Start to develop specific business systems senior analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	7.63%
Business Process	6.53%
Business Analysis	3.63%
Scrum	3.62%
Data Analysis	3.57%

Complete relevant business systems senior analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New business systems senior 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 systems senior analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real business systems senior analyst resumes.

Gain additional business systems senior analyst certifications

Business systems senior analyst certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific business systems senior analyst certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for business systems senior analysts include Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) and Professional Business Analyst Certificate.

More About Certifications

Research business systems senior analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage multiple aspects of product design and end user analysis objectives medical practice management & HIPAA compliance applications.
Work with QA team to get technical designs develop by application and database developers validate against functional specifications.
Implement agile methodology for rapid delivery of the high quality application and act as a scrum master to organize sprint process.
Assist with the preparation of test plans and scripts relate to specifics projects and provide support through the QA testing phase.

Get business systems senior analyst experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a business systems senior analyst. The most common roles before becoming a business systems senior analyst include business analyst, senior business analyst team lead and systems analyst.

Prepare your business systems senior analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your business systems senior 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 systems senior 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 systems senior analyst resume templates

Build a professional business systems senior 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 systems senior analyst resume.

Apply for business systems senior analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a business systems senior analyst 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

Average business systems senior analyst salary

The average business systems senior analyst salary in the United States is $103,098 per year or $50 per hour. Business systems senior analyst salaries range between $79,000 and $134,000 per year.

Average business systems senior analyst salary

$103,098 Yearly

$49.57 hourly

How do business systems senior analysts rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Business systems senior analyst reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Cons

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

Pros

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

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Challenges, problem-solving,communicating with differnet individuals

Cons

some daily monotonous aspects of job.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Sitting in between business and data. Helped leadership to build strategy.

Cons

Distance from technology

What is a business systems senior analyst and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a business systems senior analyst?

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

Business systems senior analyst career paths

Key steps to become a business systems senior analyst

Explore business systems senior analyst education requirements

Most common business systems senior analyst degrees

Start to develop specific business systems senior analyst skills

Complete relevant business systems senior analyst training and internships

Gain additional business systems senior analyst certifications

Research business systems senior analyst duties and responsibilities

Get business systems senior analyst experience

Prepare your business systems senior analyst resume

Choose from 10+ customizable business systems senior analyst resume templates

Apply for business systems senior analyst jobs

How did you land your first business systems senior analyst job

Average business systems senior analyst salary

How do business systems senior analysts rate their job?

Business systems senior analyst reviews

Business systems senior analyst FAQs

Can a systems analyst be a business analyst?

How much money does a senior business analyst make?

What is a senior analyst's salary?

What qualifications do you need to be a systems analyst?

Search for business systems senior analyst jobs