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Principal business analyst salary
Average principal business analyst salary
$115,081
Average Salary Insights
The Principal Business Analyst position commands a competitive average salary of $115,081 per year. This figure reflects the growing demand for professionals who can analyze complex data and develop strategic initiatives.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors contribute to salary variations, including:
- Experience Level: Professionals with more years in the field tend to earn higher salaries.
- Industry: Industries such as finance and technology often offer higher pay compared to others.
- Location: Salaries can differ significantly across states, with metropolitan areas typically offering more competitive rates.
Opportunities for Advancement
To maximize earning potential, professionals should seek out opportunities in regions with higher demand. Additionally, pursuing certifications and advanced degrees can enhance skills and increase salary prospects. As the role continues to evolve, staying updated with industry trends is crucial for career advancement.
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Where can a Principal Business Analyst earn more?
Principal business analyst salaries by experience level
Principal business analyst salary estimates from across the web
Average principal business analyst salary by state
The average principal business analyst salary in Washington, California, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average principal business analyst salary states are Nevada, Mississippi, and North Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal business analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $143,304 | $68.90 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $125,016 | $60.10 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $120,040 | $57.71 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $127,277 | $61.19 |
| 5 | Alaska | $123,921 | $59.58 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $128,344 | $61.70 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $119,550 | $57.48 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $129,087 | $62.06 |
| 9 | Illinois | $119,488 | $57.45 |
| 10 | Delaware | $117,458 | $56.47 |
| 11 | Maryland | $122,415 | $58.85 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $116,396 | $55.96 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $122,279 | $58.79 |
| 14 | Iowa | $115,499 | $55.53 |
| 15 | Virginia | $114,673 | $55.13 |
| 16 | Oregon | $116,889 | $56.20 |
| 17 | California | $133,333 | $64.10 |
| 18 | Michigan | $113,153 | $54.40 |
| 19 | New York | $120,558 | $57.96 |
| 20 | Texas | $117,347 | $56.42 |
| 21 | Alabama | $112,338 | $54.01 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $110,536 | $53.14 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $105,207 | $50.58 |
| 24 | Colorado | $113,518 | $54.58 |
| 25 | Ohio | $106,321 | $51.12 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $103,570 | $49.79 |
| 27 | Georgia | $111,777 | $53.74 |
| 28 | Missouri | $104,160 | $50.08 |
| 29 | Utah | $102,751 | $49.40 |
| 30 | Maine | $109,825 | $52.80 |
| 31 | Kansas | $100,563 | $48.35 |
| 32 | Vermont | $103,664 | $49.84 |
| 33 | Arizona | $102,917 | $49.48 |
| 34 | Indiana | $103,027 | $49.53 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $98,627 | $47.42 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $105,386 | $50.67 |
| 37 | Montana | $100,640 | $48.38 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $106,107 | $51.01 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $102,582 | $49.32 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $104,672 | $50.32 |
| 41 | Idaho | $103,314 | $49.67 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $103,835 | $49.92 |
| 43 | Nevada | $93,741 | $45.07 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $86,605 | $41.64 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $95,813 | $46.06 |
| 46 | Florida | $97,098 | $46.68 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $95,686 | $46.00 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $87,976 | $42.30 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $86,022 | $41.36 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $92,920 | $44.67 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $88,710 | $42.65 |
Highest paying cities for principal business analysts
The highest-paying cities for principal business analysts are Seattle, WA, Sacramento, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $143,821 | $69.14 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $142,447 | $68.48 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $129,133 | $62.08 |
| 4 | Ridgefield, CT | $127,066 | $61.09 |
| 5 | Jersey City, NJ | $125,264 | $60.22 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $122,278 | $58.79 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $120,542 | $57.95 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $120,037 | $57.71 |
| 9 | Rochester, MN | $119,087 | $57.25 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $117,810 | $56.64 |
| 11 | Wilmington, DE | $117,711 | $56.59 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $116,905 | $56.20 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $116,814 | $56.16 |
| 14 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $116,675 | $56.09 |
| 15 | McLean, VA | $115,543 | $55.55 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $113,299 | $54.47 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $111,784 | $53.74 |
| 18 | Akron, OH | $107,635 | $51.75 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $103,159 | $49.60 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $98,106 | $47.17 |
Principal business analyst salary details
A principal business analyst's salary ranges from $88,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $150,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal business analyst's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $150,000 | $12,500 | $72 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $115,081 | $9,590 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
Highest paying principal business analyst jobs
The highest paying types of principal business analysts are lead business analyst, senior technical business analyst, and business systems senior analyst.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst Lead | $95,264 | $7,939 | $45.80 | 122,353 |
| Business Analyst/Project Manager | $99,882 | $8,324 | $48.02 | 173,827 |
| Business Analyst/Quality Analyst | $74,931 | $6,244 | $36.02 | 168,145 |
| Business Development Analyst | $59,867 | $4,989 | $28.78 | 185,387 |
| Business Analyst-Consultant | $90,127 | $7,511 | $43.33 | 166,560 |
| Business Operations Analyst | $63,423 | $5,285 | $30.49 | 208,754 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for principal business analysts, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Joel Stevenson
Founding Director USC Columbia Technology Incubator, Associate Director Faber Entrepreneurship Center, Senior Lecturer Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, University of South Carolina
Top companies hiring principal business analysts now:
Which companies pay principal business analysts the most?
Principal business analyst salaries at Mayo Clinic and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal business analyst salary at companies like Genentech and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $152,324 | $73.23 |
| 2 | Meta | $147,067 | $70.71 |
| 3 | Genentech | $140,060 | $67.34 |
| 4 | $138,447 | $66.56 | |
| 5 | Palo Alto Networks | $135,841 | $65.31 |
| 6 | SoCalGas | $134,707 | $64.76 |
| 7 | Fortinet | $134,614 | $64.72 |
| 8 | Thoughtworks | $134,472 | $64.65 |
| 9 | Anaplan | $133,615 | $64.24 |
| 10 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $130,557 | $62.77 |
| 11 | American Tower | $130,188 | $62.59 |
| 12 | BNP Paribas | $130,172 | $62.58 |
| 13 | Capgemini | $129,711 | $62.36 |
| 14 | Parexel International | $129,144 | $62.09 |
| 15 | ViacomCBS | $128,628 | $61.84 |
| 16 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $128,627 | $61.84 |
| 17 | Nomura Securities | $127,603 | $61.35 |
| 18 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $127,559 | $61.33 |
| 19 | Amgen | $127,046 | $61.08 |
| 20 | Moderna | $126,415 | $60.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal Business Analyst salary by industry
The average principal business analyst salary varies across industries:
- The average principal business analyst salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $126,779, the highest of any industry.
- The average principal business analyst salary in the finance industry is $108,555.
- Principal business analysts in the finance industry earn an average salary of $92,358, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for principal business analysts
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $126,779 | $60.95 |
| 2 | Technology | $108,555 | $52.19 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $106,409 | $51.16 |
| 4 | Internet | $104,870 | $50.42 |
| 5 | Finance | $92,358 | $44.40 |
High paying principal business analyst jobs
Principal business analyst salary trends
The average principal business analyst salary has risen by $12,038 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal business analyst earned $103,043 annually, but today, they earn $115,081 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for principal business analysts over the last decade.
Compare principal business analyst salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal business analyst salary over time
Compare principal business analyst salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal business analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,000 | $55.33 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $112,000 | $53.81 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $52.77 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $108,000 | $52.04 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $107,000 | $51.33 | +0.0% |
Recently added principal business analyst salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Carson City, NV | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Lincoln, NE | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Nashville, TN | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Providence, RI | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Columbia, SC | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Springfield, IL | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Hartford, CT | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Augusta, ME | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
| Humana | Principal, Business Intelligence-Data & Insights | Pierre, SD | 06/27/2025 | $142,300 |
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