Business Analyst

Are you interested in a career as a business analyst? Discover the day-to-day responsibilities, required skills, and common qualifications of someone in that role. Explore industry statistics surrounding employment, salary potential, and common weekly hours in a business analysis career.

Overview

Business analysts (BAs) bridge the gap between an organisation’s IT and business objectives. They assess a company’s systems, processes, and infrastructure. Their goal is to identify areas for improvement so they can propose technology-related solutions that meet business needs. This often involves a detailed evaluation of the organisation's current hardware, software, and services. The assessment is followed by recommendations for upgrades or optimisations to enhance performance. 

BAs then oversee the implementation of these changes, ensuring they align with business goals and deliver value. They actively monitor the effectiveness of their solutions and provide ongoing support and improvements where necessary. On top of these, business analysts also educate business leaders on data-driven decision-making and the financial and technological feasibility of proposed changes.

Aspiring business analysts can look forward to a future of opportunity, with a 23.2% projected job growth in the next five years, according to SEEK. This growth potential makes business analysis an attractive career choice for those interested in the crossover of technology and business. Explore the Lumify Learn business analysis courses you can take to get started.

Key Skills

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills. These are key for connecting with stakeholders on business data, highlighting issues, and providing valuable IT solutions.

  • Strong project management skills. These include managing costs, resources, and workflows for a required task.

  • Strong analytical skills are crucial for coordinating business requirements. A BA must also investigate business processes and pinpoint areas for improvement.

  • Technical knowledge of hardware, software, and IT services is beneficial. So is the ability to stay current on the latest industry developments.

  • Competency in data management tools is critical. A BA must use them to effectively extract, clean and analyse data from business databases.

  • Basic business acumen helps a BA evaluate the financial implications of proposed changes. 

Quick Facts

Business analysts are in high demand across most regions of Australia, with New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland currently holding the largest share of workers. An entry-level BA with less than 1-4 years of experience can expect to earn $65,305 - $79,714, with most employees working full-time. 

Salary Range

$60,000 - $119,000 (Median: $85,015)*

*Source: Payscale

Average Weekly Hours

41 hours (vs. all jobs average of 44 hours)*

*Source: Job Outlook

Main Industries

  • Professional Services

  • Healthcare

  • Education and Training

  • Technical Services

  • Financial and Insurance Services

  • Public Administration and Safety 

Most Common Qualification Level

47.6% hold a Bachelor’s Degree

STUDY PATHWAYS

By signing up for one of our IT courses below, gaining the skills you need is simple.

*Sources: payscale.com.au and jobsandskills.gov.au – All information is to be used as a guide only and is accurate at the time of publication.