Business intelligence (BI) analyst roles continue to gain more value as data becomes increasingly important in society. Business intelligence analysts play a crucial role in helping companies make informed decisions. If you aspire to a career in business analytics, business intelligence certifications can help you get better jobs in the field.
Many credible organizations offer certifications for business intelligence to help you learn the most in-demand skills. In this article, we discuss the best business intelligence certifications, the highest-paying business intelligence certifications to increase your earning potential, and their employment outlook.
What Is a Professional Certification?
A professional certification is a thorough assessment that validates someone’s knowledge in a specific area. These are usually awarded by professional organizations through an exam or training. A candidate must submit an application and pass an exam to get certified. Professional certifications are an excellent way to demonstrate your skills.
Whether you want to become a business analyst or work as a business intelligence architect, you should get business intelligence certifications. Many organizations offer certifications and some certifications are more valuable than others. Keep reading to learn about the best business intelligence analyst certifications.
What’s the Difference Between Certification and a Certificate?
The primary difference between a certification and a certificate is the learning objective. Certifications are awarded after passing a standardized test that verifies a professional’s skillset. In contrast, a certificate is non-credit coursework usually designed to teach fundamentals to newcomers.
Usually, certification is earned by experienced professionals looking to advance their careers. A certificate course can prepare you to get an advanced degree or get an entry-level job in your field. You need to complete coursework to earn a certificate.
Why Is Certification in Business Intelligence Important?
A certification in business intelligence is important as it prepares you for a challenging role in the tech industry. You’re more likely to get a senior role if you are a certified business intelligence analyst. A certification is an excellent way to prove your potential to your employer.
Business intelligence is an in-demand skill set. According to Statista, the lack of employees with analytical skills is one of the top challenges for businesses in Europe and America that use data to drive business decisions. This means companies are ready to pay higher salaries to certified BI professionals.
Best Business Intelligence Certifications by Salary
| Certification | Provider | Average Salary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) | Transforming Data With Intelligence (TDWI) | $119,000 | $400 |
| Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) | The Analytics Certification Board (ACB) | $93,000 | $495 |
| Certified Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA) | Corporate Finance Institute | $90,000 | $70/month |
| SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 | SAP | $87,000 | $224 |
| Certification of Capability in Business Analysis | International Institute of Business Analysis |
$80,000 | $400 |
| Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification | Qlik | $78,000 | $250 |
| PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) | Project Management Institute | $71,100 | $548 (non-member) $300 (member) |
| Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA) | International Institute of Business Analysis | $70,729 | $400 |
| AWS Certified Data Analytics | Amazon | $66,418 | $300 |
| Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate | Microsoft | $63,733 | $165 |
Best Business Intelligence Certifications to Further Your Career
How to Choose the Best Business Intelligence Certification for Your Career
To choose a certification, you must find one that suits your interests and can lead to career advancement. A certification should highlight your expertise and add value to your experience level. There are multiple factors to consider when choosing the best business intelligence certification including your skillset, career goals, budget, accreditation, and certification validity.
Define Your Career Goals
You must first determine whether you require certification. Assess your career goals and find out what certification will complement those goals. Most entry-level business intelligence jobs do not require certification but you may want a certification to show potential employers your advanced skills.
Accreditation Status
Certifications with global accreditation are much more valuable and beneficial. An accredited program is a credible certification program. It can help you gain a competitive advantage and demonstrate internationally in-demand skills. While choosing a certification, consider its validity, accreditation, provider, and student support services.
Time and Money
Certification exams can take weeks to prepare for and can be expensive, depending on the certification. You must budget both your time and money effectively to determine whether or not a certification is a viable option for you.
Which Business Intelligence Certifications Pay the Most?
The business intelligence certifications that pay the most are Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP), SAP Certified Application Associate-SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2, Certification of Capability in Business Analysis, Certified Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA), and Certified Analytics Professional (CAP).
Business intelligence is a diverse field so your salary depends on factors other than certification. Some of them include location, job title, and skills required. Technical professionals with certain business intelligence skills tend to earn more.
Highest-Paying Business Intelligence Certifications
- Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP): $119,000
- Certified Analytics Professional (CAP): $93,000
- Certified Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA): $90,000
- SAP Certified Application Associate-SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2: $87,000
- Certification of Capability in Business Analysis: $80,000
Which Business Intelligence Certifications Are the Best for Beginners?
The best business intelligence certifications for beginners are the Certified Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA), Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA), and PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA).
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Since business intelligence is a highly advanced skill, most certification exams require you to have three to five years of relevant work experience. You may also need a degree in business analytics or a relevant field. Beginners can also enroll in data analytics bootcamps with business intelligence courses to sharpen their skills.
Best College Certificate Programs
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How to Prepare for Your Business Intelligence Certification Exam
Certification exams can be challenging if you don’t have access to the right resources. To prepare for your exam, you need to use resources that can enhance your knowledge and are affordable. Find out about some of the best online courses that can help you study for your business intelligence certification exam below.
Best Courses to Prepare for Business Intelligence Certification Exams
Other Resources to Prepare for Your Business Intelligence Certification Exams
Apart from the online courses listed above, there are many other resources that can help prepare you for business intelligence certification exams. These include books, study guides, free courses, and podcasts. We’ve listed some of the most popular resources to help you get started studying for your business intelligence certification exam.
Business Intelligence Fundamentals
If you want to revisit the fundamentals of business intelligence courses, you should consider this BI course by Simplilearn. This is a self-paced video learning resource where you can access 10 hours of lessons. You can sharpen your skills and master data mining, data visualization, business analytics, data infrastructure, and business intelligence best practices.
The course is open to everyone, so you don’t need experience as a business intelligence analyst to enroll in it. You can complete this course for free within 90 days.
Business Intelligence Fundamentals
- Type of Resource: Course
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People seeking a solid understanding of business intelligence fundamentals
CBIP Official Examinations Guide
This is the official examination guide to practice for the CBIP exam. Through this guide, you can learn about the exam pattern and sample exam questions. You can also access the additional reading material. This guide is an excellent option for those wanting to identify their strengths and weaknesses for the CBIP exam.
CBIP Official Examinations Guide
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $155
- Ideal For: People wanting to learn about the CBIP exam outline, reference reading lists, and sample exam questions
BIFocal Podcast-Clarifying Business Intelligence
The BIFocal Podcast is an excellent option for those wanting to learn the nitty-gritty of the latest BI trends. Microsoft MVPs John White and Jason Himmelstein talk about the latest news, bring guests, and answer audience questions. You can learn about real-world case studies to help you understand the applications of different theories and concepts.
BIFocal Podcast Overview
- Type of Resource: Podcast
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Business intelligence and analysts wanting to keep up with the industry trends and analyze new case studies
Business Intelligence Community of Practice (BICoP)
Yale University’s Business Intelligence Community of Practice encourages the use of analytics. You can only join the community if you are a student at the university. However, anyone can sign up for the newsletter and get a solid understanding of the latest trends. The community has a vast network of experts and offers various training opportunities.
Business Intelligence Community of Practice
- Type of Resource: Online community
- Cost: N/A
- Ideal For: People interested in the latest industry trends and business intelligence solutions
Performance Dashboards: Measuring, Monitoring, and Managing Your Business
This book offers great guidance on incorporating predictive analytics, what-if modeling, collaboration, and advanced visualization techniques. The latest version of the book teaches performance dashboards, business intelligence, and performance management.
It has the latest case studies and industry research. You can also learn about the next generation of performance dashboards, including Mashboards and Visual Discovery tools.
Blockchain Tutorials for Beginners to Advanced Level Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $4-$49
- Ideal For: Intermediate learners wanting to monitor and analyze performance dashboards
Best Online Courses
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Business Intelligence Job Outlook and Average Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs in business intelligence under the umbrella of management analysts may witness a 14 percent job growth between 2020 and 2030. The growth in these jobs is much faster than the average for all professions and professionals in this job category make an average of $93,000 per year.
A business intelligence certification opens many opportunities in the financial and tech industries. You can get a technical job as a data scientist with business intelligence skills. BLS estimates that jobs in software engineering, including some BI jobs, are projected to grow by 22 percent between 2020 and 2030. These jobs also have an average salary of $110,140 per year.
Best Business Intelligence Jobs After Certification
The best business intelligence jobs you can get after certification require advanced business and technical skills. Highly skilled business analysts have a solid understanding of data mining, data preparation, and analysis.
Some of the jobs you can do after certification include cloud solution architect, AWS data analyst, business intelligence analyst, and data scientist. You can also work as a product manager or a business development analyst.
Best Business Intelligence Associations
The best business intelligence and analytics associations hold meetings and presentations to help the industry grow. If you are a working professional, you should know about the best business intelligence associations so you can attend events, meet experts, and gain meaningful insight into the industry. Below is a list of some of the associations that you can join.
International Institute of Business Analysis
The International Institute of Business Analysis is a nonprofit professional association of business analysts established in 2003. Since the start, it has supported and encouraged business analysts to maintain and improve global standards. The association has a vast network that offers a wide range of job opportunities across the globe.
Digital Analytics Association
Officially started in 2013, Digital Analytics Association is a group is web analytics professionals and consultants who wish to help shape the future of digital analytics. It offers a wide range of sponsorship opportunities to help reach the digital audience.
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
INFORMs has around 12,500 members who help drive research efforts in economics, statistics, behavioral science, management science, artificial intelligence, data science, and applied mathematics. It is a global association that offers research and job opportunities to young professionals.
Are Business Intelligence Certifications Worth It?
Yes, business intelligence certifications are worth it. The growing demand for data makes business intelligence a very powerful tool. Prospective employers are looking for advanced quantitative analysts who can understand business requirements and help them make better decisions. Business intelligence skills can help you land jobs in many sectors including finance, healthcare, and tech.
Additional Reading About Business Intelligence
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Business Intelligence Certifications FAQ
The best certification in business intelligence is the Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) because it is highly recognized in the industry. However, the best certification for you will depend on your career goals.
To become a business intelligence analyst, you first need an undergraduate degree in business analysis or business intelligence. You will then have to gain advanced skills through a master’s degree. Alternatively, you can enroll in business analytics bootcamps. You should also get a business intelligence certification to get a competitive salary.
Yes, business intelligence is hard. Since business intelligence is a tech-driven skill, you need to have an excellent understanding of software and advanced business concepts. If you are passionate about business intelligence and work consistently, it can be a very beneficial skill.
Yes, you need to learn coding to understand advanced business intelligence concepts. These may include data modeling and warehousing. Apart from coding, you also need to have knowledge of database concepts and different business strategies.
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