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
TDWI offers certification in four key specialty areas including data analysis and design, leadership and management, business analytics, and data integration. You can attempt two levels of certification for data professionals to help with salary increments. The certification verifies skills related to best practices, state-of-the-art solutions, BI technologies, and emerging trends.
Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) Overview
- Average Salary: $119,000
- Cost: $400
- Requirements: 2 or more years of full-time, relevant experience
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: 3 exams; 90-minute data foundations exam and information systems core or a 90-minute business core exam
- Best Suited For: Managers, data science, information system engineers, and software developers who wish to demonstrate their skills to gain a promotion
Potential Careers With Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP)
This certification assesses knowledge in seven areas including business problem framing, analytics problem framing, data, methodology selection, model building, deployment, and lifecycle management. You will have to score at least 70 percent to get the certification.
Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) Overview
- Average Salary: $93,000
- Cost: $495
- Requirements: 3 years of experience with a master’s degree, 5 years of experience with a bachelor’s degree, or 7 years of experience with any degree
- Valid For: 3 years
- Exam Length: 100 multiple-choice questions
- Best Suited For: Professional with strong knowledge of data, analytics, and lifecycle management; graduates in accounting, business administration, and engineering with three years of experience
Potential Careers With Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
This certification program provides the most in-demand business intelligence tools and programming languages. This program offers proper training and certification through real-world case studies. The exam assesses data visualization, coding, data modeling, and statistics skills.
Certified Business Intelligence and Data Analyst (BIDA) Overview
- Average Salary: $90,000
- Cost: $70/month
- Requirements: None
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: 65 multiple-choice questions from a randomized question bank
- Best Suited For: Data engineers, business analysts, and data scientists
Potential Careers With Certified Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA)
This certification exam assesses your skills and knowledge of designing and running SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.2. You will be given tasks to access data from the platform and learn architecture, administration, information flow, and platform configuration.
SAP Certified Application Associate - SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2 Overview
- Average Salary: $87,000
- Cost: $224 for 1 attempt
- Requirements: None
- Valid For: Not stated
- Exam Length: 80 questions
- Best Suited For: Business analysts, data analysts, data science, and other business development professional who heavily rely on SAP to access data and analyze business trends
Potential Careers With SAP Certified Application Associate - SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2
To get this certification, you must complete a minimum of 3,750 hours of business analysis work experience within seven years. You will also have to complete 21 hours of professional development in the last four years. This certification can help you demonstrate your skills to solve complex business problems.
Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA) Overview
- Average Salary: $80,000
- Cost: $400
- Requirements: 5 years of work experience and reference letters
- Valid For: 1 year
- Exam Length: 130 multiple-choice scenario-based questions formulated from the BABOK guide
- Best Suited For: Business analysis practitioners with two to three years of experience
Potential Careers With Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)
If you are an experienced professional looking to validate your Qlik Sense skills, you should consider this certification. This certification can accelerate your career and help you gain a competitive salary. It will also confirm your level of expertise. You can choose to get a certification in all the Qlik products.
Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification Overview
- Average Salary: $78,000
- Cost: $250
- Requirements: Knowledge of data fundamentals, analytical testing, data visualizations, basic and intermediate statistics, hypothesis testing, and decision making with statistics and analytics
- Valid For: Not specified
- Exam Length: 2 hours for 50 multiple-choice questions
- Best Suited For: Data analysts, data scientists, data engineering, software developer, and business intelligence managers wanting to demonstrate their expertise with Qlik products
Potential Careers With Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification
If you want to become a certified business analyst and learn business intelligence skills, you should consider this global certification. You can highlight your valuable skills and land a job in business development. You need to undergo business analysis training and experience working on real-world projects.
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) Overview
- Average Salary: $71,100
- Cost: $548 (non-member), $300 (member)
- Requirements: Secondary degree, bachelor’s degree, 60 months of experience, and 35 credit hours of education in business analysis
- Valid For: 3 years
- Exam Length: 200 multiple-choice questions
- Best Suited For: Business analysts with two to three years of relevant work experience looking to gain promotion in their company
Potential Careers With PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA)
This certification in business data analytics can help you master data management. You will demonstrate your business analytics skills by conducting continuous research and investigating business data sets. You can master how to formulate growth strategies using business insights.
Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA) Overview
- Average Salary: $70,729
- Cost: $400
- Requirements: Not specified
- Valid For: 1 year
- Exam Length: 2 hours for 75 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions
- Best Suited For: Data scientists, data engineers, data analysts, business development officers, and data managers looking to gain expertise in data management
Potential Careers With Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA)
This certification is designed for professionals with at least five years of experience with data analytics technologies. This assesses their expertise in working with AWS to build, secure, and maintain business analytics solutions. Earning an AWS certificate is an excellent way to demonstrate your analytics skills using AWS data.
AWS Certified Data Analytics Overview
- Average Salary: $66,418
- Cost: $300
- Requirements: 5 years of relevant work experience
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: 65 questions, either multiple choice or multiple responses
- Best Suited For: Business intelligence analysts interested in building solutions using Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Potential Careers With AWS Certified Data Analytics
If you are passionate about Power BI, Microsoft's certification is an ideal fit. This certification is perfect for those who use data insights to offer easy data visualization. You will need an understanding of data repositories and data processes and a master of designing and building scalable data models.
Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate Overview
- Average Salary: $63,733
- Cost: $165
- Requirements: None
- Valid For: Does not expire
- Exam Length: N/A
- Best Suited For: Professionals with experience with Power BI data analysis and visualization projects
Potential Careers With Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate
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
- Cost: $1,799
- Duration: N/A
- Best Suited For: Certified Business Intelligence Professional
This course is designed for professionals who want to prep for the CBIP exam. Experienced TDWI faculty members teach the fundamentals of business and technology management. You will also have to prepare for the mock test and complete sample exam questions. The faculty share tips and techniques to improve your score.
- Cost: $45
- Duration: N/A
- Best Suited For: Microsoft Power BI Certification
This course is designed to help students ace the Microsoft business intelligence certification exam. You can work on projects and gain hands-on experience, get access to downloadable study guides, and practice through a full-length practice exam. You will also learn to design end-to-end business intelligence solutions.
- Cost: $41/month
- Duration: Self-paced
- Best Suited For: Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA) Certification
Corporate Finance Institute offers 22 courses consisting of over 1,580 lessons to help students prepare for certification. Students wanting to pass the BIDA certification exam can enroll in any of these courses. The courses offer basic knowledge of all fundamental tools used in business intelligence. CFI uses real-world examples and case studies to help sharpen the skills.
- Cost: $180
- Duration: 6 hours
- Best Suited For: Microsoft Power BI
If you want to practice your Power BI skills then you should consider this prep course by Simplilearn. Unlike other exam prep courses, this course contains questions similar to Microsoft's Power BI certification exam.
You can practice your Power BI skills through quizzes, assess whether you understand how to prepare, analyze and visualize data, and master skills to develop dashboards from generated reports.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: Not specified
- Best Suited For: Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification
This analytics exam offers a demo business analyst certification practice exam to enrolled candidates to help you understand the exam structure. You can also enroll in Qlik's premium practice exam. The practice exams can help you improve your performance.
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.
Cloud solutions architects are responsible for developing the cloud computing strategy of an organization. They use their technical and business skills to introduce innovative business solutions. Highly experience cloud solutions architects also become business intelligence architects and lead the growth strategy of a company.
Best Certification for the Job Role
AWS Certified Data Analytics. This certification can help you demonstrate your skills in data structure, enterprise solutions, and cloud computing.
Business intelligence managers are primarily responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing data analytics. They gather insights from data and help the company make an informed decision. BI managers lead a team of analysts who use data to identify business opportunities and industry trends. They collaborate with the business development, IT, and management team to fulfill organizational goals.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Qlik Sense Business Analyst Certification. This certification can make a BI manager stand out among their peers. A BI Manager who understands the use of Qlik products tends to have a higher salary.
Data scientists use their advanced skills to analyze and interpret extremely complex data. They use innovative business solutions to help businesses make better decisions. To become a data scientist, you need to master a programming language and learn the fundamentals of business analysis and intelligence.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA). This certification allows you to build your knowledge of business data analytics and learn the fundamentals of data science.
Information technology managers oversee the overall technical needs of an organization. They work with IT professionals and software developers to ensure the security of an organization. With business intelligence skills, IT managers drive significant business development efforts.
Best Certification for the Job Role
SAP Certified Application Associate-SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform 4.2. This certification teaches you one of the most popular platforms for information technology.
Project managers have a range of responsibilities depending on the industry they're working in. They're often tasked with completing projects from conception to launch day. To become a business project manager, you need both technical and business skills. Core tasks for project management include developing the idea, leading the team, solving issues, and evaluating project performance.
Best Certification for the Job Role
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA). The Certified Blockchain Project Management certification qualifies you to manage blockchain platforms and systems.
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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