Business Analyst
Also advertised as: Business Analyst, Business Change Analyst, Junior Business Analyst, Process Analyst, Product Analyst, Requirements Analyst
Works out what a business actually needs, then turns it into clear requirements a delivery team can build.
What the job involves
Business analysts sit between the people with the problem and the people building the solution. You map current processes, interview users, define requirements and acceptance criteria, and help test that what was delivered solves the real problem. Strong analysts save organisations from expensive guesswork.
Typical responsibilities
- Map current processes and identify problems
- Run workshops and interviews with users
- Write requirements and user stories
- Support testing and user acceptance
- Present recommendations with evidence
Common employers
- Banks and insurers
- Government departments
- Retail groups
- Software companies
- Consultancies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £36,000 a year
With experience
£45,000 – £60,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours
Working environment
Office based with time on the frontline observing processes
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Requirements gathering
- Process mapping
- Data analysis
- Stakeholder facilitation
- Documentation
- Critical thinking
Transferable skills you may already have
- Spotting inefficiencies in a process
- Explaining complex things simply
- Working with frontline colleagues
Requirements employers ask for
- Requirements gathering
- Process mapping
- Data analysis
- Stakeholder facilitation
- Documentation
- Critical thinking
- No formal qualification required
Useful but not essential
- Spotting inefficiencies in a process
- Explaining complex things simply
- Working with frontline colleagues
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
- Level 4 Business Analyst apprenticeship
Helpful qualifications
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
- Level 4 Business Analyst apprenticeship
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Business Analyst (Level 4)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business
- Related subject: Computing
- Related subject: Economics
- Related subject: Information systems
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Business Analyst
next
Product Owner
next
Business Architect
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Values frontline knowledge of how work really happens
- Strong hybrid working
- Route into product and consultancy
What people find hard
- Lots of documentation
- Can be caught between competing stakeholders
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a business analyst?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a business analyst earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £36,000 a year, rising towards £60,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Spotting inefficiencies in a process, Explaining complex things simply, Working with frontline colleagues.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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