What Skills Do Data & BI Analysts Need? SQL, Tableau, Excel, and More

The online Business Analytics certificate from the University of Denver's College of Professional Studies, in partnership with Ziplines Education, teaches SQL, Tableau, and Excel in 10 weeks.

Every sale, click, shift, and customer call creates data. The hard part isn't collecting it. It's turning it into decisions. That's the job of data analysts and business intelligence analysts, and it's why their skills are some of the most valuable you can build right now.

What Do Data Analysts and BI Analysts Do?

Data analysts answer questions with data. Why did sales drop last month? Which customers are most likely to leave? Business intelligence (BI) analysts build the dashboards and reports leaders check every week, so decisions are based on current numbers instead of guesses. Both roles rely on the same core skills: SQL to get the data, and tools like Tableau, Excel, and Power BI to make it understandable.

Can Data Skills Help You Earn More?

If your paycheck isn't stretching as far as it used to, you're not alone. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average hourly earnings rose 3% over the 12 months ending in September 2026. When raises are that modest, waiting for the next one isn't much of a plan.
Building skills employers pay more for is one of the most practical investments you can make in yourself. Data skills are a strong place to start.
For data analysts, Indeed reports a national average salary of $74,377 a year. Many business analyst roles fall under what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calls management analysts, with a median salary of $101,860. And BLS reports a median of $120,230 for the group that includes BI analysts and data scientists.
The demand is there, too. BLS projects 35% job growth for that group from 2025 to 2035 and 10% for management analysts, both much faster than average. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, lists business intelligence analysts as a Bright Outlook occupation, meaning the field is expected to grow rapidly or have many job openings.
Pay varies by location, experience, and education, and data scientists typically need a degree in math, statistics, or computer science. But SQL and data visualization are the foundation these roles build on. And because many employers offer tuition reimbursement, you may not have to cover the cost on your own.

Why Is SQL Essential for Business Analytics?

Dashboards are only as good as the data behind them, and SQL is how you get that data. It's the language used to ask questions of a database, where most of an organization's data lives. It's also one of the most widely used technical skills there is. In Stack Overflow's 2025 Developer Survey, 58.6% of respondents said they had done extensive work in SQL over the past year, ahead of Python. And it opens doors: Indeed lists 11 jobs that use SQL, including data analysts, business analysts, database administrators, and data scientists.

Why Learn Tableau and Excel for Data Analysis?

SQL gets you the data. Tableau and Excel turn it into charts and dashboards people can understand at a glance. A clear dashboard can settle a question in a meeting that a spreadsheet full of numbers never will.
Tableau is widely used for data visualization, and Excel is a familiar tool in many workplaces, so these skills travel with you from job to job. Many organizations that run on Microsoft also use Power BI, and the course includes skill-building workshops to introduce you to it.

Ready to build these skills? See what you'll learn in the Business Analytics certificate.

Who Benefits from Business Analytics Skills?

If you're changing careers, these skills give you a foundation to move toward data and BI analyst roles. If you're happy in your current role, they make you the person your team turns to. Picture an HR coordinator who used to wait weeks for a turnover report. Now she pulls the data herself, builds a dashboard, and walks into the leadership meeting with answers.
Students are already putting these skills to work, one Business Analytics student now holds a business analyst/developer role. In a review on the Business Analytics course page, the student wrote: "It was challenging but well worth the work and time. I learned so much and all the knowledge I have accumulated has assisted me to become more desirable in my workforce." Whether you're making a move or becoming the go-to person on your team, these skills are where it starts.

Business Analytics or AI for Data Analysis: Which Is Right for You?

Need data skills for your current role, not a new career?
AI for Data Analysis is a five-week course for business professionals who want faster , clearer answers at work. You learn how to use AI tools to explore your data and turn it into insights you can act on. No coding, no SQL, and no analyst required.
Choose Business Analytics if you want hands-on skills in SQL, Tableau, and Excel that you can build a career on. Choose AI for Data Analysis if you want faster answers from data in your current role. Either way, you'll walk away more confident working with data.

Online Business Analytics Certificate FAQ

Do I need experience with data or SQL?

No, the course is designed for people building their analytics skills, including career changers and professionals in fields like marketing, finance, and HR. It starts with the fundamentals of business analytics and an introduction to SQL, then builds to advanced queries and data visualization.

What skills will I walk away with?

You learn to think like an analyst: framing the right question, then exploring, cleaning, and modeling data to answer it. You learn to write SQL queries to pull data from databases, build charts and dashboards, and turn your findings into clear stories that help leaders make decisions. You also learn to set KPIs tied to business goals, plan experiments like A/B tests, and use statistics to tell real results from noise.

What tools and software will I learn?

You get hands-on practice with SQL, Tableau, and Excel, plus skill-building workshops on Power BI. You also learn to use AI tools like ChatGPT to speed up your work, from cleaning data to choosing the right chart for your audience.

What credentials do I earn?

You earn a Certificate of Completion and 10 continuing education units (CEUs) from the University of Denver's College of Professional Studies. CEUs are noncredit university units that appear on your DU continuing education transcript, so you can show your professional development to current and future employers. The course also prepares you for the Salesforce Certified Tableau Desktop Foundations exam, an industry credential you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

What do I need to do to complete the course?

Complete all of the online coursework, score at least 70% on each module assessment, and submit all of your Strategic Business Analytics Playbooks.

How much time does the course take?

Ten weeks, at about six to eight hours a week. The course is fully online, with on-demand lessons you can fit around your schedule and optional mentor-led live sessions each week.

Does the course include job placement?

No. But you get access to a Career Hub with on-demand career modules, resources, and workshops to help you reach your career goals.

Can my employer help pay for the course?

Many employers offer tuition reimbursement for continuing education. If you're not sure whether yours does, talk with your HR representative to confirm what's available and whether you're eligible. Then use DU's reimbursement guide, which gives you suggestions and templates for asking your employer to cover the cost.

Are there other ways to pay?

Yes. Because the course is noncredit, it isn't eligible for financial aid. But you can pay in monthly installments through Affirm if you qualify. Other resources may also help eligible students, including AmeriCorps Education Awards and 529 college savings accounts. Questions? Email pwd@du.edu.

Start Your Business Analytics Certificate

New cohorts start throughout the year, so you can begin when it works for you. See upcoming start dates and current tuition on the course page. Monthly payment options through Affirm are available for those who qualify, and a 7-day money-back guarantee means you can start with confidence.

Enroll in the Business Analytics Certificate and build the data skills employers hire for.

Sources

•    Indeed, "11 Jobs With SQL"
•    O*NET OnLine, "Business Intelligence Analysts"
•    Stack Overflow, "2025 Developer Survey: Technology"
•    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists"
•    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts"
•    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The Employment Situation: September 2026"
•    University of Denver College of Professional Studies, "Business Analytics Certificate Course" (learner reviews)