Salary report · US · 2026
Business Intelligence (BI) Developer Salary
The average BI developer salary is $91,297 per year in the United States in 2026. Base pay runs from $67,000 at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th, with a median of $91,000. Bonuses add $1,000–$15,000, putting total pay between roughly $68,000 and $130,000.
Definition & distribution
What is the average business intelligence (bi) developer salary?
A BI developer earns an average base salary of $91,297 per year in the US as of 2026. The role builds reporting and analytics solutions, and pay rises with data-warehouse and ETL depth.
The 10th percentile at $67,000 is 26% below the $91,000 median, while the 90th at $124,000 is 36% above it. The upper tail rewards developers with strong ETL, data-warehouse, and modern BI-tool skills.
Known limitations. This record is built on 1,336 salary profiles (last updated April 2026). The median is reliable; the upper range often reflects developers moving toward data engineering.
Pay components
How is business intelligence (bi) developer total pay structured?
Reported total compensation for BI developers has two consistent components: base salary and annual bonus.
| Component | Low | High | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $67,000 | $124,000 | Dense around the $91k median |
| Annual bonus | $1,000 | $15,000 | Up to ~12% of top-end base |
| Total pay | $68,000 | $130,000 | Base plus reported bonus |
Pay by experience
How does experience change a business intelligence (bi) developer salary?
BI developer pay rises steadily with experience and technical depth. Entry-level sits about 27% below the role average, and experienced developers reach roughly 21% above.
- 01
Entry level (<1 year): ~27% below average
Reporting and dashboard work, where most BI developers start.
- 02
Early to mid career: −9% to +8%
Pay crosses the role average as developers own ETL and data-warehouse work.
- 03
Experienced: +21% over average
The top of the range, held by developers with deep warehouse and modern-BI skills.
Skills
Which skills affect a business intelligence (bi) developer salary?
Reported skills split into three tiers. SQL and reporting are the baseline; ETL and warehousing command a premium; and modern BI tools open the top of the range.
- 01
SQL & reporting — the baseline
SQL, business intelligence, and SQL Server appear across profiles. They define the role.
- 02
ETL & warehousing — the premium tier
ETL, data warehouse, and data-mining skills map to the upper end of the range.
- 03
Modern BI tools — the promotion tier
Power BI and Tableau depth carry pay toward analytics-engineering roles.
Geography
Where do business intelligence (bi) developers earn the most?
Reported profiles concentrate in large metros with dense enterprise-analytics demand.
| Metro | Market character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Cloud & enterprise | Top of range; strong demand |
| Dallas, TX | Enterprise & fintech | Good pay-to-cost ratio |
| New York, NY | Finance & enterprise | Broad demand; high cost of living |
| Atlanta, GA | Enterprise & fintech | Growing market |
| Minneapolis, MN | Enterprise & retail | Strong analytics demand |
Check your pay
Where does your salary fall?
Enter your current base salary to see where it falls against the 2026 US distribution for BI developers. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere — the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
Raising your pay
How can business intelligence (bi) developers increase their salary?
Three mechanisms reliably move BI developer pay, in descending order of effect:
- 01
Deepen ETL & data-warehouse skills
Warehouse and pipeline depth separate report writers from higher-paid BI engineers.
- 02
Master modern BI tools
Power BI and Tableau depth map to the upper end of the range.
- 03
Move toward data engineering
Data-engineering and analytics-engineering roles are where pay continues past this title.
FAQ
Business Intelligence (BI) Developer salary: FAQ
About $124,000 per year at the 90th percentile of base pay. With bonuses of up to $15,000, top-end total compensation reaches roughly $130,000.
About $67,000 per year at the 10th percentile of base pay. Figures this low typically reflect entry-level reporting roles.
Most reliably by deepening ETL and data-warehouse skills, mastering modern BI tools, and moving toward data engineering.
Yes. Reported annual bonuses range from about $1,000 to $15,000, bringing total pay to between roughly $68,000 and $130,000 per year.
Reliable at the median, built on 1,336 salary profiles reported to PayScale (updated April 2026).
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