What does a business analyst do?

But what’s in common behind virtually every major decision being made at businesses small and large—and across industries: the reliance on business analysts. 

Business analytics involves the identification of data trends and their application to business decision-making. And with more companies relying on this data to power their biggest endeavors, business analysts are in high demand.

Based on Fortune analysis of online job board platforms LinkedIn and Indeed, there are thousands of business analyst jobs open at companies small and large and across all types of industry—from McDonald’s and Lego to Amtrak and Harvard University.

With the professional on average promising close to six-figure salaries, the field is an enticing one for individuals interested in the intersection of technical skills with business acumen. Plus, they’re increasingly quintessential to a successful enterprise.

“Every business needs business hours, I always think about business analysts as a Swiss army knife,” says Yao…