Résumé keywords · Oct 2026
Business Analyst résumé keywords
We read 32 open Business Analyst job posts from 15 companies. The skills and tools they ask for most: SQL (66%), Excel (50%), Forecasting (38%).
- It's a tool-heavy role: 5 of the top 10 keywords are specific tools (Excel, Tableau, Salesforce, Looker).
- Employers also stress collaboration (84% of posts) and stakeholder management (59%) — show them through results, not adjectives.
- SpaceX stands out: its Business Analyst posts mention Power BI and Tableau far more than the average.
- O*NET flags Atlassian JIRA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office as in demand for this occupation.
Check your résumé against these keywords
Checked in your browser — your résumé isn’t uploaded or stored.
The top 29 Business Analyst keywords
Skills, tools and domains — share of job posts that mention each at least once. Soft skills are listed under “By type”.
Must-havein half or more of posts
- SQL66%
- Excel50%
Commonin 25–49% of posts
- Forecasting38%
- Tableau38%
- Salesforce28%
- Python28%
- Looker25%
- Fintech25%
- Payments25%
Worth havingin 10–24% of posts
- Stripe22%
- Data Analysis19%
- SaaS19%
- Power BI19%
- Security13%
- Embedded Systems13%
- Analytics13%
By type
Skills
- SQL 66%
- Forecasting 38%
- Python 28%
- Data Analysis 19%
- Security 13%
- Embedded Systems 13%
- Go 9%
- Accessibility 9%
- Product Management 9%
- Generative AI 6%
- Observability 6%
- Data Engineering 6%
- Cloud Computing 6%
Tools & software
- Excel 50%
- Tableau 38%
- Salesforce 28%
- Looker 25%
- Stripe 22%
- Power BI 19%
- React 6%
- MongoDB 6%
- AWS 6%
Soft skills
- Collaboration 84%
- Stakeholder Management 59%
- Communication 53%
- Leadership 44%
- Attention to Detail 34%
- Ownership 34%
- Strategic Thinking 28%
- Adaptability 28%
- Problem Solving 19%
- Project Management 16%
- Mentoring 6%
Domain knowledge
- Fintech 25%
- Payments 25%
- SaaS 19%
- Analytics 13%
- B2B 6%
- Healthcare 6%
- Marketplace 6%
What hiring companies emphasise
Companies with the most open Business Analyst roles in our sample, and the terms they mention more than the average post.
Stripe
7 open roles
Payments
SpaceX
5 open roles
Power BI · Tableau · Python
Gusto, Inc.
3 open roles
Fintech · SaaS · Salesforce
Palantir
3 open roles
Security · Excel
MongoDB
2 open roles
GCP · Azure · Data Engineering
Robinhood
2 open roles
Fintech · Spring · Databricks
Zoox
2 open roles
Excel · SAP · R
Braze
1 open role
Go · Data Analysis · Looker
How to put these keywords in your résumé
A keyword counts most inside a bullet that proves it — an action, the tool, and a result. Real bullets from our example résumés:
- SQL
Built SQL reports on customer spending that informed a pricing change lifting revenue 8%.
From the Business Analyst example · Meridian template → - Excel
Managed stock records for 8,000 titles in Excel and flagged slow sellers for promotion.
From the Business Analyst example · Meridian template → - Forecasting
Trained 6 business partners to use the forecasting model on their own.
From the Financial Analyst example · Harvard template → - Tableau
Automated a monthly inventory report in Python and Tableau, used by 14 store managers across the region.
From the Computer Science Graduate example · Graduate template → - Python
Modelled customer lifetime value in SQL and Python, guiding a 20% shift of ad budget to high-value segments.
From the Data Analyst example · Ledger template → - Looker
Built Looker dashboards used weekly by 60 people, replacing 15 manual reports.
From the Data Analyst example · Ledger template →
The occupation: Management Analysts
Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Includes program analysts and management consultants.
Most important skills (O*NET, 1–5)
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring3.9
- Active Learning3.3
- Mathematics3.0
In-demand technology
Software O*NET flags for this occupation as in demand by employers or “hot” across job postings.
- Atlassian JIRA
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Python
- Salesforce
- Structured query language SQL
- Tableau
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe InDesign
- AJAX
- Alteryx
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
Business Analyst résumé keyword questions
- What keywords should a Business Analyst résumé include?
- The skills and tools Business Analyst job posts mention most are SQL (66%), Excel (50%), Forecasting (38%), Tableau (38%), Salesforce (28%), Python (28%), Looker (25%), Fintech (25%), Payments (25%), Stripe (22%) — based on 32 open posts at 15 companies (Oct 2026). Include the ones you genuinely have, in your skills section and in the bullets that prove them.
- Which tools do Business Analyst job posts ask for?
- Most often: Excel (50% of posts), Tableau (38% of posts), Salesforce (28% of posts), Looker (25% of posts), Stripe (22% of posts), Power BI (19% of posts).
- Which soft skills matter for a Business Analyst?
- Job posts mention collaboration (84%), stakeholder management (59%), communication (53%), leadership (44%), attention to detail (34%). Show them through results in your bullets rather than listing them.
- Should I add every keyword to my résumé?
- No. Add a keyword only if it's true for you — then show it in a bullet with a result. Applicant tracking systems match keywords, but a recruiter reads the résumé next, and unsupported buzzwords cost interviews.