Good news if you’re considering business analyst training as a stepping stone for your career: there’s a very good chance that the role you play as a business analyst will be paid commensurate with your skills, and not based on arbitrary measures like past experience or the amount of time you’ve been with your current employer.

This is the conclusion presented in a recent article at the analytics website Data Informed. It points out that business data analysis is increasingly integrated into the day-to-day operations of a site, so that the effectiveness of a data analyst can be gauged in real time. At the same time, the business analyst role is diversifying, with some aspects becoming automated with the advent of new software, allowing every business analyst to devote more of his time and energy to making data truly valuable to his company.

Of course, this heavy integration of new software makes online IT training courses an invaluable resource for active business analysts, especially since their skill with various data-gathering software will be immediately obvious and will show clear results to employers.

A business data analyst certification will acquaint you with this software, its use and applications, and also the general best practices for business analysts. It is the most straightforward indicator of an aspiring business analyst’s skill with the increasingly diverse aspects of his or her work role. Thus, it is a stepping stone not only toward relevant employment, but also toward the promised skill-appropriate compensation.

We think that’s good news, but we also understand why Data Informed declares that recent changes in the role are neither good nor bad for analysts in and of themselves. After all, the business data analysis certification presumably pays dividends for the person who obtains it, but it also signifies that she is accepting a role that requires constant training and development to do well.

Earning those initial dividends is one thing; retaining them over the long term is quite another. But if you manage it through software training courses and business analyst training, you barely stand any risk of being taken for granted in your role. If you play a central role in your company’s operations, you will make measurable contributions to it, and your pay will reflect that. At the right company, a business data analyst position can be one of the most truly meritocratic positions in business today, meaning that as you grow your skills, the sky is the limit for your income.

The competition will be formidable in the future and you’ll have your work cut out for you. But if you’re up to the challenge, a business data analysis certification is a major step towards taking full control over your career, and software training courses are a great way of staying on top as your role expands and changes.