Hidden Roles Series Part 5: The Explosive Demand for BA, QA, and SM Skills – U.S. and Beyond

I’m Chris Conway, Founder, Lead Coach, and CEO at the IT Bootcamp. I also work on-site with clients as an Agile Coach & Consultant, because in IT, where things change fast, those who can do, can teach.

In this 6-part series, I’m exposing a problem that has kept critical IT roles in the shadows for too long: the lack of formal training and structured career paths for Business Analysts (BA), Quality Assurance (QA) Analysts, and Scrum Masters (SM).

Despite being the backbone of IT projects, these roles are often overlooked, buried under broader job categories or mistaken for secondary functions. They are essential to IT success, yet they remain hidden, undervalued, and missing from industry conversations.

This part highlights the growing demand for BA, QA, and SM skills, both in the U.S. and globally. We explore how digital transformation and agile methodologies are increasing the need for these professionals, and why the talent pool is struggling to keep up.

You can catch up on Part 4 here.

United States Job Growth

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects robust growth for occupations that include BA, QA, and SM work:

• Management analysts, which includes business analysts, are projected to grow 11% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations (BLS).
• Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers are projected to grow 17% from 2023 to 2033 (BLS).
• Project management specialists, a group that covers Scrum Masters, are projected to grow 7% from 2023 to 2033 (BLS).

U.S. employers are seeking more people in these roles, even if they don’t always label them explicitly.

Global Trends and Disparities

Globally the picture is similar. Demand for skilled BAs is expected to rise by around 11% in the coming decade, and 64% of organizations worldwide report difficulty finding qualified BA professionals (IIBA), a clear sign that supply hasn’t kept up. Regions with rapid digital growth, such as Asia-Pacific, have especially high demand.

Some countries have taken steps: the UK and parts of Europe have introduced apprenticeship programs for business analysis, and Australia and New Zealand have growing professional BA communities. Still, these roles are often overlooked in national workforce development initiatives, and employers everywhere are scrambling to upskill internal staff or compete for limited experienced talent.

What’s Driving the Demand

• Agile and digital transformation: Scrum Masters and agile coaches are wanted not just in software companies but in banks, healthcare providers, government agencies, and more.
• Complex systems and data: as businesses implement ERP systems, AI tools, and analytics, they need BAs to translate business needs into technical requirements and QAs to test intricate integrations.
• Regulatory and quality focus: in pharmaceuticals, aviation, and fintech, compliance pressure boosts demand for testing expertise and for analysts who document requirements accurately.
• Remote and distributed work: with teams spread out, the Scrum Master’s facilitation and the BA’s requirements work become even more critical to keeping delivery on track.

The irony is that while demand is high, the pipeline issues we covered earlier in this series mean many of these positions are hard to fill, a classic skills gap. For career changers, that gap is the opportunity.

We believe that our end-to-end IT Bootcamp for BA, QA, and SM (providing training, hands-on experience, and guidance not just for a year, but throughout your entire career) is the difference. We train, allow you to get that experience, and surround you with a community of BA/QA/SM. The gap in the industry is wide, but we’re filling it.

The future of BA, QA, and SM roles is set to change dramatically with the rise of AI. Continue to Part 6: How AI is Shaping the Future of BA, QA, and SM Roles, where we explore how AI is transforming these positions and what skills you’ll need to thrive.