What Is the Best Way to Learn Power BI?

Key takeaways

• Selecting the best way to learn Power BI depends on the training option that is most suitable for you, such as online courses or certifications, as well as how you intend to use Power BI.

• One of the best ways to learn Microsoft Power BI is through Microsoft’s free training modules, which you can access to help you develop fundamental skills.

• You can find a variety of beginner-friendly Power BI training resources from Microsoft, in addition to more intermediate-level options.

With Power BI training, you can utilize instructor-led options, as well as online modules, or even earn a certification to develop your skills. Explore the key elements of Power BI and some of the careers where you can use your business intelligence knowledge. If you’re ready to get your start, earn a Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate, where you will have the opportunity to build job-ready skills in areas such as advanced analytics, model optimization, business intelligence software, database design, and more.

What is Power BI?

Power BI is a business intelligence platform from Microsoft that hosts various applications and software services you can use to transform data into valuable insights. It was first released in 2015 and quickly grew to reach over 500,000 users from more than 45,000 organizations around the world, all within its first year, establishing itself as a leader in the business intelligence space [1]. Power BI relies on five key elements:

• Power BI Desktop is an application for your computer that helps you combine data sources, build visualizations, and create reports.

• Power BI service is Power BI’s software as a service (SaaS) that provides you with access to reports directly from a web browser.

• Power BI mobile applications are available for devices using iOS, Windows, and Android, allowing you to view and engage with your data directly from your smartphone or tablet.

• Power BI Report Builder is where you can create paginated reports to share in the Power BI service.

• Power BI Report Server is another location where you can share your reports. However, rather than doing so on the cloud, the Power BI report server does this from your organization's infrastructure.

Read more: Business Intelligence Dashboard: Definition, Software, and More

Who uses Power BI?

Businesses and organizations throughout a wide range of industries create value from data analysis and visualizations, making Power BI a useful tool across different sectors for data-driven decision-making. For example, financial institutions can use Power BI to monitor cash flow, perform profit and loss analysis, and observe key metrics. Even health care providers can utilize Power BI to improve patient outcomes by making treatment decisions based on data and consulting experts remotely about patient care. For manufacturers, Power BI provides access to insights relating to inventory levels, warehouse usage, and other logistical data, enabling smooth supply chain operations.

Is Power BI easy to learn?

Power BI is beginner-friendly and relatively easy to learn, even if you don’t have much prior experience with data analysis, thanks to its intuitive interface. Microsoft also directly offers a variety of learning materials you can use for support as you go about learning Power BI. If you already have prior experience with other Microsoft tools, such as Excel, it can make learning Power BI feel even more manageable.

Is Power BI still in demand in 2026 and after 2026?

Microsoft Power BI skills remain in high demand now, with employers seeking professionals with business intelligence skills. The outlook for the business intelligence software market as a whole is strong, as it projects to reach an $81.5 billion valuation by 2033, a significant increase from its $40.1 billion valuation in 2025 [2].

What is the best way to learn Power BI?

The best way for you to learn Power BI depends on your unique circumstances, such as what you plan on using Power BI for; ultimately, different roles can use Power BI to serve different purposes. Additionally, you have access to several training options so you can select the one that best fits your current situation. You may choose online courses where you can learn at your own speed or earn a Power BI certification once you develop a solid grasp of Power BI. Take a look at how you can get your start with Power BI.

Download the Power BI Desktop.

In order to start learning Power BI, you should first install Power BI Desktop on your device. You can install Power BI Desktop for free in the Windows Store or by visiting the Power BI Desktop download page. Here you can converge your various data sources, create reports and visualizations, and put together business intelligence projects.

Access free Microsoft Power BI training resources.

You can access several free learning modules directly from Microsoft, beginning with practicing fundamental data analytics skills in Power BI Desktop using Power Query. Microsoft offers many learning modules in both beginner and intermediate skill ranges. Once you’ve learned some of the basic concepts through these Power BI tutorials, you can move on to intermediate courses where you will need some familiarity with data analysis and reporting before beginning.

If having an instructor better suits your learning style, Microsoft also offers instructor-led training where you still have the flexibility of creating your own schedule. After taking advantage of the learning modules or instructor-led training (or both), you can consider taking the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification exam. To make sure you have developed the necessary knowledge for the exam, you can first take a practice assessment and see where your skills currently stand. To pass the exam, you will need to know how to use Power BI to analyze, model, and visualize data, and if you don’t succeed on your first attempt, you can retake it 24 hours after your first try.

Take an online course.

You can learn Power BI on Coursera, with a wide range of online courses available. For example, earning a Microsoft Data Visualization Professional Certificate, which includes the Visualization for Data Analysis with Power BI course, will provide you with the opportunity to learn to use Power BI to transform real-world data into visualizations and generate valuable insights that you can use to inform decision-making processes.

Microsoft’s Harnessing the Power of Data with Power BI is also available on Coursera and covers concepts such as the role of data in supporting positive business outcomes and the skills you should know to work as a Power BI analyst. Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate will help you gain skills in data analysis, data visualization, and report building.

Jobs with Power BI

Business intelligence knowledge and skills apply to a number of different career paths, such as Power BI specialists, for example, who earn a median total pay of $119,000 [3]. All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Explore some of the roles relating to business intelligence that you can pursue, as well as their average annual salaries:

• Business intelligence analyst: $117,000

• Market research analyst: $95,000

• Data scientist: $157,000

• Data analyst: $93,000

• Data engineer: $134,000

• Business analyst: $107,000

• Financial analyst: $107,000

• Data architect: $180,000

Explore our free business intelligence resources

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, for skill-building resources and industry updates on popular tools and certifications. Then, check out some of our other resources to keep learning more about business intelligence:

• Watch on YouTube: Can You Really Change Careers with Power BI? (Student Stories)

• Take the quiz: Which Data Analysis Course Should You Take? Find Out in 1 Minute

• Gain expert insights: 6 Questions with a Microsoft Data Analytics Leader

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses.