The business analyst role at Amazon is bigger than ever. Boasting a 37.8% e-commerce market share in the US, Amazon remains a dominant force in the global retail and technology landscape. The company’s expansion beyond traditional e-commerce into cloud computing, entertainment, and logistics has solidified itself as a multifaceted powerhouse.
For instance, Amazon Web Services (AWS) contributes significantly to Amazon’s revenue, while services like Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music drive consumer engagement beyond shopping. These require significant business analysis efforts to sustain and improve.
In this article, we’ll discuss what Amazon business analysts do, their impact in shaping the company’s growth and strategy, interview questions, and tips to help you ace the interview.
Amazon’s business analyst role is all about data, tech, and business. You’ll work with SQL, Python, Amazon QuickSight, and Tableau to build dashboards, analyze trends, and turn raw numbers into insights. Whether it’s Amazon Payment Services, AWS financial automation, or Amazon Logistics, your job is to make sure decisions are backed by solid data.
You’ll use Amazon Athena and Redshift to handle massive datasets and pull key insights. Machine learning tools help spot trends, predict outcomes, and catch anomalies before they become problems. Your work helps streamline processes, optimize reports, and drive smarter business moves.
Strong communication is essential, as business analysts serve as a bridge between IT, data, and business functions. The role offers pathways into AWS Analytics, Amazon Business Intelligence, and data science, making it a critical function in Amazon’s data-driven decision-making ecosystem.
Here is how an Amazon business analyst interview goes:
The first step is a phone screen with a recruiter or hiring manager. This round is typically a mix of technical questions (50–60%) and leadership questions. You’ll be asked about your experience with tools like SQL and Excel, and you’ll also discuss how you align with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
The on-site interviews include a technical round where you’ll solve problems using SQL, Excel, or data visualization tools like Tableau. The interviewer will present real-world business problems and assess your ability to analyze data and propose solutions. This round is usually 50–75% technical.
The remaining on-site rounds (typically 3 to 5) are focused on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. You’ll be asked behavioral questions to assess your ability to handle situations in line with principles like Customer Obsession, Invent and Simplify, and Deliver Results. Expect questions about past experiences where you demonstrated leadership, ownership, and problem-solving.
After completing all the rounds, your hiring manager will review your performance. If you meet the expectations, they’ll extend an offer within 3 to 7 days. Depending on your interview performance and the job level, you could be offered a position at L4, L5, or L6.
Amazon business analyst interviews focus on key areas like SQL queries and ETL, business case questions, statistical analysis, and product metrics. You’ll need to demonstrate your skills in managing data, solving problems, and using analytics to drive business decisions.
We’ve gathered the recurring questions asked in Amazon business analyst interviews. Here are some:
SQL is essential for Amazon BAs to query and manipulate large datasets efficiently. These questions test your ability to write optimized SQL queries that solve real-world problems, such as tracking employee activity or calculating rolling averages, which are key skills in making data-driven decisions.
Use a CASE
statement or JOIN
to filter badge-in and badge-out events. Then, use a GROUP BY
with a HAVING
clause to determine employees inside the building at any timestamp.
Use a self-join to compare subscription start and end dates for each user. Apply conditions to check for overlap using WHERE
with BETWEEN
or AND
logic.
Use a WINDOW
function with PARTITION BY
to calculate daily sums. Then, apply AVG()
over a window of the previous two rows plus the current day.
Use SUM()
with the OVER()
clause, ordered by order_date
, to calculate the cumulative total for each customer. Be sure to include the partition by customer_id
to separate each customer’s running total.
Join the shipments table with the membership table on the customer’s membership dates and compare delivery dates against the membership period. Filter results where the shipment date falls within the membership date range.
Product metrics are critical for understanding how well Amazon products and services perform. These questions focus on analyzing product performance, like the impact of integrations or dynamic pricing, helping BAs provide insights that shape strategy and enhance user experience.
Measure subscription rate changes before and after the integration, possibly using A/B testing to compare user acquisition and retention. Look for significant increases in Prime Music subscriptions tied to Alexa usage.
Use historical pricing and demand data to model supply and demand relationships. Estimate elasticity and how dynamic pricing can optimize profits based on these demand patterns.
Calculate metrics like stockout rate, sales lost, and inventory turnover. Develop hypotheses about how stockouts impact revenue or customer satisfaction and test them with the data.
Map the user’s actions from sign-up to engagement. Look for drop-off points and friction in the experience, and use funnel analysis to identify where UI changes could improve user retention and engagement.
Analytics questions test your ability to derive actionable insights from complex datasets. They evaluate your proficiency in using data analysis techniques to identify trends, optimize business processes, and make strategic recommendations, which are essential for driving Amazon’s data-driven culture.
user_orders
and ordered_items
. A user can have multiple orders, and within each order, there may be multiple items with either the same or different categories. Find the user with the highest average number of unique item categories per order.Use COUNT(DISTINCT category)
in a GROUP BY
statement with ORDER BY
. Calculate the average number of categories per user by using AVG()
over the grouped data.
To find the distribution of conversations, use COUNT()
to aggregate the number of conversations per user by day. Use GROUP BY
to analyze conversation trends over the year.
Segment the transaction data by time, product category, or region to identify areas with declining revenue. Use cohort analysis or trend analysis to pinpoint where the losses are most significant.
Statistical knowledge is key for analyzing data and making accurate predictions. These questions assess your understanding of statistical methods, like regression and hypothesis testing, which are essential for making informed, data-driven decisions at Amazon.
Logistic function maps input values to a probability between 0 and 1, while softmax is used for multi-class classification, converting input values into a probability distribution. Both are used in logistic regression to model binary or multi-class outcomes.
Analyze the results by checking the sample size and ensuring the smaller group isn’t underrepresented, using statistical methods like weighted averages or stratified sampling to mitigate bias.
Perform a t-test or z-test to compare the mean of the current and previous months. This helps determine if the difference is statistically significant and not due to random fluctuations.
Account for sample size and potential biases in the test population. The actual impact could vary; typically, conversion rate changes in small groups don’t always extrapolate perfectly to the entire population.
For categorical variables, the coefficient represents the log odds of a certain category occurring, and for Boolean variables, it shows the odds ratio of one outcome relative to another. Interpret these values in the context of the target variable to understand the strength and direction of the relationship.
Behavioral questions assess how you approach challenges and work within teams. These questions evaluate your communication, problem-solving, and time management skills, which are necessary for Amazon BAs to manage complex projects and collaborate with various stakeholders effectively.
Focus on how you organize tasks based on urgency and importance. Show how you manage time efficiently and stay flexible when new priorities emerge.
Highlight your communication and problem-solving skills. Emphasize how you approach conflicts professionally and focus on finding mutually beneficial solutions.
Share a specific example where you went above and beyond to deliver results. Focus on the actions you took and the measurable outcomes of those actions.
Reflect on Amazon’s core principles and how they align with your personal values and career goals. Mention how you’re drawn to Amazon’s culture of innovation, customer obsession, and continuous improvement.
Emphasize your ability to simplify complex information and tailor it to your audience. Show that you can present data clearly, confidently, and in a way that drives action.
By focusing on Amazon’s Leadership Principles, demonstrating your proficiency in SQL, and showcasing your data-driven mindset, you can get an edge over your competitors. Here is how:
Amazon’s Leadership Principles are integral to its culture, so make sure your responses reflect these values. Whether discussing problem-solving or teamwork, incorporate principles like Customer Obsession or Invent and Simplify.
For example, when asked about a challenging situation, you can demonstrate Customer Obsession by explaining how you prioritized customer needs in your solution.
Similarly, when asked about how you’ve driven change, mention how you’ve streamlined processes or implemented automation to reduce manual work, reflecting your commitment to Invent and Simplify.
Amazon places a strong emphasis on behavioral interviews, and using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) is critical to structuring clear and effective responses. When preparing, focus on demonstrating your analytical abilities, problem-solving skills, and alignment with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
For example, an Amazon recruiter emphasizes the importance of providing clear, concise examples rather than generic answers. For instance, when asked about a challenge you’ve faced, outline the specific situation, actions you took, and measurable results.
This approach helps you provide concrete, data-driven examples that align with Amazon’s culture and values.
At Amazon, key metrics like conversion rate, customer lifetime value (CLV), and return on investment (ROI) are critical for assessing product performance. Conversion rate tracks how well Amazon turns website traffic into sales, with optimizations to product pages or search algorithms helping to boost it. CLV reflects the long-term value of customers, with initiatives like Prime Membership or personalized recommendations increasing repeat purchases.
Demonstrate how you would use these metrics to evaluate success and recommend improvements, linking them to Amazon’s data-driven decision-making process.
To ace your Amazon business analyst interview in 2025, focus on aligning your responses with Amazon’s Leadership Principles, master the STAR method for behavioral questions, and showcase your SQL and data analysis skills. Be ready to discuss key product metrics and how you use data to drive business decisions. With these tips, you’ll confidently demonstrate your fit for Amazon’s fast-paced, data-driven environment!
Average Base Salary
Average Total Compensation