How to hire an acquisition analyst

How to hire an acquisition analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step acquisition analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an acquisition analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new acquisition analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an acquisition analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your acquisition analyst job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an acquisition analyst for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An acquisition analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, acquisition analysts from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of acquisition analysts.

   Type of Acquisition Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Acquisition Analyst	Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.	$22-44
   Finance Analyst-Operations Finance	Financial analysts are professionals who are in charge of the financial operations of businesses. The analysts analyze results, monitor variances, determine trends, and suggest management-related actions to improve corporate finances... Show more	$20-51
   Finance Professional	The primary job of finance professionals is to provide financial services using their knowledge of finance, tax laws, and accounting. These professionals typically help with corporate finance, personal finance, or both... Show more	$14-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • DOD
   • Program Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Acquisition Process
   • Market Research
   • Real Estate
   • Logistics
   • Financial Models
   • Acquisition Management
   • Acquisition Strategy
   • Acquisition Documentation
   • Financial Analysis
   • Acquisition Support
   • PEO

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Update and manage agencies contract portfolio on SharePoint, providing greater visibility and transparency of contracts award.
   • Assist customer in developing PWS to repair/resolve issues on custom build Bradley transmission test stand.
   • Administer and maintain a secure SharePoint site for all source selection documentation.
   • Develop, collect, disseminate and coordinate potential new business opportunities informational across the PEO.
   • Develop and present key acquisition and logistics project documentation and information, including progress reports and dependencies.
   • Prepare materials for equity offering and financial advisory presentations, confidential selling memorandums, and internal presentations.

   More acquisition analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your acquisition analyst job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An acquisition analyst salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, acquisition analysts' average salary in kansas is 36% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level acquisition analysts earn 49% less than senior-level acquisition analysts.
   • Certifications. An acquisition analyst with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an acquisition analyst's salary.

   Average acquisition analyst salary

   $66,957yearly

   $32.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level acquisition analyst salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average acquisition analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$85,321	$41
   2	New Jersey	$84,111	$40
   3	District of Columbia	$82,023	$39
   4	California	$81,712	$39
   5	New York	$80,201	$39
   6	Virginia	$79,525	$38
   7	Massachusetts	$77,595	$37
   8	Pennsylvania	$77,527	$37
   9	Nevada	$75,562	$36
   10	Michigan	$75,094	$36
   11	Arizona	$70,427	$34
   12	North Carolina	$68,789	$33
   13	Maine	$67,086	$32
   14	Oregon	$66,619	$32
   15	Florida	$66,231	$32
   16	Delaware	$65,635	$32
   17	Texas	$64,224	$31
   18	Ohio	$63,545	$31
   19	Illinois	$63,316	$30
   20	Georgia	$61,971	$30

   Average acquisition analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AIG	$104,691	$50.33	7
   2	Visa	$101,173	$48.64	13
   3	Barclays	$99,855	$48.01	8
   4	HSBC Bank	$99,810	$47.99	5
   5	American Express	$99,297	$47.74	4
   6	Citi	$98,200	$47.21	81
   7	General Motors	$97,658	$46.95	16
   8	Databricks	$97,588	$46.92	1
   9	Evercore	$97,027	$46.65	25
   10	Nomura Securities	$96,959	$46.61	17
   11	Burlington	$93,729	$45.06	4
   12	Booz Allen Hamilton	$91,650	$44.06	35
   13	PECO Energy	$90,924	$43.71
   14	Cengage Learning	$89,657	$43.10	37
   15	Scopely	$89,347	$42.96	2
   16	Activision Blizzard	$88,151	$42.38	3
   17	Intrepid USA	$87,952	$42.28
   18	Westmount	$87,596	$42.11
   19	Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family	$87,451	$42.04	12
   20	Community Health Systems	$86,481	$41.58	10

4. Writing an acquisition analyst job description

   A good acquisition analyst job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an acquisition analyst job description:

   Acquisition analyst job description example

   Leidos is hiring an Operational Energy Acquisition Analyst in Washington, DC. Leidos supports the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Operational Energy) (SAF/IEN) with project management and policy support subject matter experts. Each year about $9B, or 7-8% of the Air Force budget has gone to purchase energy. Approximately 86%, or $7.2B, is operational energy (aviation fuel). The Air Force Operational Energy Program vision is to Create an energy optimized Air Force that maximizes combat capability for the warfighter
   Primary Responsibilities:
   Support coordination and management of SAF/IE participation in plans and programs executed by organizations such as the Air Force Research Lab and Defense Innovation Unit.Support coordination and management of SAF/IE's participation in OSD's Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) and Operational Energy Prototyping Fund (OEPF) submissions and ongoing projects.Track status and organize updates and presentations for development and prototyping projects to SAF/IEN, and potentially to congressional staffers.Serve as liaison between AFMC, OSD, and industry to facilitate briefings and presentations on new emerging technologies that have an operational energy impact.Provide detailed updates to leadership and interested parties by participating in meetings/forums and coordinating, consolidating, developing and delivering/presenting associated meeting materials (e.g. slides, after action reports, minutes) Serve as subject matter expert for current and potential acquisition programs related to operational energy.
   
   Basic Qualifications:
   Typically requires a BA degree with 8+ years of prior relevant USAF experience or Masters with 6 - 10 years of prior relevant USAF experience.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   HQ Air Force or MAJCOM Staff level experience preferred, specifically in Plans, Programs, and Requirements, and/or experience working at AFRL or with industry research, development, and innovation teams.Experience with Department of Defense acquisitions.Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification(s), or Defense Acquisition University courses completed.Experience with Technical Writing and strong communication skills preferred.
   
   Pay Range:
   Pay Range $81,900.00 - $126,000.00 - $170,100.00
   
   The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find acquisition analysts for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your acquisition analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit acquisition analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit acquisition analysts, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new acquisition analyst

   Once you've found the acquisition analyst candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new acquisition analyst. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an acquisition analyst?