How to hire an application developer/analyst

How to hire an application developer/analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step application developer/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 application developer/analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new application developer/analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an application developer/analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The application developer/analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An application developer/analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, application developer/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 application developer/analysts.

   Type of Application Developer/Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Application Developer/Analyst	Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. They bring business and information technology (IT) together by understanding the needs and limitations of both.	$34-62
   Software Analyst	A software analyst is responsible for creating and designing software programs and applications, as well as modifying existing ones for optimization according to business requirements. Software analysts work with the technical team to draw system codes, analyze programming languages, and ensure the stability and efficiency of software navigation by running multiple quality checks to the system... Show more	$29-47
   Systems Analyst	A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes... Show more	$27-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Application Development
   • C++
   • JavaScript
   • Web Services
   • HTML
   • CSS
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • Technical Specifications
   • SDLC
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • C Net
   • API
   • XML

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help manage migration of hundreds of Perl scripts from Solaris to Axciom Linux.
   • Create and manage all store procedures used by the SSIS ETL packages utilizing SSMS 2008 R2.
   • Lead quality assurance planning for multiple concurrent projects relative to overall system architecture or trading system changes/new developments.
   • Implement business logic and responsive user interface using Java and web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript.
   • Develop web contents and enhance the web sites but utilizing the languages like CSS, .NET, HTML.
   • Create an ETL application to load data into the core BASE4D oracle database from external sources using XML structures.

   More application developer/analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the application developer/analyst job description is a good way to get more applicants. An application developer/analyst salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an application developer/analyst in Colorado may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level application developer/analyst. Additionally, an application developer/analyst with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average application developer/analyst salary

   $96,114yearly

   $46.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level application developer/analyst salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average application developer/analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$116,139	$56
   2	California	$112,527	$54
   3	Washington	$109,124	$52
   4	Kentucky	$108,604	$52
   5	Texas	$103,674	$50
   6	District of Columbia	$103,449	$50
   7	New Hampshire	$101,435	$49
   8	Rhode Island	$101,182	$49
   9	Maryland	$100,851	$48
   10	New York	$100,827	$48
   11	Virginia	$100,463	$48
   12	Massachusetts	$98,882	$48
   13	North Carolina	$95,995	$46
   14	Pennsylvania	$95,624	$46
   15	Connecticut	$94,787	$46
   16	Florida	$93,030	$45
   17	Tennessee	$90,898	$44
   18	Illinois	$89,894	$43
   19	Ohio	$89,270	$43
   20	Michigan	$86,787	$42

   Average application developer/analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$134,084	$64.46	79
   2	Federal National Mortgage Association	$132,048	$63.48	5
   3	Barclays	$130,815	$62.89
   4	MKP Capital Management	$126,774	$60.95
   5	Cargill	$124,633	$59.92	17
   6	Cantor Fitzgerald	$124,592	$59.90	1
   7	Credit Suisse	$117,704	$56.59
   8	Celanese	$116,940	$56.22
   9	Citicorp North America, Inc	$116,469	$55.99
   10	Louisville Water	$114,848	$55.22
   11	ConocoPhillips	$114,399	$55.00
   12	Autodesk	$112,779	$54.22	1
   13	Empire State Development Corporation	$112,333	$54.01
   14	Burlington	$112,302	$53.99	3
   15	Forrester	$109,491	$52.64	2
   16	Scotts	$107,929	$51.89
   17	Bracebridge Capital	$107,609	$51.74
   18	Ryan Consulting Group	$107,030	$51.46
   19	Teva Pharmaceuticals	$106,370	$51.14	2
   20	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$106,308	$51.11	1

4. Writing an application developer/analyst job description

   An application developer/analyst job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an application developer/analyst job description:

   Application developer/analyst job description example

   Required Travel: 26 - 50%
   
   Employment Type: Full Time/Salaried/Exempt
   
   Hours Per Week: 40.00
   
   Security Clearance: TS/SCI
   
   Level of Experience: Mid
   
   Summary
   
   Mission Technologies a division of HII is looking for an experienced Application Development Business Analyst to directly support the full spectrum of Product Management operations on the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) contract to assist in providing, requirements analysis, and systems engineering support. Selected applicant will be expected to work in a hybrid schedule, providing some on-site support in Hanover, MD.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   * Responsible for providing business and systems analysis support to identify, define, interpret, and clarify scope and requirements in terms of systems and business processes.
   * Elicit and document requirements using interviews of end-user teams and operational business personnel, document analysis (technical systems documentation and user documents), surveys, use cases, workshops, scenarios, business analysis, task and workflow analysis.
   * Own the creation of project artifacts for the client's Systems Development Methodology, Agile Methodology and/or other team deliverables. Use client tools (Confluence, Jira) and follow client processes (e.g., SAFE Agile) for management of artifacts.
   * Write/elicit Epics and decompose them into User Stories sized appropriately for the iteration.
   * Collaborate daily firsthand with end users to fully understand software products to help further enhance operations through future application releases.
   * Coordinate/support the testing process to verify requirements are met through development of acceptance test criteria and subsequent validation in the system (e.g., hands-on execution of test cases and sharing of the test results and trends).
   * Assist Product Managers in developing and implementing operational roadmaps and action plans for identified targets of opportunity.
   * Ensure the customer's experience is a success from start to finish. Provide a professional customer-facing representation of the team.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   * Minimum 5 years' directly relevant experience supporting a complex technical project and or program as a business/systems analyst or requirements engineer and a Bachelors in related field; 3 years relevant experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 9 years relevant experience.
   * Experience with Agile Software Development Life cycle is required
   * Prior experience with business/systems analysis for Government projects is strongly desired.
   
   Security Clearance - An active TS/SCI clearance is required . Candidates must have an active TS/SCI clearance to start.
   
   This opportunity resides with Cyber & Electronic Warfare, a business group within HII's Mission Technologies division. HII works within our nation's intelligence and cyber operations communities to defend our interests in cyberspace. Our deep expertise in network architecture, software and hardware development, cybersecurity and the electromagnetic environment uniquely enables us to support sensitive missions for federal agency partners.
   
   HII is a global engineering and defense technologies provider. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable a networked, all-domain force. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's skilled workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, please visit:

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right application developer/analyst for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with application developer/analysts they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit application developer/analysts who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your application developer/analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit application developer/analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit application developer/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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with application developer/analyst applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 application developer/analyst

   Once you have selected a candidate for the application developer/analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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