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What is a control analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Erik Johnson Ph.D.
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A control analyst studies the internal processes and operations within an organization to identify inadequacies and recommend strategies and policies to fix them and minimize risk. The work of a control analyst also includes supervising processes and providing technical guidance for personnel of an organization.

For this role, you will be involved in defining the work strategy for an organization, making improvements to processes, and informing or training personnel on these changes. You will also prepare incident reports, reconcile records and analyze documents like ledger accounts or balance sheets based on generally accepted accounting principles. A control analyst may also be part of an organization's audit process.

Individuals who work as control analysts typically have a bachelor's degree. But a high school or GED may suffice in some cases. Control analysts must have excellent analytical abilities and good technical abilities. Excellent communication skills and an ability to collaborate with others and liaise with external auditors may also be necessary for this role. The average annual income of a control analyst is $58,958.

What general advice would you give to a control analyst?

Erik Johnson Ph.D.Erik Johnson Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Economics, Carthage College

Economics gives you a set of tools to analyze a variety of policy and business problems. However, determining which tools to apply in which situation requires that you learn the industry, you are working from top to bottom. When you begin a new job in a new field, be sure to do everything you can to understand how the organization and the industry work to understand the primary incentives that everyone faces. One right way to do this is to make as many connections within the company you are working for as possible, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities within the company and how they can help you learn more. Moreover, do your best to ensure that a significant portion of your job involves some creative endeavors, such as economic modeling or building tools for yourself or others to use. As computing power continues to become cheaper, and artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, relatively repetitive tasks become more comfortable and easier to automate. Therefore, you will have less job security. Creative tasks, such as modeling and tool building, are difficult to automate and are more likely to provide you with more satisfaction.
ScoreControl AnalystUS Average
Salary
5.4

Avg. Salary $69,598

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 11.74%

Black or African American 8.28%

Hispanic or Latino 9.04%

Unknown 4.52%

White 66.27%

Gender

female 48.05%

male 51.95%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
2.2

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Control analyst career paths

Key steps to become a control analyst

  1. Explore control analyst education requirements

    Most common control analyst degrees

    Bachelor's

    69.3 %

    Associate

    12.9 %

    Master's

    11.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific control analyst skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Internal Controls8.15%
    Risk Assessments5.78%
    SOX4.70%
    Internal Audit4.07%
    Customer Service4.03%
  3. Complete relevant control analyst training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New control analysts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a control analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real control analyst resumes.
  4. Research control analyst duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the implementation and roll-out of SharePoint as a team collaboration and document management tool.
    • Develop infrastructure to enable clients to better understand and manage risks associate with their decision environment to capture opportunities.
    • Transform the month-end calculation methodology and analysis process to provide a more accurate and detail fuel accruals and variance analysis.
    • Assist in SQL database applications development custom tailor for company s needs.
  5. Prepare your control analyst resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your control analyst resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a control analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable control analyst resume templates

    Build a professional control analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your control analyst resume.
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  6. Apply for control analyst jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a control analyst job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first control analyst job

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Average control analyst salary

The average control analyst salary in the United States is $69,598 per year or $33 per hour. Control analyst salaries range between $50,000 and $95,000 per year.

Average control analyst salary
$69,598 Yearly
$33.46 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do control analysts rate their job?

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Control analyst reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023
Pros

Enjoy analyzing the projects. I like tracking and knowing how we are doing on the projects.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021
Pros

Flexibility of schedule and type of work in Organizational Development. Telecommute options are also superb.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

There is a lot of critical thinking needed for the job.

Cons

Its all sitting, and you are unlikely to get a raise


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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