How to hire a decision analyst

How to hire a decision analyst, step by step

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

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

What does a decision analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The decision 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

   A decision analyst's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, decision 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of decision analysts and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Decision Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Decision Analyst	Operations research analysts use advanced mathematical and analytical methods to help organizations investigate complex issues, identify and solve problems, and make better decisions.	$27-52
   Co-Operations Internship	Co-operations interns perform various tasks for an organization. These include troubleshooting computer issues for employees, updating the documentation on internal troubleshooting, and designing and performing clerical tasks such as data entry and making telephone calls... Show more	$13-24
   Supply Systems Analyst	Supply systems analyst professionals are responsible for collecting and analyzing data that will improve the supply chain operations of an organization. These analysts are required to develop and perform logistics management operations that can involve planning, costing, coordinating, and relevant program evaluations... Show more	$23-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Analysis
   • SQL
   • SAS
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Collection
   • Credit Card
   • BI
   • Analytical Support
   • Data Quality
   • Credit Risk
   • Business Rules
   • Regression
   • Analytical Tools
   • R

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the project life cycle from business requirements through implementation to convert the PeopleSoft AP reporting platform to Cognos.
   • Lead an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system selection, including gathering requirements, vendor evaluation and business case development.
   • Manage vendors and supervise campus project initiatives to provide infrastructure upgrades.
   • Provide reporting to senior management; manage invoice payment, collections and reconciliations.
   • Manage all logistics and supply chain operations that facilitate sales delivery with minimal disruption to distribution, following all compliance standards.
   • Work for simulation in python and java.

   More decision analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your decision analyst job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A decision analyst can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, decision analysts' average salary in arkansas is 53% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level decision analysts 48% less than senior-level decision analysts.
   • Certifications. A decision analyst with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a decision analyst's salary.

   Average decision analyst salary

   $79,900yearly

   $38.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level decision analyst salary

   $57,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average decision analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$102,677	$49
   2	Washington	$101,458	$49
   3	Delaware	$95,215	$46
   4	Massachusetts	$94,345	$45
   5	New York	$92,980	$45
   6	Virginia	$90,015	$43
   7	New Jersey	$89,351	$43
   8	North Carolina	$79,632	$38
   9	Colorado	$79,115	$38
   10	Illinois	$77,662	$37
   11	Arizona	$77,581	$37
   12	Michigan	$76,711	$37
   13	Texas	$76,419	$37
   14	Ohio	$72,879	$35
   15	Missouri	$70,828	$34
   16	Nebraska	$62,479	$30
   17	Florida	$61,600	$30
   18	Georgia	$60,588	$29

   Average decision analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$129,456	$62.24	17
   2	PayPal	$117,577	$56.53
   3	Chevron	$101,533	$48.81	2
   4	Santander Private Banking International	$100,957	$48.54	1
   5	Barclays	$100,708	$48.42
   6	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$100,316	$48.23	31
   7	Santander Bank	$99,705	$47.94
   8	T-Mobile	$95,934	$46.12	5
   9	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$91,850	$44.16	5
   10	Ibotta	$90,921	$43.71
   11	Equifax	$90,782	$43.65	3
   12	SafeAuto	$88,682	$42.64
   13	Toyota Financial Svc	$88,409	$42.50	1
   14	Delta Air Lines	$87,538	$42.09	2
   15	USAA	$85,993	$41.34
   16	Marketing Associates	$85,765	$41.23
   17	Huntington National Bank	$85,333	$41.03	20
   18	Alliance Data	$84,926	$40.83
   19	Pacific Market International	$84,105	$40.44
   20	Regions Bank	$84,037	$40.40	3

4. Writing a decision analyst job description

   A decision 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 a decision analyst job description:

   Decision analyst job description example

   The Decision Engine Team at Huntington coordinates real-time inbound customer treatment strategies to target customers with personalized messages. These interactions increase sales, build relationships, increase marketing conversion rates and optimize channel usage. The Senior Decision Analyst - Capabilities is responsible for identifying, documenting, justifying, and managing the implementation and adoption of new capabilities that optimize Huntington's use of data and analytics to deliver relevant messages and drive deeper relationships. You will:
   
   + Work with marketing strategists, product owners, modeling, test design, leads production, and analysis teams to identify opportunities for improvement in Decision Engine capabilities and processes.
   
   + Coordinate with Decision Engine Execution team to communicate best practices and new capabilities to business partners.
   + Drive all aspects of enhancement projects, within an agile development environment.
   
   + Primary contact with Decision Engine IT team for development, testing, and problem resolution.
   
   Basic Qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Analytics, Decision Sciences, Statistics, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or Management Information Systems.
   
   + 5 or more years of experience executing targeted marketing programs utilizing the IBM/HCL/Unica Marketing Suite (Campaign, Interact, Marketing Operations, etc) or other campaign management utilities/decision engine software such as Adobe or Pega.
   
   + Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to interact effectively across all organizational levels.
   
   + Progressive thinker and problem solver, with a strong ability to manage ambiguity/complexity.
   
   + Work effectively in teams as well as independently across multiple tasks while meeting aggressive timelines.
   
   + Ability to embrace change, constructively negotiate constraints, and effectively leverage resources to create exceptional outcomes. Consistently inspires high levels of professional demeanor and integrity.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   + Experience working in a consumer-centric company with teams of technical professionals in a cross-functional environment.
   
   + Fluent in programming languages such as SQL, SAS, R, or Python.
   
   #LI-remote
   
   Workplace Type:
   
   Remote
   
   Compensation Range:
   
   The compensation range represents the low and high end of the base compensation range for this position. Actual compensation will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. Colleagues in this position are also eligible to participate in an applicable incentive compensation plan. In addition, Huntington provides a variety of benefits to colleagues, including health insurance coverage, wellness program, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plan, paid leave programs, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO).
   
   EEO/AA Employer/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
   
   Tobacco-Free Hiring Practice: Visit Huntington's Career Web Site for more details.
   
   Agency Statement: Huntington does not accept solicitation from Third Party Recruiters for any position

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right decision analyst for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with decision analyst candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with decision 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 decision analyst

   Once you've selected the best decision analyst candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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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How much does it cost to hire a decision analyst?