How to hire a forecasting analyst

How to hire a forecasting analyst, step by step

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

What does a forecasting analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a forecasting analyst, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   Here's a comparison of forecasting analyst salaries for various roles:

   Type of Forecasting Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Forecasting Analyst	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$25-43
   Buyer	A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products... Show more	$17-36
   Analyst Sales	Analyst sales, or a sales analyst, is a professional who is responsible for increasing sales and revenue of a company by running competitive analysis and making recommendations on how the marketing and sales team should move forward. Sales analysts must assist in the review of monthly financial statements and prepare complex financial statements for retail and service businesses... Show more	$22-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Supply Chain
   • SQL
   • Data Analysis
   • Strong Analytical
   • SAS
   • Demand Planning
   • POS
   • Visualization
   • Financial Analysis
   • Regression
   • VBA
   • Process Improvement
   • Capacity Planning
   • Logistics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage National/Global RFP project process by creating pricing models and coordinating pricing efforts of different ManpowerGroup brands.
   • Enter sales and freight information in company ERP software program.
   • Work with logistics to track shipments to distribution center and ensure customer delivery dates are met.
   • Develop and execute the POS and inventory forecasts and analysis for mass merchants and national /international sales accounts.
   • Create promotional, POS, & inventory reports for both domestic and international accounts and submit to company each week.
   • Utilize Nielsen data to create category reviews, new product presentations, and attend customer meetings to support customer category managers.

   More forecasting analyst duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, forecasting analysts' average salary in mississippi is 57% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level forecasting analysts earn 41% less than senior-level forecasting analysts.
   • Certifications. A forecasting 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 a forecasting analyst's salary.

   Average forecasting analyst salary

   $69,708yearly

   $33.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level forecasting analyst salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average forecasting analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$106,060	$51
   2	California	$96,439	$46
   3	New Jersey	$88,530	$43
   4	Delaware	$85,950	$41
   5	Oregon	$79,201	$38
   6	Virginia	$74,417	$36
   7	North Carolina	$74,368	$36
   8	New York	$73,592	$35
   9	Texas	$71,983	$35
   10	Minnesota	$71,304	$34
   11	Michigan	$70,892	$34
   12	Ohio	$68,487	$33
   13	Illinois	$67,789	$33
   14	Tennessee	$67,292	$32
   15	Massachusetts	$67,152	$32
   16	Maryland	$66,243	$32
   17	Colorado	$65,537	$32
   18	Arkansas	$64,611	$31
   19	Arizona	$63,914	$31
   20	Georgia	$61,768	$30

   Average forecasting analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$103,914	$49.96	7
   2	PayPal	$103,031	$49.53	4
   3	General Motors	$92,176	$44.32	5
   4	Encore Capital Group	$91,873	$44.17
   5	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$86,157	$41.42	28
   6	Amazon	$85,109	$40.92	23
   7	AppDynamics	$85,014	$40.87
   8	Cypress Semiconductor	$82,742	$39.78
   9	Pacifi	$82,611	$39.72
   10	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$82,608	$39.72
   11	Tucson Electric Power	$81,717	$39.29
   12	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$81,590	$39.23
   13	HP	$80,729	$38.81	3
   14	Instacart	$80,246	$38.58	1
   15	Belk	$79,754	$38.34
   16	Gap Inc.	$79,531	$38.24
   17	Nordstrom	$79,501	$38.22
   18	Tri-State G&T	$77,973	$37.49	2
   19	Ashley HomeStore	$77,798	$37.40	4
   20	BarkBox	$77,489	$37.25

4. Writing a forecasting analyst job description

   A job description for a forecasting analyst role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a forecasting analyst job description:

   Forecasting analyst job description example

   The Forecast Analyst is accountable for strategic and tactical volume forecasts and analysis to enable assigned departments to meet or exceed performance standards. The critical responsibilities of a Forecast Analyst include:
   
   Utilize call volume and workload demand historical trends to develop models for forecasting future contact volumes while accounting for planned and unplanned events.
   
   Create and maintain departmental strategic staffing models (including headcount recommendations and service level projections) for Senior Leaders to make recommendations on divisional staffing.
   
   Consult with Service Division Department Leaders and Directors for upcoming events and recommend strategic staffing levels needed to meet performance level targets.
   
   Forecasts and accounts for growth due to seasonal variations, special events, affecting clients (such as marketing blitzes) and other cyclical patterns.
   
   Generate and present alternative forecasting ("What-If") analyses as needed to enable Senior Manager actions on staffing and performance.
   Generate and maintain tactical forecasts to inform departmental scheduling needs. Review and report on demand and performance projections versus actual and consider for future projections. Research and recommend Workforce Management and call center efficiency best practices. Generate and review reports using call center and workforce management applications. Participate in projects and the implementation of new processes and tools for improving call center workload efficiency, including call center tools and workforce management software. Required Qualifications: Minimum of 5 years of significant contact center experience. Minimum of 3 years of previous workforce management or statistical forecasting / analysis experience required. Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics or other technical field or equivalent experience is required. Exceptional mathematical, data, and organization skills. Highly proficient in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and/or Access and related systems Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to process and assess quantitative and qualitative data to make rapid selection. Ability to work alongside leaders at all levels of the organization. Must be able to multi-task, prioritize projects and work well with deadlines. Must have experience in call routing as well as call center metrics and their effect on staffing. Sound attention to detail and ability to work autonomously. Preferred Qualifications SharePoint experience.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find forecasting 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 forecasting analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit forecasting 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 forecasting 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 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.

   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 forecasting analyst

   Once you've selected the best forecasting 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new forecasting analyst. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 forecasting analyst?