How to hire a lead system analyst

How to hire a lead system analyst, step by step

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

What does a lead system analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead system 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a lead system analyst to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a lead system analyst that fits the bill.

   This list presents lead system analyst salaries for various positions.

   Type of Lead System Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead System 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.	$39-65
   Analyst Lead	The duties of an analyst lead depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather leads and data, reviewing findings, and producing reports and presentations for the stakeholders and other higher-ranking officials... Show more	$35-58
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Architecture
   • C #
   • Java
   • SQL Server
   • Strong Analytical
   • System Design
   • Web Application
   • Business Processes
   • SDLC
   • DB2
   • Data Analysis
   • Data Warehouse
   • Mainframe

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design and lead process for capturing and loading user profiles on laptops and PC's company wide.
   • Modify any programs (COBOL) as necessary to achieve and/or obtain an end result of Y2K compliance.
   • Manage business requirements gathering for functionality development and interface definition from the legacy systems to the CRM and SA management applications.
   • Participate in final evaluation of and begin conversion processing of manufacturing ERP system to replace legacy mainframe processing.
   • Provide leadership in setting direction of district use of SharePoint and other web technologies.
   • Integrate supply chain by creating extranet website to integrate ERP system for real-time inventory.

   More lead system analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the lead system analyst job description is a good way to get more applicants. A lead system 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 a lead system analyst in Alabama may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level lead system analyst. Additionally, a lead system analyst with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average lead system analyst salary

   $106,561yearly

   $51.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead system analyst salary

   $82,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average lead system analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$132,679	$64
   2	Washington	$128,459	$62
   3	Massachusetts	$119,101	$57
   4	North Carolina	$114,504	$55
   5	District of Columbia	$111,973	$54
   6	New York	$109,692	$53
   7	Maryland	$109,484	$53
   8	New Jersey	$107,333	$52
   9	Virginia	$105,042	$51
   10	Connecticut	$103,080	$50
   11	Tennessee	$102,438	$49
   12	Colorado	$98,308	$47
   13	Missouri	$98,164	$47
   14	Georgia	$98,016	$47
   15	Ohio	$97,642	$47
   16	Texas	$95,330	$46
   17	Illinois	$94,771	$46
   18	Minnesota	$92,480	$44
   19	Florida	$91,024	$44
   20	Indiana	$87,105	$42

   Average lead system analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Starbucks	$134,421	$64.63	7
   2	OCC	$130,167	$62.58	1
   3	MUFG EMEA	$130,042	$62.52
   4	Barclays	$129,944	$62.47	1
   5	Amazon	$129,859	$62.43	307
   6	Devon Energy	$129,365	$62.19	1
   7	Macy's	$128,519	$61.79	3
   8	Gap Inc.	$128,263	$61.66	2
   9	Wellington Management	$127,696	$61.39	4
   10	R/GA	$119,918	$57.65
   11	Chipotle Mexican Grill	$118,385	$56.92	2
   12	Blue Shield of California	$117,739	$56.61	13
   13	ServiceNow	$117,299	$56.39	32
   14	Florida Power and Light	$117,232	$56.36	6
   15	Foot Locker	$116,364	$55.94
   16	General Motors	$116,118	$55.83	20
   17	CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield	$115,947	$55.74	12
   18	Alight Solutions	$115,116	$55.34
   19	Experian Data Quality	$113,891	$54.76
   20	CSI USA	$113,078	$54.36

4. Writing a lead system analyst job description

   A lead system 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 lead system analyst job description:

   Lead system analyst job description example

   Axient is now hiring a fully qualified Lead System Analyst, experienced in utilizing analysis methods and practices with a passion for providing systems support on a variety of highly complex tasks.
   
   In this role you will perform a variety of engineering tasks related to the development, operation, and maintenance of complex technology systems. Design work may include logic design, circuit design, I/O design, instrumentation design, firmware development, model formulation, manufacturing and development cost projections, computer architecture analysis and design, network structure design, and analog or binary systems engineering. Analyzes integration of system processes and methodologies to ensure effectiveness of total system performance. Working for Parsons will put your industry expertise to work and continue to propel your career forward as a Lead Systems Analyst.
   Responsibilities
   
   * Perform a variety of engineering tasks related to the development, operation, and maintenance of complex technology systems.
   * Design work may include logic design, circuit design, I/O design, instrumentation design, firmware development, model formulation, manufacturing and development cost projections, computer architecture analysis and design, network structure design, and analog or binary systems engineering.
   * Analyzes integration of system processes and methodologies to ensure effectiveness of total system performance
   * Assist with technical assessments of cost and performance for sustainment engineering, requirements development, interface development, and product engineering including models, fielding plan development, and program changes
   * Assist with identification and integration of technical requirements for required infrastructure and deployed systems and coordination of system development, fielding, and sustainment engineering planning
   * Develop an automated data requirements tracking tool and prepare status updates including action items and recommendations
   * Provide technical cost assessments, technical assessments of ECPs, and CDRL tracking spreadsheets related to DoG
   * Verify DoG C2BMC development activities meet warfighter expectations
   * Provide status reports and Planning Allocation Matrix (PAM) assessments
   * Experience in Strategic/Tactical strategy, planning and operations
   * Thrive in environment where interfacing with multiple stakeholders representing different echelons of organizations
   * Provides advice and counsel to the organization in area of expertise
   
   Qualifications
   
   Requirements:
   
   * Master's Degree with 12+ years, or bachelor's degree with 20+ years in lieu of a Master's Degree
   * Secret Clearance required
   * Familiarity with MDA, MDS, Sensors that support C2BM, the C3BM Program Office, and/or military experience
   * Self-starter with enthusiasm and capacity to learn in a fast-paced environment
   * Exceptional written and verbal skills required
   * Work within a collaborative environment composed of Government, prime contractor, sub-contractor and supporting contractor personnel in a badge-less contractor environment
   * Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint
   * Self-starter with enthusiasm and capacity to learn in a fast-paced environment
   
   Must meet applicable COVID safety requirements and protocols

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead system 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 lead system analyst job on Zippia to find and attract quality lead system analyst candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit lead system 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.

   If your interviews with lead system 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 lead system analyst

   Once you've decided on a perfect lead system analyst candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 lead system analyst first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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