How To Become A Principal Systems Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a principal systems analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Jasser Jasser,

Dr. Pauline Mosley

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a principal systems analyst. For example, did you know that they make an average of $53.44 an hour? That's $111,145 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 56,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a principal systems analyst?

Jasser Jasser

Lecturer

Creativity is paramount, whether you're part of an established company, a nonprofit, or kickstarting your venture. Challenge conventional thinking and utilize cutting-edge AI tools to stay ahead. Genuine creativity stems from a deep understanding of the latest trends and technologies. Remain vigilant for new breakthroughs, immerse yourself in tech-centric literature, and constantly ponder how these advancements can elevate your career and amplify your creative output. Additionally, cultivate a robust professional network and seek mentorship. Industry connections can offer priceless advice, open pathways to career opportunities, and provide insights that facilitate career growth and salary enhancement.

ScorePrincipal Systems AnalystUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $111,145

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.19%

Asian 14.44%

Black or African American 10.59%

Hispanic or Latino 11.29%

Unknown 5.03%

White 58.46%

Gender

female 25.36%

male 74.64%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a principal systems analyst

Explore principal systems analyst education requirements

Most common principal systems analyst degrees

Bachelor's

66.3 %

Master's

18.2 %

Associate

10.2 %

Start to develop specific principal systems analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	13.52%
HR	10.69%
Project Management	10.59%
DOD	6.04%
Java	6.03%

Complete relevant principal systems analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principal systems 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 principal systems analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principal systems analyst resumes.

Research principal systems analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage a regional information center responsible for training and empowering users to develop user generate mainframe and PC base business applications.
Project knowledge and artifacts transition to QA team.
Develop tracking mechanisms to catalog and track staff action packages for COCOMs utilize by OSD, DoD and OGAs.
Produce reports documenting RF/EW vulnerability assessments for DoD customers.

Get principal systems analyst experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a principal systems analyst. The most common roles before becoming a principal systems analyst include senior systems analyst, systems analyst team lead and programmer analyst.

Prepare your principal systems analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principal systems 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 principal systems 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 principal systems analyst resume templates

Build a professional principal systems 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 principal systems analyst resume.