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Job outlook for principal systems analysts in the United States
Principal systems analyst job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected principal systems analyst job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 56,000 new jobs for principal systems analysts are projected over the next decade.
Principal systems analyst salaries have increased 8% for principal systems analysts in the last 5 years.
There are over 76,970 principal systems analysts currently employed in the United States.
There are 191,436 active principal systems analyst job openings in the US.
The average principal systems analyst salary is $111,145.
Are principal systems analyst jobs in demand?
Principal systems analyst job and salary trends over time
Principal systems analyst jobs over time
Principal systems analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 76,970 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 109,482 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 56,090 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 97,123 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 96,139 | 0.03% |
Average principal systems analyst salary over time
Principal systems analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $111,145 | $53.44 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $107,483 | $51.67 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $105,050 | $50.50 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $104,493 | $50.24 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $103,250 | $49.64 | +1.7% |
Principal systems analyst jobs by state
Most common states for principal systems analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 775 | 112% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,604 | 43% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 488 | 36% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,370 | 33% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,909 | 32% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,789 | 32% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 292 | 30% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 221 | 30% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 305 | 29% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 544 | 28% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 212 | 28% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,501 | 27% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,837 | 26% |
| 14 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 548 | 26% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 149 | 26% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,148 | 25% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 158 | 25% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,507 | 24% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 870 | 24% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 255 | 24% |
Most common cities for principal systems analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hudson | 2 | 8% | $104,514 |
| 2 | Germantown | 1 | 1% | $109,586 |
| 3 | Joliet | 1 | 1% | $98,892 |
| 4 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $112,960 |
| 5 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $100,940 |
| 6 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $99,038 |
| 7 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $102,726 |
Principal Systems Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of principal systems analyst experts
UMass Lowell
Widener University
University of Southern Maine
Sullivan University
Belmont University
Western Kentucky University
SUNY College at Geneseo
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of California, Santa Cruz
Siena College
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Mount St Mary's University
Mount Saint Mary's University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What will help Principal Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Rebecca MacGowan: My general advice is to work backwards and start your career by thinking about what you want to achieve long term. When you think about your career in ten or twenty years, what position are you in? Once you have an idea of the type of position you would like to be in during the middle and/or late stage of your career, go on LinkedIn and look up individuals who currently hold that position and see what their career trajectory was. What positions provided them the stepping stones to achieve the career you currently aspire to? By working backwards, you can ensure that your initial position is setting you up for your long-term goals. Additionally, what you are likely to find when you look at the career paths of different folks is that there are often many paths leading to your ideal future position. Hopefully, this broadens your perspective regarding what position you need right now and how different positions can help set you up for your desired future career. Often, unless we are exceptionally fortunate, our first career after undergraduate isn’t going to be our ideal position, but with proper planning, it can be the first step towards our ideal position.
What will help Principal Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
David Hart: This field has become more valuable ever since the supply chain interruption due to Covid. The analyst is challenged every day with supply chain issues and deployment of the right resources to their prospective areas. Every day can be a new challenge so the work is rarely mundane.
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Adam Roth: I recommend that students start by identifying a specific skill in demand within your field, such as data analysis or social media marketing, and focus on developing expertise in that area. Research salary ranges and living costs in particular areas where you’re interested in working to ensure your compensation aligns with the local market. Always negotiate a salary and consider other aspects of the offer, such as funds for continuing education, technology and more. Continuing to network and establish demand for your services is essential; attend industry events, join professional associations, and engage with professionals in your field. Never miss an opportunity to reach out to and check in with your professional contacts. Pursue additional learning opportunities and education, such as certifications or advanced degrees, to provide a competitive advantage and increase your earning potential over time.
Tongyang Yang Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics and Business AnalyticsWidener University
Business/Commerce
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tongyang Yang Ph.D.: The rise of AI has brought many opportunities for the professions like business analysts in terms of AI integration. Businesses will need analysts who can bridge the gap between AI and human needs and focus on more strategic areas like identifying ethical considerations of AI implementation, developing plans to mitigate AI bias, and designing human-AI collaboration workflows. For people who are interested in entering this profession, I would suggest adapting your skillset to include AI understanding, data storytelling, and strategic thinking to be well-positioned in the future.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen believes that the skills that will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years are...
What will help Principal Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Thomas Smith PhD: Soft skills (people skills) and critical thinking are both skills that will serve you well throughout your career, and unfortunately, they are areas that receive little focus in most education today. Remember the 'Golden Rule' and learn from your mistakes.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines: Over the next five years, the expanding landscape of Big Data facilitated via Information Systems will continue to play a major role in the structure of how Smart Systems are created and maintained. As a result, having skills that will allow for effectively accessing, modifying, analyzing, storing and securing data is key. The integration of these skills are strengths that will support fields under the umbrella of computer science and data science that expand into machine learning, natural language processing and the Internet of Things (IoT) concepts.
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines: Colleges and universities try very hard to prepare students for life after graduation. Most students have the required skill sets for their field of study. However, the journey after attaining a degree still can be tricky. Selecting the right field for you is paramount. Information Systems (IS) is a great major. The interdisciplinary aspect of Information Systems (IS) allows graduates to select from numerous opportunities in the field. However, this can be quite overwhelming when students have options to apply to countless jobs. My advice would be to reflect on several assignments, projects or internship experiences during your undergraduate career that captured your interest, made you smile while completing the assignment or even one which began as a random goal and became personal. Start by identifying tasks that made you inquire more about a topic outside of the minimum requirements or a task that was challenging but helped to improve a skill set. Reflecting on these experiences will allow you to effectively navigate what areas to consider and what jobs to apply to in a sea of endless opportunities. Additionally, having the ability to reflect on past accomplishments can motivate and challenge graduates to achieve additional goals as they continue building their careers.
What will help Principal Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines: Employers will seek candidates that have knowledge on topics such as database systems, networking, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Leveraging the skills acquired from your degree and extending those by acquiring external certifications in these fields will help distinguish you from other candidates. There are many online programs which offer certifications in AWS, Network+, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and SAP that are innovative and provide real-world case studies to prepare students to have successful careers.
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
Jasmine Tang
SUNY College at Geneseo
Bilingual, Multilingual, And Multicultural Education
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jasmine Tang: Be confident of their major/minor or the subject they like and do best of the field they like for themselves not for money or please their parents or fulfill the dream of others.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Being able to negotiate a salary is also a skill that students need to learn and one that is rarely taught in college. Students need to be able to ask for more than they are offered, but also take jobs at entry levels, prove themselves and then ask for an increase in pay six months into the job after they have shown that they are doing the work and achieving their goals.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Stephen Long: 1. Be engaged. From the moment you get to work to the time you leave be present mentally. Resist all the temptations that will keep you from focusing on the tasks at hand.
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: I would advise graduates to be open to considering jobs in lots of different fields. The skills acquired through their major- such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing- are ones that transfer well to a variety of situations.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Sunita Goel PhD: Great. Will send you the responses soon. Please let me know the latest deadline by which you need them.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Sagar Raina D.Sc.: The transition from the academic world to the industry is a significant milestone and may be overwhelming for the beginners. The first and foremost advice I would give is to be “patient”, be “positive” and be “open to learning”. The field of Information Systems consists of the three important components – people, processes, and technology. The graduates beginning their careers should be able to understand and learn about the “people” working in the organization, the “processes” of the organization and the “technology” used by the organization. To accomplish this, work hard, be open to ask questions to the senior colleagues and keep yourself informed about the new trends in Information Systems sector.
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sagar Raina D.Sc.: One of the recommendations would be to get an entry-level industry certification within the Information Systems field. For example, if you are interested in networking, you can go for CompTIA Network+, similarly, if you are interested in cybersecurity, you can go for CompTIA Security+. In addition to your college degree, industry certifications are well recognized by the organizations which can maximize your salary potential when starting a career in Information Systems.
What will help Principal Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Sagar Raina D.Sc.: Apart from the traditional knowledge expected in the field such coding, computer networking, database design and development, systems analyses, web technologies and development, data analytics; the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the knowledge about cybersecurity will be considered as the important and prevalent skills sought among the new graduates in the field.
Robert Affe
Senior Lecturer, EmeritusWhat Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Robert Affe: Realize that your first job is not a lifetime job. In fact, you probably will not have that job in a year or two, so keep a steady emotional mindset about your responsibilities. Digital/tech industries are evolving at an accelerated pace. Learn to “think like your boss”. It will demonstrate that you are observant, and can learn; and your boss will appreciate and likely reward that extra effort. Demonstrate your "commitment to the enterprise”, whether it is your specific assignment or the other goal of the company. Do what is expected of you——and then do more.
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Rachel Rice: Could you provide some details about the article and what specifically you're looking for so I can best direct your request?
Peter Antoniou MIBA, DBA
Business & Management ProfessorMount Saint Mary's University
International Business
What Principal Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Antoniou MIBA, DBA: We are operating in One Global environment! There is ONe global demand and One Global supply. You just happen to be located in one geographical area in the world. Look at Any product and follow its supply chain and one can easily realize that the majority of the components are manufactured or sources overseas. The same applies for services! One can engineer, design, provide support services to anyone in the world. Time difference is an advantage because you can do work when others are sleeping!
What general advice would you give to a Principal Systems Analyst?
Oliver Keys Jr: The power of mentorships and networking early in your career will be beneficial in the long run. Also, understanding that professional skills can be half the battle. Showing up on time, dressing appropriately, and communicating effectively can be challenging for some students. Internships and externships are great for students to get technical and professional experience.