How to hire a project analyst

How to hire a project analyst, step by step

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

What does a project analyst do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project analyst you need to hire. Certain project analyst roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect project analyst also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Project Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Analyst	Management analysts, often called management consultants, propose ways to improve the efficiency of an organization. They advise managers on how to make organizations more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenues.	$25-46
   Business Analyst/Project Manager	A business analyst/project manager is responsible for developing project management procedures, analyzing processes, and ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of project deliverables, following clients' specifications and requirements to meet their highest satisfaction. Business analysts/project managers manage project resources, delegate tasks to project staff, setting deadlines, and coordinating with the clients for regular updates and suggest strategic adjustments as needed... Show more	$34-65
   Business Analyst-Consultant	A business analyst-consultant is responsible for overseeing the project management and ensuring that the operations meet the agreed-upon project deliverables. Business analyst-consultants closely coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, monitoring the resources and processes for the project completion, and aligning those to the clients' budget goals... Show more	$31-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Data Analysis
   • Customer Service
   • Status Reports
   • SharePoint
   • PMP
   • Process Improvement
   • Financial Analysis
   • Infrastructure
   • Logistics
   • Project Scope
   • Visio
   • Microsoft Project
   • DOD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop infrastructure to enable clients to better understand and manage risks associate with their decision environment to capture opportunities.
   • Develop and maintain VISIO process diagrams.
   • Coordinate system upgrades, interface development, QA testing and end-user training.
   • Originate, track, and submit final samples of promotional materials to FDA.
   • Team member that implement bar code system, close reductions and Hyperion software.
   • Project utilize DB2, CICS, MQ-Series software in a mainframe/NT workstation environment.

   More project analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your project analyst job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A project analyst salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a project analyst in Maine may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level project analyst usually earns less than a senior-level project analyst. Additionally, a project analyst with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average project analyst salary

   $71,174yearly

   $34.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project analyst salary

   $52,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average project analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$82,788	$40
   2	District of Columbia	$81,996	$39
   3	Connecticut	$79,869	$38
   4	New York	$79,274	$38
   5	California	$77,415	$37
   6	North Carolina	$76,963	$37
   7	Virginia	$76,574	$37
   8	Washington	$75,887	$36
   9	Maryland	$75,138	$36
   10	Massachusetts	$74,649	$36
   11	Illinois	$74,634	$36
   12	Texas	$72,976	$35
   13	Oregon	$70,463	$34
   14	Pennsylvania	$70,330	$34
   15	Colorado	$70,095	$34
   16	Georgia	$69,611	$33
   17	Minnesota	$69,240	$33
   18	Michigan	$68,409	$33
   19	Ohio	$66,982	$32
   20	Missouri	$64,378	$31

   Average project analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$115,020	$55.30	400
   2	Apple	$104,445	$50.21	45
   3	Cybersource	$99,882	$48.02
   4	Biogen	$98,046	$47.14	2
   5	Novo Nordisk	$95,211	$45.77	2
   6	Intel	$94,288	$45.33	17
   7	Cambridge Associates	$91,955	$44.21
   8	AARP	$91,860	$44.16	1
   9	Bloomberg	$91,842	$44.15	28
   10	Ameresco	$91,507	$43.99	6
   11	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$91,308	$43.90	7
   12	Medtronic	$91,007	$43.75	55
   13	BD	$89,812	$43.18	4
   14	BNY Mellon	$89,717	$43.13	25
   15	TD Bank	$89,714	$43.13	30
   16	HP	$89,664	$43.11	2
   17	Eaton	$88,879	$42.73	68
   18	Bayer	$88,214	$42.41	1
   19	Activision Blizzard	$87,813	$42.22	3
   20	Zurich	$87,623	$42.13	30

4. Writing a project analyst job description

   A good project analyst job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a project analyst job description:

   Project analyst job description example

   This position provides analytical support to a project or department. Under the guidance of a Project Manager/Director, responsible for collecting and researching data, performing analysis, providing recommendations and presenting results.
   
   Essential Functions:- Responsible for providing analytical support to a project or department.- This position handles a full range of project components in an independent and autonomous manner.- Organizes project tasks, structures information collection activities, and sets time lines for completion of required tasks.- Develops reports on analysis conducted, provides recommendations and makes formal presentations to communicate results to various management levels.- Develops new approaches for finding additional needed information.- Demonstrates initiative in identifying alternative solutions to issues in the project or department which are reasonably complex and require an understanding of how the outcome will affect multiple areas/departments.- Helps develop project plans to ensure timely deliverables and successful completion of project.- Assists in assessing workforce needs resulting from project implementation.- Assists in identifying and developing performance management and training tools.- Develops mechanism by which to track project best practices in order to ensure these are leveraged into comparable future projects.
   
   Basic Qualifications:Experience- Minimum one (1) year of related experience.Education- Bachelor's degree OR four (4) years of experience in a directly related field in area specific to the position or project required.- High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.License, Certification, Registration- N/A. Additional Requirements:- Solid analytical skills, problem solving, and critical thinking.- Strong project organizational skills,- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.- Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.
   Preferred Qualifications:- N/A.
   
   COMPANY: KAISER
   
   TITLE: Project Analyst
   
   LOCATION: Fontana, California
   
   REQNUMBER: 1105052
   
   External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran, or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Once you have selected a candidate for the project analyst position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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 project analyst?