How do I get experience as a research analyst?

You can get experience as a research analyst during college through classes and internship experiences. A person can also seek entry-level research jobs and volunteer work to build up their knowledge and various skills and tools to succeed as a research analyst.

What degree do you need to be a research analyst?

You need a bachelor's degree to be a research analyst. Typical fields of study that research analysts have included business, economics, and mathematics. Research analysts can be found everywhere and in any industry, not just the financial sector. Therefore, nearly any academic background could viably serve a prospective researcher, as long as the researcher has the requisite technical, mathematical, and analytical skills.

What is the career path for a research analyst?

The career path for a research analyst is varied. Typically, this path starts as a research assistant and becomes a research specialist, research manager, or research director. The specific direction any given research analyst takes depends on their unique set of interests and aptitude.

What skills do you need to be a research analyst?

The skills you need to be a research analyst are math skills paired with specific interpersonal skills. This combination allows the research analyst to recognize trends and patterns and understand the human motives that may drive such practices.

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

What is a research analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Jill Koehler,

Dr. Anne Paulet Ph.D.

A research analyst conducts research and analysis to provide insights and recommendations to clients or organizations. They use research methods and analytical tools to collect data, identify trends, and develop reports. Research analysts may work in fields such as finance, marketing, healthcare, or technology. They can specialize in specific areas such as market research, investment analysis, or data analytics. Overall, research analysts provide accurate and relevant information that helps clients or organizations make informed decisions.

What general advice would you give to a research analyst?

Jill Koehler

Associate Dean, Career Development and Part-Time Faculty, Quinnipiac University

My advice for a graduate beginning their career with a degree in marketing would be to hit the ground running by learning as much as possible about the industry you are working in. Keep reaching, expanding, and challenging yourself while always remaining flexible and open to new ideas and situations. Stay hungry and vigilant.

Talk to your colleagues about what types of things they had to learn the hard way, the most valuable skills they have learned, and ask if there is anything they would recommend you add to your skillset that you may not currently possess.

Stay current on marketing trends - what is hot, what's not, the influencers, who are the major players, and make as many authentic connections as you go.

Take care of your network. By that, keep the people who helped you get to where you are apprised of where you have landed and offer genuine appreciation for any help they may have provided. At the same time, continue to build your network with the people you are meeting along the way.

LinkedIn is your friend. Share professional thoughts and share ideas on LinkedIn to keep yourself visible as someone who has something to say and contribute while making sure to steer clear from anything political or controversial.

ScoreResearch AnalystUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,232

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.13%

Asian 14.28%

Black or African American 4.74%

Hispanic or Latino 11.28%

Unknown 4.89%

White 64.68%

Gender

female 49.20%

male 50.80%

Age - 34

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 - 34

Stress level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a research analyst?

Pros

High demand for skilled analysts
Potential for high pay and bonuses
Flexibility in work schedule
Collaboration with other professionals
Ability to work remotely

Cons

Long hours and potential for overtime
Challenging work can lead to stress and burnout
Limited job security due to reliance on project funding
May require a higher degree or specialized training
Can be isolating due to long hours spent on solo research projects

Key steps to become a research analyst

Explore research analyst education requirements

Most common research analyst degrees

Bachelor's

69.6 %

Master's

17.9 %

Associate

5.9 %

Start to develop specific research analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	6.31%
Data Collection	5.74%
Research Projects	4.69%
PowerPoint	4.68%
Market Research	3.96%

Complete relevant research analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research 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 research analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research analyst resumes.

Research research analyst duties and responsibilities

Develop VBA to automate the analysis of website data, which save staff labor time.
Manage medication studies, and ensury clinical trial centers conduct studies in accordance with GCP standards.
Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
Work with engineering teams to troubleshoot issues.

Prepare your research analyst resume

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

Build a professional research 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 research analyst resume.

Apply for research analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a research analyst job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first research analyst job

CeDaniel Sumpter

Research Analyst, ValueAct Capital

My name is CeDaniel Sumpter, my introduction to the Research Analyst came from an internship in San Francisco. During the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, I worked for my father as a sales consultant at a car dealership, working long but rewarding hours. This was the only real work experience I had gained, but it was very helpful. It taught me how to work long hours but be persistent and focus on doing a good job. Despite it being in a different field, I was able to take key learnings and apply to finance opportunities.

Prior to the summer of my junior year, I interviewed for the Hyperion Fellowship as a research analyst in San Francisco, California. My first interview went very well with Inclusive Capital, however due to my lack of experience within finance, they were unable to continue with my application. However, because of the conversation, the interviewer was inspired by my story and decided to refer me to one of the sister firms that was also looking for interns. With this company, ValueAct Capital, we had a wonderful conversation and although I hadn’t had a prior internship in finance, they took a chance on me.

During this internship, I was tasked with looking at mergers and acquisitions over a broad landscape of industries. I quickly asked all the important questions on how to start: How can you tell if a company has a good business model, how do you analyze historical financial statements, how do you curate a well developed itinerary for investor relation calls, etc. It was a great experience, but the most important thing I learned was having good people around is important. You have to lean on your colleagues and that fosters innovation, new ideas, and a successful team.

This was my introduction to the position of being a research analyst. Thanks to ValueAct Capital, it has given me great pride and excitement in the financial analyst position. Finishing up Master’s in Economics, I’m seeking further opportunities in the financial sector as a research analyst to develop my skills even further.

How do research analysts rate their job?

4.5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Research analyst reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

It's all about getting data, follow up on project, ensuring that jobs are done properly, write reports after a project is done. You travel if the job or project you're handling is out station.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

Compiling data of organization and implementing strategies to measure growth in business

Cons

Fundamental Economics

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Pros

I get to work on data that interests me and help make sure that data collection goes as planned. Lots of problem-solving with the flexibility to work a slightly different schedule or from home.

Cons

Lots of sitting.

What is a research analyst and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a research analyst?

What are the pros and cons of being a research analyst?

Research analyst career paths

Key steps to become a research analyst

Explore research analyst education requirements

Most common research analyst degrees

Start to develop specific research analyst skills

Complete relevant research analyst training and internships

Research research analyst duties and responsibilities

Prepare your research analyst resume

Choose from 10+ customizable research analyst resume templates

Apply for research analyst jobs

How did you land your first research analyst job

Average research analyst salary

How do research analysts rate their job?

Research analyst reviews

Research analyst FAQs

How do I get experience as a research analyst?

What degree do you need to be a research analyst?

What is the career path for a research analyst?

What skills do you need to be a research analyst?

Search for research analyst jobs

Research analyst jobs by state