Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for senior systems analysts in the United States
Senior systems analyst job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior systems analyst job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 56,000 new jobs for senior systems analysts are projected over the next decade.
Senior systems analyst salaries have increased 8% for senior systems analysts in the last 5 years.
There are over 222,686 senior systems analysts currently employed in the United States.
There are 154,569 active senior systems analyst job openings in the US.
The average senior systems analyst salary is $82,717.
Are senior systems analyst jobs in demand?
Senior systems analyst job and salary trends over time
Senior systems analyst jobs over time
Senior systems analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 222,686 | 0.07% |
| 2020 | 295,441 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | 190,538 | 0.06% |
| 2018 | 261,388 | 0.08% |
| 2017 | 258,272 | 0.08% |
Average senior systems analyst salary over time
Senior systems analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,717 | $39.77 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $79,991 | $38.46 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $78,180 | $37.59 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $77,766 | $37.39 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $76,841 | $36.94 | +1.7% |
Senior systems analyst jobs by state
Most common states for senior systems analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 485 | 70% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,864 | 27% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 186 | 25% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 221 | 23% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 129 | 21% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,665 | 20% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 151 | 20% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,326 | 18% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 729 | 18% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 247 | 18% |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 193 | 18% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,195 | 17% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 942 | 17% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 928 | 17% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 100 | 17% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 979 | 16% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 585 | 16% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 316 | 16% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 142 | 16% |
| 20 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,531 | 15% |
Most common cities for senior systems analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 6 | 15% | $84,343 |
| 2 | Frankfort | 4 | 14% | $68,856 |
| 3 | Arlington Heights | 6 | 8% | $76,090 |
| 4 | Hartford | 5 | 4% | $82,818 |
| 5 | Topeka | 5 | 4% | $66,755 |
| 6 | Boston | 19 | 3% | $82,375 |
| 7 | Little Rock | 5 | 3% | $66,701 |
| 8 | Lansing | 4 | 3% | $75,689 |
| 9 | Springfield | 4 | 3% | $74,350 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 10 | 2% | $74,348 |
| 11 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $71,946 |
| 12 | Montgomery | 4 | 2% | $71,062 |
| 13 | Tallahassee | 4 | 2% | $69,764 |
| 14 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $73,383 |
| 15 | Washington | 5 | 1% | $86,483 |
| 16 | Baton Rouge | 3 | 1% | $74,816 |
| 17 | Chicago | 7 | 0% | $76,096 |
| 18 | Phoenix | 5 | 0% | $78,588 |
| 19 | Indianapolis | 4 | 0% | $72,916 |
Senior Systems Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior systems analyst experts
UMass Lowell
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Merrimack College
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
University of North Dakota
Saint John Fisher College
Western Kentucky University
University of La Verne
Southern Connecticut State University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Remember that your first job does not define your career. You may build a career around that first job or you may use it as a valuable learning experience to change careers at some point. Eventually, what we call our careers are only really seen in hindsight. They are part of a narrative we construct about ourselves. So, don't worry to much about whether you are on the 'right path'. The right path is the one you chose at the time given the constraints and alternatives before you. But make the most of every opportunity you can to learn more about yourself - what you like, what you don't like, and what you find fulfilling about your work.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Senior 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 Senior Systems Analyst?
Dr. Swagata Banerjee PhD: Research salary benchmarks: Before negotiating your salary, research industry standards and typical salary ranges for your role and level of experience. Highlight your value: During interviews and salary negotiations, emphasize your skills, qualifications, and any relevant experience that sets you apart from other candidates. Negotiate strategically: Approach salary negotiations with confidence, but also be willing to compromise. Consider other factors such as benefits, professional development opportunities, and work-life balance. Consider long-term growth: While salary is important, also consider the potential for career advancement, learning opportunities, and overall job satisfaction when evaluating job offers. Continue to increase your value: Invest in continuous learning, seek out opportunities for skill development, and regularly reassess your market value as you gain experience and expertise.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Swagata Banerjee PhD: Network extensively: Build relationships with professionals in your field, attend industry events, and join relevant professional organizations. Continuously learn and adapt: Stay updated on industry trends, new technologies, and best practices through courses, workshops, and online resources. Seek mentorship: Find experienced professionals who can offer guidance and advice as you navigate your career path. Be proactive and resourceful: Take initiative, seek out opportunities for growth, and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Reshad Osmani PhD: In the next 3-5 years, skills like data analysis, digital literacy, adaptability, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are likely to become even more important across various fields due to the increasing influence of technology, automation, and remote work trends. Additionally, skills related to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and sustainability may also gain prominence.
Renee Robinson Ph.D.
Professor of CommunicationWhat Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Renee Robinson Ph.D.: What skills do you think will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years?
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Renee Robinson Ph.D.: That would be awesome! We were hoping you could answer the following questions: 1. What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career in the field?
What general advice would you give to a Senior 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 Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Rebecca MacGowan: Maximizing salary potential at any stage of your career is related to how you as a candidate can create value (tangible and intangible) in the organization as well as establishing to the organization the idea of scarcity as it pertains to your profile as a job candidate. Start by assessing what your value add as a candidate is to the company. What hard and soft skills do you have related to your specific field, or the position you are interested in, that you should be compensated for? Establishing this helps you to secure your baseline compensation. Then, in order to further maximize your pay and benefits, it is important to communicate with recruiters and hiring managers how your particular mix of skills is unique and would be difficult to find in another candidate. This creates the scarcity regarding your candidate profile and incentivizes the company to compensate you at a higher level in order to recruit you into the organization. Not only do you have valuable skills, but finding a similar candidate would take significant time and effort, ultimately costing the organization more, so they would be better off allocating that money to giving you a better offer.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Ning Ye Ph.D.: The business environment is a rapidly changing one; I think it's important to be aware of the latest market trends, technologies and best practices in your field. This could mean taking part in workshops or online training or it could even involve seeking higher qualifications like advanced degrees and certifications. Secondly, I believe that it is important to build strong professional networks. Here, networking can easily lead to fresh opportunities and valuable mentorship. Lastly, being able to communicate with others, solve problems as a team, and manage time effectively are all great soft skills you should develop. Such skills will enable you to deal with the intricacies of the workplace efficiently by making an impact within your team.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Marilyn Krogh: Know yourself—take time to identify and name your own strengths, interests and priorities in your work life. Take advantage of the services from your university career development center.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Marilyn Krogh: Have a strong undergraduate portfolio, do an internship before graduation, and be willing to 'go an extra mile' for your employer.
What will help Senior 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.
Dany Doueiri
ProfessorWhat Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dany Doueiri: Have a team mentality, share, keep learning, and seek all professional development opportunities available to you, through your work or individually.
Angel Armenta
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Angel Armenta: Just following up. I answered the questions but before I send my answers I wanted to know if I send my answers will they for sure be featured in the article ?
What Senior 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.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Bradley Andrew Ph.D.: I’m going to change the question based on the evidence gathered by labor economists. Overall, income rises most in a person’s 20s and 30s, stagnates in one’s 40s and actually falls from age 50 on. Moreover, people who are willing to change jobs more frequently have greater salary growth. If this is your goal, then spending your twenties and thirties working hard on your skills and credentials, being willing to move from one position to another and being geographically flexible will increase your lifetime income.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Bradley Andrew Ph.D.: Once you have your first job, ask about or determine the 20% of your supervisor’s job that they hate and start doing that for them. They will love you for it and it will quickly get you recognition. You’ll also be well on your way to learning your boss’s job. Continue doing this as you progress in your career (Kudos to Theo Epstein, former GM for the Red Sox, for this recommendation)
No matter the task you’re given, do it to the absolute best of your abilities. In the professional world, you may often be given menial tasks or tasks that you don’t believe are part of your job description. Doing those tasks to the absolute best of your ability leads to increased trust, recognition and responsibility and will put you “above class.” If asked, the coffee you bring should be the best your boss has ever had. You never know who’s watching.
Don’t expect credit and don’t ask for credit when things go right; give the credit to others.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Zhu Mao: It is exciting if someone just finished his/her schools and that is a big achievement, but I would still suggest as the first priority: do not stop learning. This may be a different set of knowledges to learn, maybe more practical, maybe not related with the major per se. Education doesn’t end here, and they want to stay on top of the industry trend and may learning new advancements through conferences and MOOCs too. Another suggestion I have is to start building up a network, and in 10, 20, and 30 years, they will find out that these professional relationships are critical to their career path and a lot of time, mentorship just happens without you realize it. Network can be strengthened both in and out of work, sometimes professional associations help a lot too. In addition, communication skills and leadership abilities cannot be more important succeeding the career. The last one would be embracing uncertainties and challenges. As a student, most of the problems have answers and professors will know the answers before you start solving the problems, while at work, it will be complete a different story. Don’t shy away from the challenges and don’t be discouraged if something didn’t work out as you thought due to many uncontrollable factors.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Zhu Mao: Find yourself a good platform and demonstrate your irreplaceability. New challenges always coming out from the interdisciplinary area and continuous learning will not only enhance the capability, but also demonstrate the commitment to professional growth and engagement to the field.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Melissa Zimdars: To remember that you're going to learn a lot on the job and that failure is part of the learning process. It's okay to ask questions and to not know things, but you must be willing to take feedback, adjust, and grow.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Melissa Zimdars: - The ability to communicate effectively is an evergreen skill that only seems to be getting more important as the number of ways we communicate with each other, our supervisors, and with clients or outside stakeholders keeps expanding. - The ability to adapt to and learn how to navigate new technologies and platforms.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Melissa Zimdars: Recognize that your first career opportunity won't be your last. If the job you land after college does not have opportunities for growth or advancement, it's imperative that you keep an eye out for them elsewhere as you continue to gain experience in your field.
Fawen Zhang PhD
Professor of AudiologyUniversity of Cincinnati Clermont College
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
Yvette Koepke
Associate Dean for Academic SuccessUniversity of North Dakota
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Yvette Koepke: Advice: Be open! Your knowledge and skills could be valuable to any position in any field, so don’t limit yourself to jobs with certain titles or organizations---but you need to be able to make your case. Also be open to opportunities that might arise unexpectedly through talking with people around you about your background and interests.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yvette Koepke: Salary: Preparation is key. Prepare by taking advantage of opportunities and experiences through projects, jobs, internships, organizations, or volunteering. Prepare by doing homework about the field and the position, and research showing the value of diversity. And prepare by practicing how best to make the case for what you can contribute.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Yi Liu Ph.D., CFP®: Having grit is more important than you may realize because facing challenges and barriers is part of the process. There will be bumps and hurdles. But what important is that you do not give up. It's okay not to have all of the answers on the first day. Be curious, ask questions, and delve deeply into learning about your profession. It can take up to 6,000 hours to completely master a field. So, allow yourself the opportunity to learn and grow. Enjoy the journey, not the destination. That's where the true learning occurs.
Xiaowen Chen Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorWestern Kentucky University
Psychology
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Xiaowen Chen Ph.D.: Present your knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience by showing your research and applied projects so that employers will know what you have accomplished and the potential value you can bring to their organization.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
Xiaowen Chen Ph.D.: · Don’t stop learning new skills, technologies, and knowledge. Your skillsets and knowledge should continuously develop in line with the rapidly changing world. There isn't a single skill or certificate that can keep you competitive for years. · You may not be a computer scientist or data scientist, it's beneficial to understand the basics of machine learning and artificial intelligence and try to use AI-assistant tools.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
William Luse PhD.: While mastering artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important, I believe the timeless skills of effective communication will remain critical. Whether it's crafting clear emails, delivering impactful presentations, or engaging in meaningful conversations, these skills are indispensable across all career paths. Another skill that will become crucial is learning to interact with AI through conversational prompts. This ability to communicate effectively with AI not only enhances your productivity but also opens up new avenues for leveraging technology in innovative ways.
What will help Senior Systems Analysts increase their earning potential?
William Luse PhD.: Begin with two strategies to maximize your salary: negotiation and openness. First, become an informed negotiator by researching compensation trends and the value of specific skills in your field. This preparation is essential long before actual salary discussions occur, and often pays off immensely. Second, embrace opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone. By engaging in new experiences, you not only gain valuable skills but also build relationships that are crucial for sustainable career advancement and higher compensation.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Systems Analyst?
Zheni Wang Ph.D.: Being an intrapreneur is the way to maximize your salary potential when starting your career in your field.
What Senior Systems Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Zheni Wang Ph.D.: I think the most important and prevalent skill in the field in the next 3-5 years is unlearning and learning continuously. We are living in an era of change now. Having a degree in business shows your ability to learn. But the best competitiveness you can reserve for yourself is to unlearn what others have done (i.e., the case studies and benchmarks you’ve been given in the classroom) and learn to create new standards and solutions when facing constant changes in the business world. By doing so, you can create values for others to remain successful.