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What is a senior systems/programmer analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines
The average senior systems/programmer analyst salary is $103,413. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a senior systems/programmer analyst. Senior systems/programmer analysts with a Programming in C# Certification certification earn more money. 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 senior systems/programmer analyst?

Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines

Associate Professor, Belmont University

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.
ScoreSenior Systems/Programmer AnalystUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $103,413

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 14.45%

Black or African American 10.58%

Hispanic or Latino 11.29%

Unknown 5.03%

White 58.47%

Gender

female 24.26%

male 75.74%

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

Senior systems/programmer analyst career paths

Key steps to become a senior systems/programmer analyst

  1. Explore senior systems/programmer analyst education requirements

    Most common senior systems/programmer analyst degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.8 %

    Associate

    12.9 %

    Master's

    11.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior systems/programmer analyst skills

    SkillsPercentages
    SQL Server7.68%
    Java7.13%
    Data Warehouse4.66%
    Unix4.41%
    Application Development4.12%
  3. Complete relevant senior systems/programmer analyst training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior systems/programmer 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 senior systems/programmer analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior systems/programmer analyst resumes.
  4. Research senior systems/programmer analyst duties and responsibilities

    • Manage daily operations that PC's are set-up to download a wide variety of files from different vendors.
    • Manage business requirements gathering for functionality development and interface definition from the legacy systems to the CRM and SA management applications.
    • Used RAD6 to convert HTML markup pages to JSP.
    • Create and update CICS and COBOL programs.
  5. Get senior systems/programmer analyst experience

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

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior systems/programmer 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 senior systems/programmer 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 senior systems/programmer analyst resume templates

    Build a professional senior systems/programmer 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 senior systems/programmer analyst resume.
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
    Senior Systems/Programmer Analyst Resume
  7. Apply for senior systems/programmer analyst jobs

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

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

How did you land your first senior systems/programmer analyst job

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Average senior systems/programmer analyst salary

The average senior systems/programmer analyst salary in the United States is $103,413 per year or $50 per hour. Senior systems/programmer analyst salaries range between $78,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average senior systems/programmer analyst salary
$103,413 Yearly
$49.72 hourly

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Senior systems/programmer analyst reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

The opportunity to take lead and mentor junior programmers


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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