1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
What is a Systems Analyst?
Apart from the employees' skills to help the business strive in the competitive market, it is equally crucial to develop and maintain technologies to maximize business performance. And for the people who love challenges (do those people really even exist?), working as a systems analyst might be the best calling for them.
The systems analyst role is usually for people who have intermediate to the expert level technical experience. Basically, these people help to find technical solutions for businesses and improve operational processes. This is a type of job for those with enough skills and mastery of system complexities but are still willing to learn more. After all, life is a never-ending series of learning (sigh).
Navigating systems may seem to be an easy job for those who are used to it but actually, it isn't. Even those who are experienced sometimes struggle to find solutions to ensure customer satisfaction. That leads them to working day and night, even missing holidays and weekends. But, as some people say, that means nothing if you're really passionate. Now, if you think you're in for the challenges, stop reading this and get your resume ready!
What Does a Systems Analyst Do
Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. They bring business and information technology (IT) together by understanding the needs and limitations of both.
How To Become a Systems Analyst
A bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science field is common, although not always a requirement. Some firms hire analysts with business or liberal arts degrees who have skills in information technology or computer programming.
Systems Analyst Job Description
A systems analyst is responsible for collecting and analyzing data on a company's IT systems and improving efficiency and cost based on the results. Their duties include upgrading client's software and hardware, planning new systems, training employees on their use, and conducting tests and repairs.
Learn more about Systems Analyst Job DescriptionSystems Analyst Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a systems analyst can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as systems administrator, progress to a title such as network engineer and then eventually end up with the title manager, systems engineering.
Systems Analyst
Manager, Systems Engineering
9 Years
Infrastructure Project Manager
11 Years
Senior Director Of Information & Technology
14 Years
Information Technology Infrastructure Manager
11 Years
Information Technology Technical Services Manager
9 Years
Information Systems Manager
6 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Systems Analyst
Systems Analysts in America make an average salary of $75,383 per year or $36 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $96,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $58,000 per year.
Average Systems Analyst Salary
$75,383Â Yearly$36.24 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Systems Analyst
The role of a systems analyst includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general systems analyst responsibilities:
- The system analyst will work as part of a cyber security team that provides the customer with computer audit trail collection, normalization, analysis,
- Applicant will be expected to provide technical expertise in the area of bmds modeling
- Build and maintain product cost models help with creating business cases
There are several types of systems analyst, including:
Business Analyst
Role:
As a business analyst, your job is to study the market and analyze the product lines and profitability of a business. You can then take that knowledge and help a business identify certain problems and come up with solutions.
Business analysts are important for the future of many businesses, they help with budgeting and predicting the market. Plus, they're helpful in identifying problems that business owners didn't even know existed.
In order to help businesses have brighter futures, you're going to need a bachelor's degree and probably some real world experience as well - let's say maybe 5 years. Basically, you've got to know what you're doing to become a business analyst.
Business analysts are important for the future of many businesses, they help with budgeting and predicting the market. Plus, they're helpful in identifying problems that business owners didn't even know existed.
In order to help businesses have brighter futures, you're going to need a bachelor's degree and probably some real world experience as well - let's say maybe 5 years. Basically, you've got to know what you're doing to become a business analyst.
- Average Salary: $74,431
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Technical Analyst
Role:
Some people have the ability to quickly see patterns and connect thoughts at a faster rate than others. It's like their brains are wired differently, and they always ace abstract reasoning examinations. There are a lot of prospective jobs for people like this. They may go into different fields, like project management, business economics, information technology, among others. For fresh graduates, one entry-level job that is worth exploring is the technical analyst role.
Technical analysts provide in-depth analysis of various data related to a project. There is little room for error in crucial situations. However, like in most jobs, making mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them. As this is usually an entry-level job, you will be supervised by more experienced team members.
So train your brain and carve a great career path into this! If you enjoy creating reports, analyzing figures, and finding solutions to problems, go for this role. It will be an amazing opportunity.
Technical analysts provide in-depth analysis of various data related to a project. There is little room for error in crucial situations. However, like in most jobs, making mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them. As this is usually an entry-level job, you will be supervised by more experienced team members.
So train your brain and carve a great career path into this! If you enjoy creating reports, analyzing figures, and finding solutions to problems, go for this role. It will be an amazing opportunity.
- Average Salary: $74,045
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Information Technology Analyst
Role:
Are you a tech-savvy and business-minded type of person? If you have a head for big-picture tech solutions, a career as an IT systems analyst may right up your alley. Taking the role of an IT analyst, you may blend your knowledge of commerce and systems to improve and optimize your organization's operations. Technology analyst is the position that comes with job security, work-life balance, a competitive salary, constant learning, and multiple career paths.
Being an IT analyst, generally, you may review the existing IT systems and internal processes, provide recommendations to improve the systems, or implement the new ones. Working as an IT analyst, you'll spend your time in an office setting collaborating with developers to design and implement technology solutions. Typically, you'll work full-time, but you may have flexible schedules too. Being an IT analyst, you could work in any sector. From healthcare to automotive, beauty to travel, government to private business, the possibilities for you as an IT analyst are endless, especially since every industry consumes IT services.
To become an IT analyst, usually, you're required to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, telecommunications, or a related field. Having an advanced degree or prior relevant work experience may help set your resume apart. Analyzing and implementing efficient IT systems, you may earn an average annual wage of $77,000, which is quite enough to pay your bills. Not only that, but the job prospects for you as a system analyst are excellent. According to the BLS, the number of system analyst jobs expects to increase 9 percent between 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average growth rate for the entire job market.
Being an IT analyst, generally, you may review the existing IT systems and internal processes, provide recommendations to improve the systems, or implement the new ones. Working as an IT analyst, you'll spend your time in an office setting collaborating with developers to design and implement technology solutions. Typically, you'll work full-time, but you may have flexible schedules too. Being an IT analyst, you could work in any sector. From healthcare to automotive, beauty to travel, government to private business, the possibilities for you as an IT analyst are endless, especially since every industry consumes IT services.
To become an IT analyst, usually, you're required to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, telecommunications, or a related field. Having an advanced degree or prior relevant work experience may help set your resume apart. Analyzing and implementing efficient IT systems, you may earn an average annual wage of $77,000, which is quite enough to pay your bills. Not only that, but the job prospects for you as a system analyst are excellent. According to the BLS, the number of system analyst jobs expects to increase 9 percent between 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average growth rate for the entire job market.
- Average Salary: $83,078
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Systems Analyst Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active systems analyst jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where systems analysts earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Systems Analyst Jobs By State
Top Colleges for Systems Analysts
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
Top Skills For a Systems Analyst
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 8.2% of systems analysts listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Systems Analyst Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Systems Analyst templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Systems Analyst resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Systems Analyst Demographics
Systems Analyst Gender Distribution
Male
69%
Female
31%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among systems analysts, 30.6% of them are women, while 69.4% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among systems analysts is White, which makes up 58.3% of all systems analysts.
- The most common foreign language among systems analysts is Spanish at 42.9%.
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Best States For a Systems Analyst
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a systems analyst. The best states for people in this position are California, Washington, New York, and Oregon. Systems analysts make the most in California with an average salary of $85,190. Whereas in Washington and New York, they would average $81,746 and $78,274, respectively. While systems analysts would only make an average of $77,784 in Oregon, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Washington
Total Systems Analyst Jobs: 1,442
Highest 10% Earn:
$107,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
$81,746
Avg. Salary
2. Rhode Island
Total Systems Analyst Jobs: 264
Highest 10% Earn:
$97,000
Location Quotient:
1.3
$75,710
Avg. Salary
3. Oregon
Total Systems Analyst Jobs: 858
Highest 10% Earn:
$102,000
Location Quotient:
1.24
$77,784
Avg. Salary
How Do Systems Analyst Rate Their Jobs?
Top Systems Analyst Employers
We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ systems analysts and discovered their number of systems analyst opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Cognizant was the best, especially with an average salary of $74,049. UST Global follows up with an average salary of $68,444, and then comes Compunnel Software Group with an average of $78,350. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a systems analyst. The employers include Cigna, CTG, and M&T; Bank
Most Common Employers For Systems Analyst
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iTech US | $94,425 | $45.40 | 387 |
| 2 | Anthem | $90,550 | $43.53 | 481 |
| 3 | Tavant | $89,271 | $42.92 | 456 |
| 4 | Aspire Chicago | $83,827 | $40.30 | 689 |
| 5 | IBM | $79,549 | $38.24 | 620 |
| 6 | e-Business International, Inc. | $79,301 | $38.13 | 437 |
| 7 | Satyam | $79,206 | $38.08 | 4,520 |
| 8 | Compunnel | $78,350 | $37.67 | 4,886 |
| 9 | Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited Inc | $77,286 | $37.16 | 408 |
| 10 | Advent Global Solutions | $77,165 | $37.10 | 1,663 |
Becoming a Systems Analyst FAQs
Does A System Analyst Need To Know Programming?
No, a system analyst does not need to know programming. While systems analysts should enjoy working with computers and be curious about new technologies, they do not necessarily need to do any coding themselves.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Systems Analyst?
It takes about four years to become a systems analyst. This is because most types of systems analyst careers require at least a bachelor's degree as an entry-level education requirement.
How Much Does A Systems Analyst Make?
The average salary for a systems analyst is between $70,000 and $90,000 in a year. The best-paid 25 percent made $117,000 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $70,000. While this can vary depending on the level of experience, industry, and education, most systems analysts can expect to make at least $70,000 in a year.
What Is The Career Path For A Systems Analyst?
The career path for a systems analyst varies depending on personal experience, knowledge, and aptitude, but may start as a systems support analyst and progress up to a chief technology officer.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Systems Analyst?
The base qualification needed to become a systems analyst is a bachelor's degree in information technology. After this, a systems analyst should be able to demonstrate that they have a high level of analytical, communications, and technical skills.
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.