The following article discusses the career path of Systems Analyst. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Systems Analysts.
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Job Duties
Systems analysts know how to think outside of the box. They come up with innovative solutions to complex problems. They investigate and fix any issues that they come across. To do so, they must be well-versed in programming language, hardware, and operating systems. They should also be educated to understand technology and keep their knowledge up to date.
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Not only do they have to understand the inner workings of a system, they also have to be able to work with different people. They must work with other IT professionals and also with external vendors. This means they have a lot of direct interaction, but they also have to do office work, focusing on costs and other elements of the technology services. They must be able to identify the best systems and make sure they are fully fit for purpose as well.
Systems analysts can work with a range of different people, from programmers to business managers, and they must be able to explain the inner workings of a project to each of them. This includes how to use a design, how to test systems, and how to maintain efficient documents. They have to be able to think on their feet and to always meet deadlines.
Other job duties of a systems analyst are:
- To conduct application tests and make sure database management is properly supported
- To develop and maintain records and documents as required for security and operational audits
- To put new users in the system, ensuring that they have the right access rights and passwords
- To analyze any issues on the ticketing system, making sure all tickets are handled properly and in a timely manner
- To change existing procedures so that they are more befitting to the limitations and capacity of the systems
Where We Work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 600,500 computer systems analysts in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:
- Computer systems design and related services: 28%
- Finance and insurance: 13%
- Management of companies and enterprises: 9%
- Information: 8%
- Government: 6%
How to Become
It is common for a systems analyst to have to hold a bachelor’s degree as a minimum, usually in a major such as computer or information science. However, this isn’t always required, and some who have a personal interest in computers and systems but a degree in liberal arts or business can also be hired.
Education Requirements
Usually, a systems analyst holds a bachelor’s degree with a major relating to computers and computer sciences. However, they also handle the business of their organization, which is why those with a major in Management Information Systems (MIS) are also very popular. It is now becoming more common for employers to look for those with a graduate degree, and the master in business administration (MBA) is proving to be particularly popular.
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Most of the time, these professionals have a technical degree. However, it is equally possible for someone to have a degree in liberal arts, and to have obtained their technical expertise in other ways. This can include a personal interest in computers.
A system analyst is also expected to keep their knowledge up to date, so that they understand all the latest innovations in technology. These developments are often very quick, which means that, on a practical level, systems analysts spend a lot of their time studying. They must also be able to understand their particular business field, however, which often means they have to complete even further training. if they work for a bank, for instance, they will have to complete finance training, whereas those who work for a hospital may need to understand Medicaid and Medicare.
Learn more about the degrees required for this career path:
- Computer Science Degree
- Data Science Degree
- Information Systems Degree
- Information Technology Management Degree
- Technology Management Degree
Traits & Qualities
The most effective systems analysts have the following traits to some degree or other:
- Strong analytical skills
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- Very creative
Minimum Education
Bachelor’s Degree
The national average salary estimate for Systems Analyst was $72,715. This number is estimated from over 9,792,324 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $37.87 and monthly of $6,060.
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$29,000
$136,000
The following section lists Systems Analyst salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Washington had the largest quoted salary of $82,728 while Wyoming had the smallest quoted salary of $43,200.
According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Systems Analyst. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.
| Employer Name | Location | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| BP Systems Analyst | Texas | $165,139 |
| Department of Labor Systems Analyst | DC | $144,678 |
| Capgemini Systems Analyst | Oklahoma | $141,972 |
| Huxley Associates Systems Analyst | New York | $140,529 |
| Haywayrd Group Systems Analyst | Massachusetts | $136,816 |
| Virginia Mason Systems Analyst | Washington | $132,544 |
| OPTOMI LLC Systems Analyst | Maryland | $130,000 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Systems Analyst | California | $127,833 |
| New York Technology Partners, Inc. Systems Analyst | New Jersey | $127,681 |
| EY Systems Analyst | New York | $127,385 |
| Experis Systems Analyst | New York | $126,895 |
| Microsoft Systems Analyst | Washington | $126,101 |
| LinkedIn Systems Analyst | California | $125,700 |
| Quviant Systems Analyst | Maryland | $125,000 |
| PayPal Systems Analyst | California | $124,452 |
| CyberCoders Systems Analyst | New Mexico | $124,110 |
Learn More
- Computer Systems Analysts – Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Systems analyst – Wikipedia
- Understanding the “S” in Business Systems Analysis – IIBA …
| Career Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Technical Analyst | $76,186 |
| Real Estate Manager | $76,119 |
| Business Development Manager | $75,226 |
| Benefits Manager | $74,059 |
| Information Technology Specialist | $73,668 |
| Health Information Management Manager | $72,216 |
| Management Analyst | $72,076 |
| Marketing Manager | $71,419 |
| Purchasing Manager | $70,974 |
| Program Officer | $70,926 |
