---
title: "Computer Systems Analyst"
description: "Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-analyst"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Computer Systems Analyst

**Category:** Computer and Mathematical · **SOC code:** 15-1211 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 15-1211.00

Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions, improve existing computer systems, and review computer system capabilities, workflow, and schedule limitations. May analyze or recommend commercially available software.

Also advertised as: Applications Analyst; Business Systems Analyst; Computer Analyst; Computer Systems Analyst; Computer Systems Consultant; Information Systems Analyst (ISA); IT Analyst (Information Technology Analyst); IT Systems Analyst (Information Technology Systems Analyst).

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $105,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $50.89/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $67,340 to $167,710, with the middle half between $82,860 and $134,110
- **Total US employment:** 519,530
- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's
- **Preparation required:** Medium preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +8.7% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 34,200 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 22/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 519,530 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $67,340 |
| 25th | $82,860 |
| 50th (median) | $105,850 |
| 75th | $134,110 |
| 90th | $167,710 |
| Mean (average) | $114,610 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RI | $134,630 | $131,629 | 1,850 |
| WA | $129,410 | $120,929 | 24,120 |
| MA | $128,240 | $121,259 | 22,160 |
| CO | $127,750 | $123,967 | 6,230 |
| CA | $127,720 | $115,354 | 59,060 |
| NJ | $122,890 | $112,945 | 16,520 |
| OR | $121,620 | $117,665 | 5,640 |
| VA | $120,840 | $119,520 | 23,190 |
| DC | $116,820 | $106,296 | 2,480 |
| MD | $113,610 | $108,242 | 15,340 |
| DE | $110,560 | $110,773 | 2,140 |
| WY | $109,780 | $118,437 | 310 |
| NY | $109,610 | $101,565 | 24,100 |
| CT | $109,600 | $105,781 | 4,800 |
| NH | $107,670 | $103,365 | 2,090 |

38 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 53 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-analyst/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/computer-systems-analyst.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 521,100 in the 2024–2034 base year to 566,500 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 45,500 jobs, or +8.7%. Much faster than average: 8.7% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 34,200 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Bachelor's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Medium preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** None.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 50.7% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 41.9% |
| Some College Courses | 4.6% |
| Master's Degree | 1.4% |
| High School Diploma | 0.8% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.5% |

## What the work involves

- Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
- Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
- Train staff and users to work with computer systems and programs.
- Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
- Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
- Use object-oriented programming languages, as well as client and server applications development processes and multimedia and Internet technology.
- Assess the usefulness of pre-developed application packages and adapt them to a user environment.
- Develop, document, and revise system design procedures, test procedures, and quality standards.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Speaking — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Systems Analysis — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Evaluation — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Programming — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Coordination — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Computers and Electronics — importance 4.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Customer and Personal Service — importance 3.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Administration and Management — importance 3.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Education and Training — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Deductive Reasoning — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Comprehension — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Information Ordering — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Investigative (I), Conventional (C), Realistic (R).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| I — Investigative | 6.39 |
| C — Conventional | 5.93 |
| R — Realistic | 3.27 |
| E — Enterprising | 2.23 |
| A — Artistic | 1.98 |
| S — Social | 1.91 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 83.6 |
| INTJ | 82.0 |
| ISTP | 70.9 |
| ISFJ | 63.8 |
| ESTJ | 63.3 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ, INTJ.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Software Developer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/software-developer) — median $135,980
- [Computer Systems Engineers/Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-systems-engineers-architect) — median $116,580
- [Database Administrator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/database-administrator) — median $104,620
- [IT Manager](https://nuecareer.com/careers/it-manager) — median $175,140
- [Database Architect](https://nuecareer.com/careers/database-architect) — median $139,500
- [Network and Computer Systems Administrator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/network-and-computer-systems-administrator) — median $99,130
- [Information Security Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/information-security-analyst) — median $129,180
- [Information Security Engineer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/information-security-engineer) — median $116,580
- [QA Analyst](https://nuecareer.com/careers/qa-analyst) — median $104,300
- [Health Informatics Specialist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/health-informatics-specialist) — median $105,850

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/computer-systems-analyst