Gathers and analyzes publicly available information, from social media and satellite imagery to corporate records, to answer intelligence and security questions. BLS does not publish separate figures for intelligence analysts; it counts them within intelligence analyst (SOC 33-3021), whose median pay is $93,790 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 33-3021
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Open Source Intelligence Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $93,790a year, or $45.09/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $55KTop 10% $161K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,800120,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025120.5K
- Projected 2035120.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 120.5K Projected 2035 120.7K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college4.4%
- Associate's8.7%
- Bachelor's65.2%
- Post-bacc certificate8.7%
- Master's13%
Highest education held by intelligence analysts Segment Value Some college 4.4% Associate's 8.7% Bachelor's 65.2% Post-bacc certificate 8.7% Master's 13%
Also advertised as: OSINT Analyst, OSINT Investigator, Open Source Researcher, Threat Intelligence Analyst, OSINT, Social Media Intelligence Analyst.
Pay
How much do Intelligence Analysts make?
Every open source intelligence analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$93,790
Middle half earn $69,330 to $120,520
- 10th
- $55,390
- 25th
- $69,330
- 75th
- $120,520
- 90th
- $160,540
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,390 |
| 25th | $69,330 |
| Median | $93,790 |
| 75th | $120,520 |
| 90th | $160,540 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $93,790
- Median hourly wage
- $45.09/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $99,430
- People employed
- 114,430
Versus all US occupations
At $93,790, Intelligence Analysts earn 84% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $42,810 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $160,540 or more while the bottom 10% earn $55,390, a gap of 2.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 68% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $160,760, and still leads at $146,277 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Intelligence Analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $160,760 | $146,277 | 2,980 |
| 2Maryland | $126,730 | $120,742 | 1,010 |
| 3California | $124,840 | $112,753 | 12,610 |
| 4Delaware | $122,050 | $122,285 | 140 |
| 5New Jersey | $116,300 | $106,888 | 3,080 |
| 6Washington | $115,790 | $108,202 | 1,850 |
| 7Alaska | $114,940 | $112,291 | 140 |
| 8Hawaii | $113,940 | $103,628 | 440 |
| 9Virginia | $112,760 | $111,529 | 3,180 |
| 10Massachusetts | $110,150 | $104,154 | 1,300 |
Job outlook
Is Open Source Intelligence Analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Analysts | +0.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Intelligence Analysts to change 0.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,800 openings are projected each year, 6.5% of the 120,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Open Source Intelligence Analyst
Common backgrounds include international relations, political science, journalism, criminal justice, data analysis and military intelligence. Employers look for proven research skill, sharp writing and languages; many analysts build a portfolio through investigations and open challenges.
The OSINT Foundation, a professional association for practitioners in the intelligence community, promotes standards and professional certification. Government roles require U.S. citizenship and a security clearance, which is why many people enter through military intelligence or contractor jobs. Private sector roles in corporate security and threat intelligence are more open to career changers.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as intelligence analysts.
- Bachelor's Degree65.2%
- Master's Degree13%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree8.7%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8.7%
- Some College Courses4.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 65.2% |
| Master's Degree | 13% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 8.7% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 8.7% |
| Some College Courses | 4.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Open Source Intelligence Analyst do?
Open source intelligence analysts work with information anyone could find, if they knew how. They search social media, news, public records, corporate filings, shipping and flight trackers, satellite imagery and online forums to answer questions for governments, companies and newsrooms.
Typical work includes verifying where and when a video was filmed, mapping a network of shell companies, tracking threats against executives, monitoring extremist chatter, or supporting due diligence. Analysts protect their own identity while researching, document sources carefully, and write short assessments that state confidence levels and gaps. The intelligence community, defense contractors, banks, tech companies and security consultancies all hire for these roles.
Day-to-day tasks
- Search social media, public records and online sources for relevant information
- Geolocate and verify photos and videos
- Map links between people, companies and online accounts
- Monitor online threats against people, events or organizations
- Analyze satellite imagery and shipping or flight tracking data
- Write intelligence assessments with stated confidence levels
- Maintain operational security while conducting research
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Analysts work at desks with multiple screens in government agencies, contractors, corporate security teams and research groups. Some private sector roles are remote, while classified work happens in secure facilities. Exposure to violent or disturbing online content is a real part of the job, and crises can mean long hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Active Listening4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning3.6
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.3 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Coordination3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Persuasion3.0
- Negotiation3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Systems Evaluation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Open Source Intelligence Analyst?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICE) built on O*NET's Intelligence Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Open Source Intelligence Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative5.8
- Conventional5.4
- Enterprising4.1
- Realistic2.3
- Artistic2.1
- Social1.9
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Open Source Intelligence Analyst
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Computer and Mathematical
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with intelligence analysts highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Open Source Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Open Source Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Open Source Intelligence Analyst appears on
Questions
Open Source Intelligence Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do Intelligence Analysts make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for intelligence analysts. It counts them within intelligence analyst, whose median pay is $93,790 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $69,330 and $120,520, and the top 10% earn $160,540 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Open Source Intelligence Analyst?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Intelligence Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 65.2% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Open Source Intelligence Analyst a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Open Source Intelligence Analyst do?
Open source intelligence analysts work with information anyone could find, if they knew how. A typical task: search social media, public records and online sources for relevant information. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Cloud-based management software.
Which states pay Intelligence Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Intelligence Analysts are District of Columbia ($160,760), Maryland ($126,730), California ($124,840) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Open Source Intelligence Analyst?
O*NET scores Intelligence Analysts highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.