Analysts play an important role in the business sector. They help companies and institutions understand their history, trends, and performance by analyzing data, evaluating their findings, and making recommendations. Analyst careers vary widely and cover a number of different fields, from finance to business, computer systems to politics.

Types of Analyst Careers

  • Computer systems analysts specialize in using Information Technology (IT) to meet a company's goals. They define, design, test, and implement the necessary hardware and software tailored to each enterprise's needs.
  • Management analysts are brought into companies to solve problems by conducting analyses, presenting their findings, and providing suggestions about how they can improve their structure, profits, and efficiency.
  • Financial analysts help individuals and businesses make smart decisions about their investments, such as commodities, stocks, and bonds. They tend to specialize in a certain area, product, or industry.
  • Operations research analysts employ statistical analyses, simulation, data mining, computer modeling, programming, and other techniques to find and interpret information used by companies to make policies and business decisions on a managerial level.
  • News analysts work to investigate, interpret, and report on news and current events. They present news stories to the public through various media and are responsible for reporting well-researched, accurate information to their audiences.
  • Budget analysts are responsible for reviewing and analyzing an organization's budget in order to find ways to increase profit margins and improve efficiency.
  • Policy analysts collect data, conduct research, analyze policies, and make proposals with the intent of influencing social and political decisions, especially in the government.
  • Systems analysts determine how and which computers and software can be employed by companies to run their business most effectively, including how to communicate and network via computer.
  • Credit analysts analyze the financial and credit information of individuals or companies in order to determine the level of risk related to granting credit or loaning money to them.
  • Statistical analysts specialize in the collection, interpretation, and presentation of statistics. They use numerical data on any number of subjects and fields, and are used by businesses to better understand their practices, patterns, and weaknesses.

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Range of Analyst Salaries

  • Computers systems analysts generally make between $45,474 and $70,076 annually, while those with more years of experience earn up to $90,000. (Payscale)
  • Management analysts make an average of $69,385 per year, with those in the top 75 th percentile earning more than $84,000. (Salary.com)
  • Financial analysts earn a median annual salary of $69,000 per year, and are often paid significant bonuses depending on the quality of their work. (Indeed)
  • Operations research analysts tend to get paid well, with the average annual salary being $77,000. (Indeed)
  • News analysts earn an average of $40,929 to $76,428 per year, while those with many years of experience can earn over $100,000. (Payscale)
  • Budget analysts are paid approximately $74,000 annually. (Indeed)
  • Policy analysts can expect to earn between $40,799 and $64,953 per year. (Payscale)
  • Systems analysts are paid in the range of $46,652-$71,917 annually. (Payscale)
  • Credit analysts earn a median salary of $71,000 each year. (Indeed)
  • Statistical analysts are paid well, earning an average of $80,000 per year, while those in senior positions are compensated more generously. (Indeed)

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Requisite Degrees and Personal Skills

  • Computer systems analysts generally need a bachelor's degree in information science, computer engineering, computer science, or management information systems. A Master's in Business Administration is highly desirable. They are critical thinkers, excellent with computers, communicative, analytical, and organized.
  • Management analysts should possess their bachelor's degree for entry level positions, while a master's degree is required for any upper-level careers. Degrees such as human resources, information technology, management, and business administration are applicable. Management analysts possess skills in leadership, communication, assessment, business, psychology, and mathematics.
  • Financial analysts need at least a bachelor's degree (and preferably a master's) in a subject like mathematics, accounting, statistics, business, business administration, or finance. Workers need to be strong in working with people, self-direction, computers, math, and problem solving.
  • Operations research analysts should obtain a bachelor's degree in management science, industrial engineering, or mathematics. It is important to have excellent analytical and quantitative abilities, spatial/logical reasoning, and strong public speaking, listening, and communication skills.
  • News analysts should have their bachelor's degree, though a wide variety of subjects are helpful here: journalism, theater, English, history, or politics, to name just a few. Because many news analysts broadcast as news anchors, they should be eloquent, well spoken, neat in appearance, engaging, and hard working.
  • Budget analysts possess at least their bachelor's and usually their master's degree in a subject such as accounting, finance, or mathematics. They are analytical, accurate, thorough, excellent at math, good at communicating and prioritizing, innovative, and possess good judgment.
  • Policy analysts need at minimum a bachelor's degree in a subject ideally in the social sciences, such as politics, sociology, psychology, or history. Usually a master's degree is required, however, today. They must possess strong communication, research, and writing skills. Being systematic, analytical, curious, and persevering will go a long way in this career field.
  • Systems analysts , like anyone specializing in computers, should earn their associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree in computer science, programming, mathematics, statistics, or computer engineering. They should pay strong attention to detail, be proficient with computers, and know how to problem solve, analyze, and communicate.
  • Credit analysts should earn their bachelor's degree in business, management, economics, mathematics, statistics, finance, or operational research. They should be literate in information technology and possess solid interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills.
  • Statistical analysts need at least a bachelor's, and quite often a master's degree, in mathematics or statistics. Strong knowledge of computer science is requisite as well. They need to be strategic problem solvers, strong communicators, thorough assessors, and excellent at math, computers, and science more generally.

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Learn About the Field: Analysts in the News

  • A news analysis of the United States' federal budget projections explains what these statistics have to say about the current and future deficits, and how they might affect the country's political power and influence internationally. (The New York Times)
  • Economic and financial analysts weigh in about how investors in oil companies should be thinking about production projects with a high-risk factor, in light of the recent Gulf Coast oil spill and new projects like the controversial oil project in Alberta, Canada. (The Los Angeles Times)
  • Financial and budget analysts expose dire projections about how Spain's deficit paired with the financial woes of Mediterranean countries pose serious threats to the European Union's stability. (Time Magazine)
  • Defense analysts are working in laboratories to help the United States prepare for a response to a nuclear terrorist attack. Analysts run simulations to learn how to collect and assess data in order to make life-or-death recommendations about response, evacuation, and retreat paths to government officials. (Fox News)
  • The popular social networking site Facebook has started hiring policy analysts as spokespersons in order to confront questions about and propose solutions to its controversial privacy policies. (National Public Radio)
  • Systems analysts give their input about the impact that Apple's revolutionary iPad product will have on the tablet market, iPod sales, e-book readers, and the world of technology more generally. (British Broadcasting Company)
  • This article highlights the recent trend of news analysts who are also well-known politicians, and vice-versa. It discusses the ever-increasing connection between television and politics, sighting such examples as Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Newt Gingrich who all ran for office and serve as paid political analysts for Fox News. (The New York Times)
  • Defense, political, and operations research analysts are consulted about Iran's missile arsenal, specifically about the country's motivations, capabilities, strength, and potential threat to other countries. (British Broadcasting Company)
  • The hype about Amazon.com continues as statistical analysts present findings about the company's growth in comparison to e-commerce in general. They also speculate about the Kindle, and potential moves Amazon might need to make in the future in order to maintain its popularity. (Time Magazine)
  • Political and news analysts say that a clean election with free polls in the West African country of Guinea is a clear sign that democracy is gaining undeniable momentum, even after decades of oppression, a coup in 2008, and junta-allied candidates running for office. (Fox News)

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Interesting Analyst Blogs to Watch

  • A Software Insider's Point of View is run by Ray Wang, a technology research analyst for enterprise strategy and disruptive technologies. His blog gets millions of page views per year and he is highly sought after for his expertise gained through research and experience in the field.
  • Web Strategy , by Jeremy Owyang, is one of the top analyst blogs in its field. Owyang is an industry analyst and web strategist, and has been writing Web Strategy since 1996.
  • Gretawire is Greta Van Susteren's blog – a legal analyst and news anchor for Fox News. Forbes recently rated her as one of the world's 100 most powerful women. She offers news analysis and her insight and opinion into top news stories.
  • Security Incite runs a blog maintained by analysts who aim to “inform, educate, and provide a unique (and at times controversial) perspective on the information security business.”
  • Switchboard is the blog for staff of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the United States' most prominent environmental groups. This specific blog is by Leila Monroe, and is included in this list because she holds the interesting position of Oceans Policy Analyst – one example of how versatile an analyst career can be.
  • Think IT Services is a helpful blog for computer systems analysts. Its writer, Jeff Kaplan, discusses on-demand IT management and business software service trends.
  • John Goodman's Health Policy Blog analyzes health issues in the news and policies that affect national health and wellbeing. Goodman is CEO and president of the National Center for Policy Analysis.
  • VideoNuze sifts and analyzes news in the dynamic broadband video industry in order to keep executives informed and up to date. This blog is an example of how an industry analyst can find a specialized niche and become incredibly successful.
  • The Hutchinson Political Report records the opinions and views of political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson. Specifically, he deals with issues of race and politics, analyzing current news and providing insightful commentary.
  • Bob McTeer's Blog provides “insights on taxes, economy, monetary policy and education” by the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. He is an economic and budget analyst who writes often about policy, news, banking, and financial regulation, among other topics.

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