Computer Systems Analysts
15-1211.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

The occupation code you requested, 15-1121.00 (Computer Systems Analysts), is no longer in use. In the future, please use 15-1211.00 (Computer Systems Analysts) instead.

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.

Sample of reported job titles: 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), Programmer Analyst, Systems Analyst

Also see: Health Informatics Specialists

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • 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.
  • Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
  • Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
  • Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.
  • Use object-oriented programming languages, as well as client and server applications development processes and multimedia and Internet technology.
  • Analyze information processing or computation needs and plan and design computer systems, using techniques such as structured analysis, data modeling, and information engineering.
  • Consult with management to ensure agreement on system principles.
  • Specify inputs accessed by the system and plan the distribution and use of the results.
  • Expand or modify system to serve new purposes or improve work flow.
  • Train staff and users to work with computer systems and programs.
  • Assess the usefulness of pre-developed application packages and adapt them to a user environment.
  • Determine computer software or hardware needed to set up or alter systems.
  • Read manuals, periodicals, and technical reports to learn how to develop programs that meet staff and user requirements.
  • Develop, document, and revise system design procedures, test procedures, and quality standards.
  • Recommend new equipment or software packages.
  • Define the goals of the system and devise flow charts and diagrams describing logical operational steps of programs.
  • Confer with clients regarding the nature of the information processing or computation needs a computer program is to address.
  • Review and analyze computer printouts and performance indicators to locate code problems, and correct errors by correcting codes.
  • Interview or survey workers, observe job performance, or perform the job to determine what information is processed and how it is processed.
  • Supervise computer programmers or other systems analysts or serve as project leaders for particular systems projects.
  • Prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to aid in decisions on system implementation.
Find occupations related to multiple tasks

Technology Skills

  • Access software — Access management software; Citrix cloud computing software
  • Accounting software — Fund accounting software; Tax software
  • Administration software — Cisco Systems CiscoWorks; Element management software
  • Analytical or scientific software — IBM SPSS Statistics Hot technology ; Minitab; SAS Hot technology ; The MathWorks MATLAB Hot technology ; 3 more
  • Application server software — Docker Hot technology ; GitHub Hot technology ; Red Hat OpenShift Hot technology ; Spring Boot Hot technology ; 3 more
  • Backup or archival software — System and data disaster recovery software; Veritas NetBackup
  • Business intelligence and data analysis software — Apache Spark Hot technology ; Business intelligence system software; IBM Cognos Impromptu; Tableau Hot technology ; 3 more
  • Cloud-based data access and sharing software — Microsoft SharePoint In-Demand Hot technology ; Slack Hot technology
  • Cloud-based management software — Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation Hot technology ; IBM WebSphere; Oracle Cloud software Hot technology ; Splunk Enterprise Hot technology
  • Clustering software — VMware
  • Communications server software — IBM Domino
  • Compiler and decompiler software — Time sharing option TSO software
  • Computer aided design CAD software — Dassault Systemes CATIA; Electronic design automation EDA software; OrCAD Capture; SpectraQuest; 1 more
  • Configuration management software — Chef Hot technology ; HyperSpace; Perforce Helix software; Puppet Hot technology ; 8 more
  • Content workflow software — Atlassian JIRA In-Demand Hot technology
  • Customer relationship management CRM software — Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Oracle Eloqua; Salesforce software Hot technology
  • Data base management system software — Amazon DynamoDB Hot technology ; Apache Hive Hot technology ; Elasticsearch Hot technology ; Oracle Database Hot technology ; 11 more
  • Data base reporting software — Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS Hot technology ; Oracle Business Intelligence Suite; SAP Crystal Reports
  • Data base user interface and query software — Blackboard software; IBM DB2 Hot technology ; ServiceNow In-Demand Hot technology ; Transact-SQL Hot technology ; 11 more
  • Data conversion software
  • Data mining software — Google Analytics Hot technology
  • Desktop communications software — Remote control software; Skype; Stac Software ReachOut; Symantec pcAnywhere; 1 more
  • Desktop publishing software — Microsoft Publisher
  • Development environment software — Apache Kafka Hot technology ; Apache Maven Hot technology ; Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE Hot technology ; Oracle SQL Developer Hot technology ; 25 more
  • Document management software — Adobe Acrobat Hot technology
  • Electronic mail software — IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook Hot technology
  • Enterprise application integration software — Atlassian Bamboo Hot technology ; Extensible markup language XML Hot technology ; IBM InfoSphere DataStage; Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS Hot technology ; 4 more
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Microsoft Dynamics Hot technology ; Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft Hot technology ; SAP software In-Demand Hot technology ; 6 more
  • Enterprise system management software — IBM Power Systems software
  • Expert system software — Ansible software Hot technology
  • File versioning software — Apache Subversion SVN Hot technology ; Git Hot technology ; Version control software
  • Financial analysis software — Cost estimating software; Delphi Technology; Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Geographic information system — ESRI ArcGIS software Hot technology ; Geographic information system GIS software
  • Graphical user interface development software — Salesforce Visualforce
  • Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Illustrator Hot technology ; Adobe Photoshop Hot technology
  • Helpdesk or call center software — Help desk software
  • Human resources software — ADP Workforce Now; Human resource management software HRMS; Oracle Taleo
  • Industrial control software — Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Information retrieval or search software — LexisNexis
  • Instant messaging software — Blink
  • Internet directory services software — Active directory software
  • Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software — Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
  • Medical software — Epic Systems Hot technology ; Medical condition coding software; Medical procedure coding software; MEDITECH software Hot technology ; 1 more
  • Metadata management software — Informatica Corporation PowerCenter; Oracle Master Data Management MDM Suite; Quest Erwin Data Modeler; SAP Master Data Management MDM
  • Network conferencing software — Slido interaction software
  • Network monitoring software — Nagios; Network intrusion prevention systems NIPS; Snort; Wireshark
  • Network security or virtual private network VPN management software — Virtual private networking VPN software
  • Object or component oriented development software — C# Hot technology ; jQuery Hot technology ; Scala Hot technology ; Swift Hot technology ; 17 more
  • Object oriented data base management software — Hibernate ORM Hot technology ; Microsoft Visual FoxPro; PostgreSQL Hot technology
  • Office suite software — Microsoft Office software In-Demand Hot technology
  • Operating system software — Bash Hot technology ; Microsoft Windows Server Hot technology ; Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hot technology ; UNIX Shell Hot technology ; 10 more
  • Pattern design software — Diagramming software; Omni Group OmniGraffle
  • Portal server software — Apache HTTP Server
  • Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint In-Demand Hot technology
  • Process mapping and design software — Flow chart software; Microsoft Visio In-Demand Hot technology
  • Program testing software — Functional testing software; Hewlett Packard LoadRunner; JUnit Hot technology ; Selenium Hot technology ; 20 more
  • Project management software — Atlassian Confluence Hot technology ; Microsoft Team Foundation Server Hot technology ; Microsoft Teams Hot technology ; Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Hot technology ; 1 more
  • Requirements analysis and system architecture software — Architecture description language ADL; Popkin System Architect; Requirements management software; Unified modeling language UML; 1 more
  • Sales and marketing software — Marketo Marketing Automation Hot technology
  • Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel In-Demand Hot technology
  • Storage networking software — Amazon Simple Storage Service S3 Hot technology
  • Transaction security and virus protection software — McAfee; NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software; Virus scanning software
  • Transaction server software — Customer information control system CICS; Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS); Sun Microsystems Sun ONE; Web server software
  • Video conferencing software — Cisco Webex Hot technology
  • Video creation and editing software — YouTube
  • Web page creation and editing software — Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Web platform development software — Django Hot technology ; Google Angular Hot technology ; React Hot technology ; Spring Framework Hot technology ; 23 more
  • Word processing software — 3M Post-it App; Google Docs Hot technology ; Microsoft Word Hot technology
Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In demand
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  • Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • Electronic Mail — 100% responded “Every day.”
  • Telephone — 79% responded “Every day.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 93% responded “Every day.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 65% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 54% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Contact With Others — 73% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 63% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 63% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 58% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 53% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Time Pressure — 50% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 56% responded “More than 40 hours.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 45% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 81% responded “High responsibility.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 61% responded “Important results.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 35% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 55% responded “Very important.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 54% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
  • Level of Competition — 61% responded “Moderately competitive.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 42% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Letters and Memos — 34% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”
  • Consequence of Error — 43% responded “Serious.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
SVP Range
(6.0 to < 7.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
Find certifications nationwide
State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Example apprenticeship titles for this occupation:

  • Communications-Computer Systems Planning and Implementation(Mil Only)
  • It Analyst
  • Public Health Informatician (Cdc)

Specific title(s) listed above are vetted by industry and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for use in a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Programming — Writing computer programs for various purposes.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
  • Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Operations Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Knowledge

  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • Associate’s degree required for some jobs
  • Bachelor’s degree required for some jobs
  • Some college, no degree required for some jobs

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

Interests

Interest code: IC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Investigative — Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Work Values

  • Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
  • Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Work Styles

  • Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2023)
$49.90 hourly, $103,800 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2023)
527,200 employees
Projected growth (2023-2033)
Much faster than average (9% or higher)
Projected job openings (2023-2033)
37,300
State trends
Top industries (2023)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data and 2023-2033 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2023-2033). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

National Associations
Accreditation, Certification, & Unions