Computer Systems Analysts
15-1211.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2022

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), Information Technology Analyst (IT Analyst), System Analyst, Systems Analyst

Also see: Health Informatics Specialists

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
  • Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
  • Expand or modify system to serve new purposes or improve work flow.
  • Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
  • Consult with management to ensure agreement on system principles.
  • Confer with clients regarding the nature of the information processing or computation needs a computer program is to address.
  • Develop, document, and revise system design procedures, test procedures, and quality standards.
  • Train staff and users to work with computer systems and programs.
  • Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.
  • Assess the usefulness of pre-developed application packages and adapt them to a user environment.
  • Define the goals of the system and devise flow charts and diagrams describing logical operational steps of programs.
  • Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
  • Use object-oriented programming languages, as well as client and server applications development processes and multimedia and Internet technology.
  • Review and analyze computer printouts and performance indicators to locate code problems, and correct errors by correcting codes.
  • Supervise computer programmers or other systems analysts or serve as project leaders for particular systems projects.
  • Read manuals, periodicals, and technical reports to learn how to develop programs that meet staff and user requirements.
  • Determine computer software or hardware needed to set up or alter system.
  • Analyze information processing or computation needs and plan and design computer systems, using techniques such as structured analysis, data modeling, and information engineering.
  • Interview or survey workers, observe job performance, or perform the job to determine what information is processed and how it is processed.
  • Specify inputs accessed by the system and plan the distribution and use of the results.
  • Prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to aid in decisions on system implementation.
  • Recommend new equipment or software packages.
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 ; MicroStrategy Hot technology ; Qlik Tech QlikView Hot technology ; Tableau Hot technology ; 3 more
  • Cloud-based data access and sharing software — Microsoft SharePoint Hot technology ; Slack Hot technology
  • Cloud-based management software — Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation Hot technology ; IBM WebSphere Hot technology ; Splunk Enterprise Hot technology
  • 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 ; 9 more
  • Content workflow software — Atlassian JIRA In-Demand Hot technology
  • Customer relationship management CRM software — Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Oracle Eloqua; Salesforce software
  • 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 Hot technology ; Transact-SQL Hot technology ; 11 more
  • Data conversion software
  • Data mining software — Google Analytics
  • Desktop communications software — Remote control software; Skype; Stac Software ReachOut; Symantec pcAnywhere; 1 more
  • Desktop publishing software — Microsoft Publisher
  • Development environment software — Apache Maven Hot technology ; Go Hot technology ; Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE Hot technology ; Oracle SQL Developer Hot technology ; 24 more
  • Document management software — Adobe Systems 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 Fusion Applications; Oracle PeopleSoft; 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 Systems Adobe Fireworks; Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator Hot technology ; Adobe Systems 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; 1 more
  • Metadata management software — CA Erwin Data Modeler; Informatica Corporation PowerCenter; Oracle Master Data Management MDM Suite; 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 — jQuery Hot technology ; Objective C 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 ; Shell script 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 Systems 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.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • Electronic Mail — 100% responded “Every day.”
  • Telephone — 89% responded “Every day.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 94% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 62% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 60% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 50% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 77% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 56% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 66% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 72% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 41% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Time Pressure — 38% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 64% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 38% responded “Very important results.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 39% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 50% responded “More than 40 hours.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 47% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 41% responded “Very high responsibility.”
  • Deal With External Customers — 32% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 35% responded “Every day.”
  • Level of Competition — 62% responded “Moderately competitive.”
  • Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 24% responded “Every day.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
SVP Range
2-4 years of preparation (7.0 to < 8.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
Find certifications nationwide
State licenses
Apprenticeships
Have a career path or location in mind? Visit Apprenticeship.gov to find apprenticeship opportunities near you.

Worker Requirements

Skills

  • 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.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • 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.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Operations Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
  • Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Troubleshooting — Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Knowledge

  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • 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

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

  • 33%
     
    Bachelor’s degree required
  • 29%
     
    Associate’s degree required
  • 14%
     
    Master’s degree required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • 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).
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • 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 Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • 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.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Interests

Interest code: ICR
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.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

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.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • 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.
  • Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2021)
$47.73 hourly, $99,270 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2021)
538,800 employees
Projected growth (2021-2031)
Faster than average (8% to 10%)
Projected job openings (2021-2031)
44,500
State trends
Top industries (2021)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 wage data and 2021-2031 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2021-2031). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Sources of Additional Information

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.