How do I start as an analyst?

To start as an analyst, you will first need to decide what type of analyst you want to become, then earn a bachelor's degree and gain some relevant work experience. The first step is to do your research and figure out what type of analyst you want to become. There are many different types of analysts out there, including business analysts, functional analysts, data analysts, or even IT analysts. Once you figure out the type of analyst you want to be, then you'll be able to figure out what type of courses and programs best suit that role.

How much do Oracle functional analysts make?

An Oracle functional analyst makes, on average, $114,830 a year ($55 an hour). There is, however, considerable range in how much an Oracle functional analyst can make, starting from as little as $64,000 to as much as $169,000 a year. Factors such as company type, years of experience, and location all impact the earning potential of an Oracle functional analyst.

What is the difference between a functional analyst and a business analyst?

The difference between a functional analyst and a business analyst is that while both help to improve a company's processes and procedures, a functional analyst focuses mainly on the technology, whereas a business analyst will look at the entire organization.

What qualifications do you need to be an analyst?

The qualification you need to be an analyst is a bachelor's degree in computer science or mathematics from an accredited institution or its equivalent. However, a master's degree in mathematics, computer science, or machine learning is an added advantage.

How To Become A Functional Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a functional analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Experts

Anil Agarwal,

George Dierberger

Functional analysts aid companies in maximizing the use of their software for specific goals or purposes, usually specializing in a specific line of business. To do this, they study the current system and procedures of the company and then create a set of suggestions to help optimize business processes in terms of the client's goals.

The duties of a functional analyst also include gathering information from employees and managers, designing software or computer systems to meet the company's goals, conducting workshops, overseeing the implementation of new systems, and creating reports for the management team. They may also write user manuals, conduct training and fit/gap analyses.

For this role, employers usually look for candidates with at least a bachelor's degree in business, computer science, information technology, and other related fields. On top of that, they also prefer candidates with prior working experience in a similar job, as well as outstanding skills in communication, business strategy, and people management.

On average, the salary of a functional analyst is around $85,000 per year or roughly $41 per hour. Technology companies are usually the highest-paying employers, but this depends on a candidate's skills, experience, and educational background.

What general advice would you give to a Functional Analyst?

Anil Agarwal

Adjunct Professor, Eller College of Management, Website

Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. List them - think of things you can do really well for example leading a project, Social Skills, building a network, what areas of business do you love and enjoy. Find that field, have a passion and go for that job. Create your own unique LinkedIn page. Showcase your projects and your skills. Pick up endorsements, get letters or recommendation from your Professors or folks you have worked with. Never ever give up. Keep learning new skills and areas you like (like project management, interpersonal skills, handling objections, listening skills and many others). When you build your confidence you will feel great. Learn a foreign language (like Spanish or French). Speak in front of a mirror. Approach your job search methodically, find references who can help you reach the right people.

ScoreFunctional AnalystUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $96,841

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.3

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.19%

Asian 19.46%

Black or African American 10.03%

Hispanic or Latino 10.84%

Unknown 4.99%

White 54.47%

Gender

female 44.10%

male 55.90%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a functional analyst

Explore functional analyst education requirements

Most common functional analyst degrees

Bachelor's

66.4 %

Master's

20.5 %

Associate

8.8 %

Start to develop specific functional analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Business Process	6.58%
Lifecycle Management	4.81%
HR	3.77%
ERP	3.64%
Technical Support	3.63%

Complete relevant functional analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New functional analysts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a functional analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real functional analyst resumes.

Research functional analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage offshore production support resources while defining SLA's and processes in coordination with contract teams.
Manage a team of 6 technical resources and their tasks, including EDI, interfaces, conversions, and reporting.
Lead functional staff in planning stage of system migration from client-server architecture to web base environment via ResQSoft conversion tool.
Manage customer information and create reports using Microsoft dynamics CRM.

Get functional analyst experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a functional analyst. The most common roles before becoming a functional analyst include business analyst, functional consultant team lead and sap mm consultant.

Prepare your functional analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your functional analyst resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a functional analyst resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Functional Analyst Resume templates

Build a professional Functional Analyst resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Functional Analyst resume.

Apply for functional analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a functional analyst job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do functional analysts rate their job?

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Functional Analyst reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

Too much detail oriented