What is a performance analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Erik Johnson Ph.D.

A performance analyst uses data to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization's operations. They identify areas for improvement, monitor metrics, and develop strategies to optimize performance. Performance analysts work in industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology. They collaborate with others to gather data, analyze trends, and provide insights to inform decision-making. In addition to technical skills, performance analysts use communication and problem-solving abilities to effectively present findings and recommendations to stakeholders.

What general advice would you give to a Performance Analyst?

Erik Johnson Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Economics, Carthage College

Economics gives you a set of tools to analyze a variety of policy and business problems. However, determining which tools to apply in which situation requires that you learn the industry, you are working from top to bottom. When you begin a new job in a new field, be sure to do everything you can to understand how the organization and the industry work to understand the primary incentives that everyone faces. One right way to do this is to make as many connections within the company you are working for as possible, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities within the company and how they can help you learn more. Moreover, do your best to ensure that a significant portion of your job involves some creative endeavors, such as economic modeling or building tools for yourself or others to use. As computing power continues to become cheaper, and artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, relatively repetitive tasks become more comfortable and easier to automate. Therefore, you will have less job security. Creative tasks, such as modeling and tool building, are difficult to automate and are more likely to provide you with more satisfaction.

ScorePerformance AnalystUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $76,906

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.8

Growth Rate 11%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 14.73%

Black or African American 7.62%

Hispanic or Latino 8.58%

Unknown 4.46%

White 64.46%

Gender

female 40.14%

male 59.86%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress Level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

2.2

Work Life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Performance Analyst?

Pros

High potential for career growth and advancement
Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Opportunity for remote work or flexible schedules
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Continuous learning and professional development opportunities

Cons

Long hours and irregular schedules, especially during peak periods
May require extensive travel, depending on the role and company
Limited opportunities to interact with the end-users of your work
Potential for burnout due to the demanding nature of the job
Can be repetitive or mundane at times

Key steps to become a performance analyst

Explore performance analyst education requirements

Most common performance analyst degrees

Bachelor's

73.2 %

Master's

16.7 %

Associate

6.2 %

Start to develop specific performance analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Analysis	8.73%
PowerPoint	7.09%
Visualization	6.26%
Customer Service	5.79%
Process Improvement	5.19%

Complete relevant performance analyst training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New performance 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 performance analyst based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real performance analyst resumes.

Research performance analyst duties and responsibilities

Manage SharePoint inter-office documentation in relation to projects and internal processes.
Charge with and achieve the production of accurate and timely monthly investor reports and reconciliations in accordance with applicable service agreements.
Develop SQL scripts and store procedures using PL/SQL.
Involve in setting up the JMETER tool on various environments.

Prepare your performance analyst resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your performance 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 performance 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 Performance Analyst Resume templates

Build a professional Performance 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 Performance Analyst resume.

Apply for performance analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a performance 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 performance analysts rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Performance Analyst reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Cons

Sitting for long periods of time.