How To Become A Systems Analyst/Developer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a systems analyst/developer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Dr. Tao Ju,

Kevin Treu Ph.D.

Systems analyst/developer is a vital member of the business applications team. As a systems analyst, you define systems strategy, develop systems requirements, and implement practical business solutions.

You'll most likely work across various units, from sales to customer service, order management, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. The systems analyst implements, maintains, and supports IT and information systems to meet the organization's business needs.

You'll also be in charge of designing and developing business applications across all functional business areas. The systems analyst/developer deploys and troubleshoots core business applications, such as application servers, associated hardware, endpoints, and databases.

To be a Systems Analyst/Developer, you will need a Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, or information systems. The best systems analysts have excellent analytical skills, are creative problem solvers, are good communicators, and team workers.

You must also have more than three years of experience in a related field. The national average salary for a Systems Analyst/Developer in the United States is $64,616.

What general advice would you give to a Systems Analyst/Developer?

Dr. Tao Ju

Vice Dean for Research & Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

They are not in this alone. The opportunities are out there, but it is up to them to be proactive and take ownership of their career. They should become familiar with and use all of the resources available to them-alumni, faculty and career advisors, job search sites, mentoring programs, career fairs, professional associations, and networking events. Take advantage of their existing network and seek out ways to make further connections. Keep an eye on trends, follow news, and research companies. Dream big but be flexible. In this time of constant transition and change, graduates who can shift their plans to the conditions of the job market will have less stress and more success. Talk with companies they've never heard of and explore careers they've never considered. They might be surprised at what they find and where it leads them. Lastly, remain confident and positive. They've worked hard to get to this point and they can be rest assured that their choice to pursue engineering will pay off in the short and long run.

ScoreSystems Analyst/DeveloperUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $102,079

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 17.36%

Black or African American 10.31%

Hispanic or Latino 11.26%

Unknown 5.02%

White 55.85%

Gender

female 29.09%

male 70.91%

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 systems analyst/developer

Explore systems analyst/developer education requirements

Most common systems analyst/developer degrees

Bachelor's

69.9 %

Master's

16.4 %

Associate

9.6 %

Start to develop specific systems analyst/developer skills

Skills	Percentages
Java	7.09%
C++	6.69%
Web Application	4.91%
JavaScript	4.62%
HTML	3.71%

Complete relevant systems analyst/developer training and internships

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

Research systems analyst/developer duties and responsibilities

Create a completely automate and fully manage desktop management solution.
Develop an online record management system using HTML, CSS, ColdFusion, SQL and XML.
Work as application developer, develop tested and support the application in a UNIX client server environment using Java technology.
Work with AIX and LINUX utility tools.

Prepare your systems analyst/developer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your systems analyst/developer 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 systems analyst/developer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Systems Analyst/Developer Resume templates

Build a professional Systems Analyst/Developer 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 Systems Analyst/Developer resume.

Apply for systems analyst/developer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a systems analyst/developer 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 systems analyst/developers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Systems Analyst/Developer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Cons

Stressing and you have to keep always updated

Pros

Improve every day, a good salary, a lot of job opportunities