How To Become A Consultant, Systems Analyst: What It Is and Career Path

What is a consultant, systems analyst and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Robin Cormier

As a consultant, systems analyst, your main purpose will be to help clients and companies use computer technology effectively and efficiently. Such individuals usually work in the IT sector and specialize in the installation and usage of information technology hardware and software.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity include researching and evaluating new technologies, consulting with clients to determine their needs, and identifying the organizational needs of information technology systems. Moreover, you will also be analyzing costs and benefits of different IT systems, adding new functionality to the current systems to make them more efficient, oversee installation, and test systems while training users. Essential skills required to complete these tasks include effective communication, technical skills, organizational, customer service, consulting skills, and software design, among others.

To qualify for this role, a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a similar discipline is preferred. However, a master's degree would prove advantageous. In addition, prior experience in a similar role would greatly increase your chances of being successful in this role. The average hourly pay for this role is $42.29, which amounts to $87,957 annually.

What general advice would you give to a Consultant, Systems Analyst?

Robin Cormier

Assistant Professor, Montana State University - Billings

While college graduates begin to launch their careers, they also face uncertainty about job opportunities. This can be a daunting time in their life. First and foremost, they should be proud of their achievements. There are many steps they can take to prepare for a future career, such as developing a network and building a strong resume. However, in my opinion, the most important advice I would offer new graduates is to pursue their passion. When you are passionate about your career, your life is more fulfilling, and you are more determined to achieve success. Passion shows through how you communicate, develop working relationships, and your level of career investment.

ScoreConsultant, Systems AnalystUS Average

Salary

6.5

Avg. Salary $82,735

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.3

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.19%

Asian 14.61%

Black or African American 10.17%

Hispanic or Latino 10.95%

Unknown 5.00%

White 59.08%

Gender

female 31.59%

male 68.41%

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 consultant, systems analyst

Explore consultant, systems analyst education requirements

Most common consultant, systems analyst degrees

Bachelor's

71.0 %

Master's

14.8 %

Associate

9.4 %

Start to develop specific consultant, systems analyst skills

Skills	Percentages
Strong Analytical	17.26%
Project Management	8.46%
Business Processes	8.06%
HR	6.59%
CRM	4.14%

Complete relevant consultant, systems analyst training and internships

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

Research consultant, systems analyst duties and responsibilities

Lead and participate in project kickoffs/JAD sessions to capture technical business requirements to drive design solutions.
Support ETL, EDI and highly regulate functions like Medicare and HIPAA.
Perform enhancements and maintenance on mainframe software programs and program copybooks utilizing COBOL and DB2 programming languages.
Programme system using JCL, mainframe assembler language (BAL) and IBM basic direct access method (BDAM . )

Prepare your consultant, systems analyst resume

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

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Apply for consultant, systems analyst jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a consultant, systems 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

Average consultant, systems analyst salary

The average Consultant, Systems Analyst salary in the United States is $82,735 per year or $40 per hour. Consultant, systems analyst salaries range between $60,000 and $112,000 per year.

Average Consultant, Systems Analyst Salary

$82,735 Yearly

$39.78 hourly

How do consultants, systems analyst rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Consultant, Systems Analyst reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

As it seeks to solve problems in innovative way

Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client