Career
Computer systems analysts
Design the systems that make an organization's technology useful.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.
- Provide staff and users with assistance solving computer-related problems, such as malfunctions and program problems.
- Test, maintain, and monitor computer programs and systems, including coordinating the installation of computer programs and systems.
- Use the computer in the analysis and solution of business problems, such as development of integrated production and inventory control and cost analysis systems.
- Coordinate and link the computer systems within an organization to increase compatibility so that information can be shared.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
Last year BLS cited AI in this outlook; this year's table does not. That is not evidence the job is unaffected.
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Troubleshoot program and system malfunctions to restore normal functioning.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Systems Evaluation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $105,850 a year and 32,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Computer and Information SciencesSee the degree →
- Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCIP 11.0101
- Information TechnologyCIP 11.0103
- Computer Systems Analysis/AnalystCIP 11.0501
- Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsCIP 11.0901
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Software Developers$135,980 · +10.2%
- Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
- Database Administrators$104,620 · -0.1%
- Computer and Information Systems Managers$175,140 · +15.8%
- Database Architects$139,500 · +9.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.