How to Become a Systems Analyst: An Enjoyable Job that Pays Well

Systems analyst job description

Where we source our data

Let’s get real. Job information online can often be overly optimistic — conveniently glossing over the raw bits. But when you’re making decisions about your future, you need all the facts.

That’s why we anonymously surveyed systems analysts about their job, with hopes of getting an honest insight into what it’s really like.

While we did our best to ensure respondents were Australians and verified their job titles with proof of employment, we can’t guarantee complete accuracy — or that your experiences in the field will reflect theirs. So, we suggest that you take these insights as a guide only and try to talk to people in the field before making an important decision.

A systems analyst is responsible for ensuring that a business's IT systems work for its specific needs. You work at the interface of business needs, processes, and technical know-how. You translate wants and conditions from the business side of an organisation into technical specifications, enabling system developers and other technical staff to understand what they need to do and implement it successfully. Systems analysts are top communicators who understand both their organisation's business and technical needs and can translate between them. To be a great systems analyst, you need to be organised, fantastic at delegation, and enjoy problem-solving.

Organising

Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Intellectual

Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Imaginative

Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Tasks and responsibilities for a systems analyst

The duties and responsibilities of a systems analyst include:

Liaising with business analysts and all relevant stakeholders to understand what the business needs are for technological systems
Writing and assigning briefs to technical teams consisting of IT professionals, systems developers, and programmers to work on IT systems in line with business needs
Analysing technical processes to make sure they're as efficient, cost-effective, and straightforward to use as possible
Upgrading computer systems as required, installing new systems, software, and hardware
Undertaking quality control checks on computer systems
Playing a role in user training and troubleshooting

Reasons to choose this job

Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.

High paying

Systems analysts enjoy higher than average starting salaries and overall average salaries in the six figures. Business systems analysts have high paying roles because of their strong technical skill sets. These skills are in high demand as businesses increasingly rely on technological systems for their operational work.

Enjoyable

The systems analyst role brings enjoyable challenges and job satisfaction. You’re involved in various business areas, tasked with developing processes and systems that best solve business problems. Every day brings variety and a chance to exercise different skills.

Learning opportunities

Technology is a dynamic, ever-changing area. To get the best solutions for your business needs, you may need to draw on cutting edge technologies. This constant innovation requires you to keep learning as you gain experience in the role.

Overall job satisfaction

This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.

Stress level

How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

Fulfilment

How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

Skill level

The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.

Job market trends for a systems analyst

ICT business and systems analysts have very strong projected future job growth. In 2020, 34,100 ICT business and systems analysts were working in Australia. The industry is expected to grow to 43,500 by 2025.

Systems analysts work in various industries, including technical services, financial services, public administration and safety, information media and communications, and more. Systems analysts work in companies of all sizes. They have a strong job outlook because businesses value their technical skills and ability to improve systems and operations.

$118,248 Per Year

Median salary

Where this data comes from

Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Projected job growth

Where this data comes from

Median salary
We use the median salary over the average because it’s more realistic — unusually high or low salaries don’t skew the median. It shows the true middle point, which is what your typical worker in this job earns.

This figure is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s the official median full-time adult salary for non-managers, before tax. (Includes salary sacrifice.)

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report

Projected job growth
Job growth projections, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These calculations were made before COVID-19 and may not accurately reflect the labour market. Use these numbers as a general guide only.

Pathway options

Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

As you gain experience as a systems analyst, you may be able to move into higher-level roles, with potential career paths like:

Mid

Systems analyst

Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)

Senior

Business analyst

Most common qualification: Diploma of Information Technology (ICT50120)
IT project manager

Most common qualification: Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (ICT60220)

Skills you might already have

Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.

People interested in systems analyst jobs are already likely to be technology-inclined and solutions-driven. Soft skills that you could already have (or can develop naturally from exploring your interests) include:

Problem-solving

Organisations have specific requirements for the business to operate smoothly. As a systems analyst, it’s your job to meet those technical requirements. How to do that is up to you. Every organisation and problem is unique and requires you to devise a new solution. Being a systems analyst allows you to try new ideas and processes to see what works with technical teams.

Organisation

A systems analyst typically delegates the technical work out to technical teams. This delegation means you have to stay on track of what everyone is doing and what needs to be done, identify project milestones, and adhere to deadlines.

Communication

As a systems analyst, you talk to stakeholders from various backgrounds. You instruct technical staff on how to proceed with their work and listen to business staff to understand business needs to build technical processes to meet those needs. You also interact with users to ensure they know how the technology works and get feedback on improvements. All this requires strong communication skills.

Hard skills

The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.

When looking to become a computer systems analyst, your university-level training comes in handy to develop some of the necessary technical skills, such as:

Research and analysis

Systems analysts talk to a range of people to understand a business’s needs or problems. They also speak to technical staff and draw on their extensive expertise to meet those needs. Building research and analysis skills allows you to grow your knowledge base and interpret what people say to take practical actions.

Business management

Business management is all about understanding how organisations draw on people and technology to do their work. Business management skills are essential for systems analysts to optimise their workflow for these business needs.

Project management

Project management skills help you break tasks down into manageable tasks, assign these tasks to different team members, keep track of progress, and identify outstanding tasks. These skills are essential for systems analysts as they plan and keep track of what technical teams are doing to meet deadlines.

Study

Although it’s possible to learn the skills you need to be a systems analyst informally, most organisations expect you to have university-level education like a Bachelor of Information Technology, Bachelor of Computer Science, or Bachelor of Business Administration.
Gain work experience

As you study, you may have the opportunity to get hands-on experience working in computer systems through research projects or internships.
Find a relevant job

You can get an entry-level systems analyst job as a university graduate. Cast your job search wide because systems analysts are sought after in many industries.

Diploma of Information Technology

Study method In-class Online

Lay the groundwork for a successful career in IT. This vocational qualification can be an entry pathway into the Bachelor of Information Technology, perfect for you if you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree (including interstate and international students, VCAL students, those who didn’t get the required ATAR score, and over 25s). It’s also an excellent way to gain skills and experience for an entry-level position in the industry before launching into a degree.

Bachelor of Information Technology

Study method Online

Immerse yourself in all things IT. In this degree, study the fundamentals of various areas and specialise in an area of interest. Learn about information systems, server administration, cloud computing, SQL and database management, computer programming, data science, cybersecurity, and more. This qualification builds your confidence with computers and coding and gives you an overview of how IT can be invaluable to businesses. A Bachelor of Information Technology takes three years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).

Bachelor of Business Management

Study method In-class Online

In this qualification, you learn what it takes to run a business, manage complex projects, and work with people, technology, and other resources to get the best out of a business. The course units cover economics, business analysis, human resources management, marketing, leadership, corporate strategy, and more. You may also choose subjects relevant to business technology like databases, information systems, and data analysis. This degree also takes three years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).

Bachelor of Computer Science

A bachelor degree in computer science tends to be more theoretical than a degree in IT. In this qualification, you learn the fundamentals of how computers work. The focus is on topics like programming in various contexts (e.g. parallel programming, database programming, making big programs, software development, software engineering, and more), artificial intelligence, software design and engineering, algorithms, and computer programming as problem-solving. This degree takes three years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).

Related subjects

If you’re interested in building technological solutions in a team to meet business needs, you may also be interested in these related fields:

Reviews

How we collect reviews

Reviews are from Australian workers with this job title or a very closely related one.

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Positive
Negative

Chloe

Nov 03 2021

The job's not great, but the people are.

What are the best parts of the job?

Not much, the people I work with are good though.

What's the most challenging part?

When things get behind schedule, it can be quite stressful.

Qualification Advanced diploma

Experience 3-5

Organisation size 0-4 employees

Specialisation Data and hardware

Scott

Nov 13 2021

Variety and interest.

What are the best parts of the job?

I get to face different challenges every day, so there's always something interesting to work on.

What's the most challenging part?

Tight schedule and fast moving environment

Qualification Bachelor’s degree

Experience 3-5

Organisation size 200+ employees

Conor

Nov 23 2021

Intense, but room for innovation.

What are the best parts of the job?

There is plenty of time for innovation, which is my favourite part.

What's the most challenging part?

Developing new products and getting everyone aligned is no small feat.

Qualification Graduate diploma

Experience 3-5

Organisation size 200+ employees

Specialisation Creating new products

Scott

Nov 04 2021

Cool to see new features I've built make profitable returns.

What are the best parts of the job?

My role is always very close to revenue generation within the organisation I work for. I am always looking for novel ways to create new products or improve existing products. Within a short amount of time, new features that I have built have been deployed to production and are generating profitable returns. It is rewarding to see a direct relationship between the work that I do and the ability of the business to succeed and expand. There is always something new to learn and new challenges to immerse myself in. I like to describe my industry like the Red Queen describes Wonderland; “it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” I spend a lot of time outside work, upskilling and investigating new technology. This can be challenging but the career progression makes it all worthwhile. In addition to the technical skills, it is rewarding working so closely with people at all levels of the business. To do my job well, I need to understand the business and have solid communication skills. It is important to practice active listening, to ensure I understand the vision of the business and create functionality that brings that vision into fruition.

What's the most challenging part?

The biggest challenges in this role are the need to stay up to date, the feelings of imposter syndrome and the stress that comes with maintaining highly complex systems. All these factors generate stress that can be difficult to manage, particularly when you are first starting your career. It is important to organise your time well, practise mindfulness and self-care and have good attention to detail. With all complex systems, there is the potential to make a mistake or introduce a bug, that can cause problems and stop production. The only way to minimise this risk, is by having a good understanding of how the system works and taking care when making changes. It is not quite brain surgery, but it is easy to feel overwhelmed when something breaks, and you realise it was due to an error you made. As we learn new skills and gain experience, we get better at anticipating risk and quickly fixing problems when they occur. However, this risk can never truly be eliminated, so it is essential to have integrity and good interpersonal skills, so you can manage stakeholders and work collaboratively to handle issues. Recognising the need to develop these skills early is essential to building trust and a reputation as a professional in your field.

Qualification Bachelor’s degree

Experience 5-10

Organisation size 20-199 employees

Specialisation Salesforce certified

1 2 3 4

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Job cluster: The Technologist

What are job clusters?

The seven job clusters are sets of closely related jobs that share skills, making it easy to apply skills learned in one career to another.

The idea of the seven job clusters first appeared in a 2016 research report by the Foundation for Young Australians, titled “The New Work Mindset”. Researchers analysed thousands of online job advertisements and found that jobs are more similar than commonly thought — and the skills you gain in one position are easy to bring to another. In fact, they can help you get 13 other closely related jobs.

This model is a great way to think about 21st-century careers, where the average person changes career five times. We’ve used this framework (along with the much-loved Holland Codes model) to build a career quiz.

Why not take it and find out which job cluster feels like home?

Systems analysts and other technical roles are suited to the career personality of The Technologist.

Technologists are interested in gadgets, computers, games, and anything technical. You may have been interested in building things from a young age or taking things apart to see how they work. You enjoy making code, keeping up-to-date with the latest software and hardware, and solving problems by trying different approaches.

Take the Career Quiz to discover what jobs are a great fit for you.

Learn More

Frequently asked questions

What qualifications do you need to be a systems analyst?

No specific qualification is required to be a systems analyst. You might even be able to build a lot of the skills you need without university-level study. Nonetheless, most employers expect you to have a university-level qualification such as a Bachelor of Information Technology, Bachelor of Computer Science, or Bachelor of Business Administration.

Is system analyst a stressful job?

Working as a systems analyst involves talking to lots of people, understanding their different needs, knowledge-base, and skills, and developing solutions that make sense to them. It can be a complex, ever-changing role that requires you to have an in-depth knowledge of all the parts of the business. These challenges can be stressful from time to time, but they also make for a satisfying role where no two days are the same.

How do I become a successful systems analyst?

You can become a successful systems analyst by building your technical skills through getting formal qualifications. You can also prepare for the role by developing your soft skills. Try explaining technical information to someone who barely knows how to turn on a computer to build communication skills. Or volunteer to run a big event or project in your community to build on your organisational skills. Code up a new game to work on your problem-solving skills. All this experience helps you become a successful systems analyst.

How to Become a Systems Analyst: An Enjoyable Job that Pays Well

Organising Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Intellectual Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Imaginative Based on our career survey data, these are the words that workers would use to describe their jobs.

Tasks and responsibilities for a systems analyst

Reasons to choose this job Based on our career survey data, these are the factors that workers said were most important to them when choosing this job.

High paying

Enjoyable

Learning opportunities

Job satisfaction

Overall job satisfaction This overall score combines the critical factors in job satisfaction. It includes fulfilment, stress levels, and opportunities for advancement, based on our career survey data.

Stress level How stressful workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

Fulfilment How personally rewarding workers feel their job is, based on our career survey data.

Skill level The skill level required to do this job is based on both our career survey data and official data from the Labour Market Information Portal.

Job market trends for a systems analyst

Median salary

Projected job growth

Median salary

Projected job growth

Pathway options Job pathways are drawn from the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways site.

Mid

Systems analyst

Senior

Business analyst

IT project manager

Skills you might already have Based on our career survey data, the soft skills that workers said were most needed to do their job well.

Problem-solving

Organisation

Communication

Hard skills The job-specific skills that workers said were most important, supplemented with data from JobOutlook and online job advertisements.

Research and analysis

Business management

Project management