How To Become Analyst Programmer: A Complete Guide

Updated 15 March 2023

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As the world grows more reliant on technology, businesses and clients require personnel who can help tailor the software they use to the needs of their business. Analyst programmers consult with clients or employers to determine the best ways of doing just that. Understanding what analyst programmers are and how to become one is a helpful step in determining if this is the right career choice for you. In this article, we discuss analyst programmers, list some of their most helpful skills and describe common steps you can take to become one.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

How To Become An Analyst Programmer

Follow these steps to learn how to become an analyst programmer:

1. Pursue a relevant bachelor's degree

After graduating from a higher secondary school, pursue a bachelor's degree in relevant disciplines like computer science, mathematics, engineering, IT and business administration. You can shift the focus of your learning towards computer sciences and analytics as your academic engagement progresses in these courses. Most colleges will require candidates to have a minimum aggregate score of 50% to enter science or engineering courses. Popular courses include:

B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) in Computer Science Engineering
B.Tech in Information Technology
B.Sc (Bachelor of Science) in Mathematics
BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)

2. Consider a master's degree

Although not a mandatory qualification for analyst programmers, having a master's degree improves your employability and earning potential. Many large, reputed companies prefer candidates with master's level education. A postgraduate degree gives you a competitive edge while applying for administrative positions. Popular courses include:

M.Tech (Master of Technology) in Computer Science Engineering
M.Tech in Information Technology
M.Sc (Master of Science) in Mathematics
MBA (Master of Business Administration)

3. Earn a certification

While formal academic qualifications may indicate theoretical knowledge of the subject, professional certifications are proof of skills and expertise. Employers looking for candidates with specialised expertise in a domain may verify their skills using certifications. Having a combination of formal education records and professional certifications on your resume can significantly improve your prospects in a job search scenario. There are a variety of certifications related to programming and analytics that are beneficial to pursue:

Certificate in Information Systems Technology
Information Systems Analyst
Systems Analysis Professional Certificate
Program Management Professional
Certified Management Consultant
Certified IT Professional

4. Gain relevant work experience

Most professional degree courses require students to get work experience through internships as part of the course. Internships are a great way to explore different career fields and their unique prospects, work culture and career outlook. Employers may prefer candidates with internship experiences while hiring freshers for entry-level roles.

Analyst programmers work in a variety of industries and their duties can be very varied. Identify an industry or career field of your choice and apply to entry-level roles in various companies. You may pursue roles like software developer, IT professional, data analyst or business analyst. With a few years of work experience in a relevant domain and higher academic credentials and certifications, you can get promoted to senior analyst programmer roles in companies.

5. Engage with analyst programmer forums and communities

There are a variety of online and offline forums and communities for analyst programmers where professionals share information about useful tools and workflows, the latest technological advancements and industry practices. You can benefit from participating in these discourses and accelerate your professional development through networking. Many analyst programmers work as independent contractors and conduct their networking operations entirely through online platforms and forums. Such interactions can also inform you about lucrative and interesting work opportunities.

6. Apply for analyst programmer roles

When you have the necessary educational qualifications, professional certifications, work experience and industry knowledge, you can apply for analyst programmer roles in companies of your choice. You may also choose to work independently, with multiple companies or clients, on a contractual basis. Prepare a resume that reflects your experience and expertise in both analytics and programming. Share testimonials from clients, or references from verifiable sources or previous employers, to improve your chances.

What Does An Analyst Programmer Do?

Analyst programmers work with teams in an office environment. Their day-to-day responsibilities involve many computer-focused duties and other office responsibilities. Typical duties for an analyst programmer include:

Consulting with employers, clients and other users to determine their computer systems and software needs
Suggesting solutions that fit user needs
Analysing business systems and software for bugs and streamlining opportunities
Creating plans to implement improved software usage
Overseeing IT projects
Delegating tasks to other IT team members
Maintaining systems
Creating guidelines for programming software and systems
Programming software and systems

Skills For Analyst Programmers

The skill set for analyst programmers involves a mix of computer knowledge, business training, office skills and interpersonal skills. The skills most helpful for analyst programmers include:

Knowledge of several programming languages: Analyst programmers require a working knowledge of several programming languages. They may work with the help of coders and perform purely analytical tasks but require programming knowledge to give instructions and suggestions to the coding team.
Knowledge of database creation: Analyst programmers create databases for their clients and use analytical tools to process the information and gain useful insights. They benefit from knowing how to create and manage large data volumes, and also from having well-developed data analysis skills.
Project management skills: As an analyst programmer, the projects that you may work on can be large and complex and may involve the coordinated efforts of multiple professionals using a variety of tools. Good project management skills can help you schedule tasks, keep track of major processes and monitor progress for the overall operation.
Analytical skills: Analysts often work with large volumes of data and employ strategies to gain useful information from them. Knowing how to use the right tools for analysis can save you a lot of time and make your work more effective.
Communication skills: Analyst programmers interact with a variety of professionals and clients on a regular basis. You can develop good written and verbal communication skills to condense complex ideas into simple terms that everyone can understand and work with.
Organisation skills: Programmers work with multiple systems, tools and workspaces. Having good organisational skills can help you manage your work resources and tools in an efficient manner.
Customer service skills: Analyst programmers may interact with customers to solve problems they face with software and hardware components of a system. Customer service skills enable you to provide timely and effective solutions for customers.
Teamwork: Analyst programmers rarely work in isolation. They benefit from having the ability to work with teams of professionals, towards a collective goal.
Adaptability: Technology is a very dynamic career field and evolves periodically due to technological developments and business innovations. Being adaptable enables you to respond optimistically to changes in your work environment.
Business intelligence: Analyst programmers work with businesses to safeguard their interests and provide reliable services to their customers. Business intelligence helps them identify both customer and company needs and enables them to devise strategies for achieving them.
Time management skills: Analyst programmers may work on large projects with tight deadlines, where failure to meet deadlines can result in the entire process faltering. Good time management skills help them monitor, schedule and complete their tasks efficiently within prescribed time limits.

Is It Hard To Become An Analyst Programmer?

It is not necessarily hard to become an analyst programmer. You do not require any formal academic credentials to pursue a career in this field. Although not compulsory, a formal academic qualification can give you a competitive edge in a recruitment scenario. To practice as an analyst programmer, you require proficiency in analytics and programming. You can develop skills and knowledge through certification programmes and by subscribing to online information repositories. Certification programmes usually incur only a fraction of the academic cost of graduate and postgraduate degree courses.

How Much Does An Analyst Programmer Make?

The average base salary of a programmer analyst is ₹3,83,940 per year. This figure can improve significantly with experience, higher academic credentials and specialised certifications. You can also pursue other jobs that require a combined knowledge of analytics and programming, like data analyst. The average base salary of a data analyst is ₹4,86,823 per year.