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Information Technology | Programmer / Analyst

Programmer / Analyst

What Does a Professional in this Career Do?

A Programmer or Analyst writes code, or instructions that a computer can follow, to create software programs. Follows program designs created by software developers, and assists with software program design work. Updates and expands programs, tests for errors and fix errors. Uses different computer languages as needed to write programs.

Job Outlook

There were 756 Programmer / Analyst job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 24113 in the United States.

In combination with other careers in the Computer Programmer industry, which includes the Programmer / Analyst career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2015:

Salary

Many new Programmer / Analyst jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.

National

The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $83,407.

State

The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $87,043.

Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Programmer / Analyst postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $67,892.

Education and Experience

Posted Programmer / Analyst jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.

Education LevelPercentage
Associate's Degree9.68%
Bachelor's Degree59.78%
Master's Degree16.05%
Doctoral Degree3.82%
Other7.8%

Posted Programmer / Analyst jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.

Years of ExperiencePercentage
0 to 2 years28.99%
3 to 5 years46.33%
6 to 8 years14.91%
9+ years9.76%

Skills

Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Programmer / Analyst positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.

Baseline Skills

A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.

  • Communication (39.7%)
  • Management (29.86%)
  • Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) (22.29%)
  • Problem Solving (22.15%)
  • Operations (19.99%)
  • Writing (19.63%)
  • Research (18.72%)
  • Planning (18.55%)
  • Leadership (14.3%)
  • Detail Oriented (13.53%)

Defining Skills

A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.

  • Computer Science (40.75%)
  • SQL (Programming Language) (33.64%)

Necessary Skills

A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.

  • Python (Programming Language) (16.25%)
  • C++ (Programming Language) (11.34%)
  • Programming Tools (4.7%)
  • Software Development (14.37%)
  • SAS (Software) (9.89%)
  • Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) (9.38%)
  • JavaScript (Programming Language) (18.09%)
  • Automation (12.09%)
  • Data Analysis (14.46%)
  • C# (Programming Language) (16.45%)
  • Java (Programming Language) (16.95%)
  • HyperText Markup Language (HTML) (11.25%)
  • Business Requirements (10.03%)
  • Debugging (18.52%)
  • Clinical Trials (5.98%)
  • Project Management (22.66%)
  • Application Development (9.75%)
  • Microsoft SQL Servers (9.59%)
  • Information Systems (12.65%)
  • Application Programming Interface (API) (11.92%)
  • Workflow Management (11.74%)
  • Software Engineering (6.4%)
  • Agile Methodology (11.94%)
  • Web Services (7.39%)
  • Relational Databases (9.77%)

Salary Boosting Skills

A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed.

  • SQL (Programming Language) (100%)

Alternative Job Titles

Sometimes employers post jobs with Programmer / Analyst skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:

  • Programmer Analyst
  • Program Analyst
  • Programmer
  • Statistical Programmer
  • Systems Programmer
  • Computer Programmer
  • Software Programmer
  • Business Analyst/Programmer
  • Management and Program Analyst
  • RPG Programmer

Similar Occupations

If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.

Common Employers

Here are the employers that have posted the most Programmer / Analyst jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.

United States

  • Guidehouse (334)
  • Leidos (245)
  • Robert Half (230)
  • Randstad (198)
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (186)
  • Old Dominion Freight Line (181)
  • CTG (178)
  • IQVIA (172)
  • Rose's Agency (157)
  • Ensono (140)

North Carolina

  • Epic Games (47)
  • Labcorp Drug Development (46)
  • IQVIA (45)
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific (17)
  • University of North Carolina (16)
  • Duke University (16)
  • Old Dominion Freight Line (11)
  • North Carolina State University (10)
  • Randstad (10)
  • Guidehouse (9)

NC State Programs Relevant to this Career

If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!