Management Analysts
Management analysts study problems in organizations. They offer solutions and may help apply their ideas.
Organizations hire management analysts when they have problems that need to be solved. Problems range from reorganizing the corporate structure to setting up a new method to track inventory.
Management Analysts are in the Business, Management, and Administration career cluster and the Operations Management pathway.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Well above the statewide median
$38.59 / hour Read more about wages |
Outlook: |
Percent Growth
16.9% Above statewide average Read more about outlook |
Education & Training: |
Bachelor's or higher degree plus work experience is common. |
On the Job: |
Work Activities
Assess your skills |
Job Title Examples: |
Program Management Analyst,
Quality Control Analyst,
Administrative Analyst
See more job title examples |
Source: Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and CareerOneStop.
Wages & Outlook
Wages
Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The analyst's reputation, experience, and ability also affect wages.
Management analysts who work full time usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health and life insurance. Some employers also provide a retirement plan. Analysts may receive profit sharing and bonuses for outstanding work. Employers usually pay for all travel costs. Self-employed analysts must provide their own insurance and retirement plan.
View the Regional Wage Comparison Chart for:
Employment
In Minnesota, about 11,832 management analysts work in this medium-sized occupation.
About 23 percent of management analysts are self-employed.
Major employers:
- Management consulting companies
- Finance and insurance companies
- Federal, state, and local government agencies
- Computer systems design companies
Outlook
The demand for management analysts will stem from organizations hiring outside experts to improve their performance. Rather than employ a staff to do this, companies hire consultants to solve specific problems. Foreign and domestic competition is forcing American companies to find ways to become more efficient. In addition, the trend for companies to merge creates more demand for consultants. Many firms are also expected to hire analysts who specialize in areas such as lowering energy consumption or implementing green initiatives.
Growth may be strongest in larger consulting firms that have skills in international markets. Smaller specialty firms will also grow. Growth among independent consultants may slow down. This is because growing numbers of clients prefer a team approach. Teams have a greater ability to study numerous issues at the same time.
Despite projected rapid employment growth, there may be more job seekers than jobs. Opportunities are expected to be best for those with a graduate degree and some industry expertise.
| Employment | Employment Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2020 | Number | Percent | |
| U S | 718,800 | 876,000 | 157,200 | 21.9% |
| Minnesota | 12,127 | 14,181 | 2,054 | 16.9% |
| 2010 | 2020 | Number | Percent | |
| Central Minnesota | 575 | 676 | 101 | 17.6% |
| Northeast Minnesota | 356 | 426 | 70 | 19.7% |
| Northwest Minnesota | 608 | 753 | 145 | 23.8% |
| Southeast Minnesota | 613 | 706 | 93 | 15.2% |
| Southwest Minnesota | 378 | 466 | 88 | 23.3% |
| Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN | 9,648 | 11,144 | 1,496 | 15.5% |
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Minnesota Department of Education.
On the Job
Overview
Management analysts study problems in organizations. They offer solutions and may help apply their ideas.
Pretend that you own a coffee stand. It's in a good location and every day you have lines of people waiting for a mocha or latte. You've turned a good profit for years now. You notice that several of your customers carry cell phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and laptops. Then, the old hair salon across the street closes up and the space is vacant. Hmm. . . An idea starts to form in your mind.
What if you opened a full-scale coffee shop? It would have funky chairs and tables and of course, wireless Internet access. You can easily imagine those busy professionals grabbing their mochas and sitting down at a station to sip and check their e-mail. It'd be a great place for students too. But how would you do it? What would be the best way to set everything up? Should you start with just coffee and tea or should you also offer some food? How does wireless Internet work anyway?
You can research all these questions yourself, which would take a lot of time. Or, you might hire a management analyst to help you.Organizations hire management analysts when they have problems that need to be solved. Problems range from reorganizing the corporate structure to setting up a new method to track inventory.
Work varies by project. Sometimes a team of analysts works on a project. At other times, just one analyst is needed. Analysts generally specialize in one area of management, such as human resources. In general, management analysts begin by collecting, reviewing, and analyzing information. They read business reports, examine financial statements, and talk to employees. Analysts also observe the business to see how work is done.
Next, management analysts analyze the information they gathered and develop solutions. While working on solutions, analysts consider how similar businesses are run. Analysts also look at how work is assigned. For example, they look at which group of employees is supervised by each manager. They also consider how employees interact and whether the firm is formal or casual.
Once they have solutions, management analysts report their findings to clients. They usually do this in writing. However, analysts may also give presentations. Some clients want only the reports. Other clients have the analysts apply their solutions. In these situations, analysts work with the employees to make the changes. Analysts may write or edit manuals that explain procedures. They may conduct reviews to check that the procedures are working.
Management analysts and consultants who are self-employed must also find clients. They call former clients and ask for references. Then they either call or write the potential clients.
"Management analyst" is the term used for people who work for government agencies. In business, the term for these workers is "management consultant."
Work Activities
The following list of occupational tasks is specific to this career.
- Collect information about organizations. Read reports.
- Confer with employees to make sure new procedures and systems work as planned.
- Analyze data they gathered and create solutions.
- Write reports of recommendations or give presentations.
- May help clients make changes to their organizations.
- Prepare manuals and train workers in new procedures.
- May work alone or as part of a team, depending on the project.
- Develop new systems for keeping and maintaining records and files.
People in this career perform the following list of tasks, but the tasks are common to many occupations.
- Get information needed to do the job.
- Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates.
- Establish and maintain relationships.
- Analyze data or information.
- Organize, plan, and prioritize work.
- Evaluate information against standards.
- Process information.
- Document and record information.
- Make decisions and solve problems.
- Update and use job-related knowledge.
- Develop goals and strategies.
- Communicate with people from outside the organization.
- Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others.
- Explain the meaning of information to others.
- Use computers.
- Judge the value of objects, services, or people.
- Monitor events, materials, and surroundings.
- Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed.
- Identify objects, actions, and events.
- Schedule work and activities.
Working Conditions
In a typical work setting, people in this career:
- Communicate by e-mail, telephone, and in person on a daily basis. They also write letters and memos, but less often.
- Have a medium level of social contact with clients and their employees.
- Are responsible for the work done by the workers they train.
- Often work as part of a team of analysts.
- Always work indoors.
- Work close to others, such as when sharing office space.
- Must fully complete and be exact in their work. Errors could cause clients to lose money or time.
- Make decisions that affect their company and clients on a regular basis. They often make decisions without consulting a supervisor, but also seek input from others.
- Set most of their daily tasks and goals without consulting another first.
- Must meet regular weekly deadlines.
- Repeat the same mental tasks.
- Generally work 40 hours per week on a set schedule.
- May work nights and weekends to meet deadlines.
- Travel frequently and may be away from home for long periods while working on projects.
Interpersonal Relationships
Physical Work Conditions
Work Performance
Hours/Travel
Physical Demands
In a typical work setting, people in this career:
- Sit for long periods of time.
- Speak clearly and understand others.
- Understand the speech of another person.
- See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
- See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
People in this career frequently:
It is important for people in this career to be able to:
It is not as important, but still necessary, for people in this career to be able to:
Source: Minnesota Department of Education.
Education & Training
Preparation
To work as a management analyst, you typically need to:
- have a high school diploma or GED;
- have a bachelor's degree; and
- have one to five years of related work experience.
Education after high school
Management analysts learn their skills through formal training programs. You must have at least a bachelor's degree. Several fields of study provide good preparation for this occupation. Common areas of study are business, management, computer and information science, and engineering. Many analysts have a master's degree in business administration (MBA).
Work experience
This is not an entry-level occupation. Most management analysts have years of work experience in other occupations. You should get experience in management, human resources, information technology, accounting, or other administrative areas.
Military training
Some branches of the military train people to be management analysts and planners. You need a bachelor's degree to enter this military occupation. Training lasts six to ten weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job.
Related Programs (Current training programs available)
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Organizational Leadership.
Fields of Study (What to study to prepare for this career)
Click on any of the Fields of Study listed below to find out more about preparing for this career.
- Accounting
- Business Economics
- Business Management and Administration
- Economics
- Human Resources Management
- International Business, Trade, and Finance
- Labor and Industrial Relations
- Management Information Systems
- Nonprofit Management
- Operations Management
- Public Administration
- Technical and Business Writing
Level of Education
The table below lists the level of education attained by a subset of workers in this occupation. The workers surveyed were between age 25 and 44.
| Education level attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation* |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 5 |
| Some college, no degree | 13 |
| Associate degree | 5 |
| Bachelor's degree | 41 |
| Master's degree | 29 |
| Doctoral (Ph.D.) or professional degree | 7 |
* National data for management analysts (SOC 13-1111).
Helpful High School Courses
In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.
You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.
Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this occupation include:
- Business Law
- Computer Applications
- Economics
- Keyboarding
- Probability and Statistics
- Psychology
Many management analysts are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:
- Accounting
- Entrepreneurship
- Introduction to Business
The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.
You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education.
Skills
People in this career need to:
- Listen to others, understand, and ask questions.
- Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.
- Read and understand work-related materials.
- Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
- Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
- Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
- Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
- Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
- Identify ways to measure and improve system performance.
- Determine how a system should work. Study how changes in conditions affect outcomes.
- Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
- Develop rules or follow guidelines for arranging items.
- Identify problems and review information. Develop, review, and apply solutions.
- Think of new ideas or original and creative ways to solve problems.
- Use math and science skills to solve problems.
- Manage the time of self and others.
- Check how well one is learning or doing something.
- Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
- Obtain needed equipment, facilities, and materials and oversee their use.
- Decide how to spend money to get the work done and keep track of how the money was used.
- Be aware of others' reactions and change behavior in relation to them.
- Use several methods to learn or teach others how to do something.
- Look for ways to help people.
- Persuade others to approach things differently.
- Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
- Test and inspect products, services, or processes. Evaluate quality or performance.
- Operate and control equipment.
- Determine the causes of technical problems and find solutions for them.
- Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.
- Install equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Maintain equipment on a routine basis. Determine when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Determine the tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Watch gauges, dials, and output to make sure a machine is working properly.
Communicate
Reason and Problem Solve
Use Math and Science
Manage Oneself, People, Time and Things
Work with People
Work with Things
Knowledge
People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:
- Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of providing special services to customers based on their needs.
- Administration and Management: Knowledge of managing the operations of a business, company, or group.
- English Language: Knowledge of the meaning, spelling, and use of the English language.
- Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of the department that is in charge of the relationship between a company and its employees. In particular, includes knowledge of the activities performed by the department.
- Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of computer hardware and software.
- Clerical: Knowledge of general office work such as filing and recording information.
- Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of advertising and selling products and services.
- Education and Training: Knowledge of teaching and the methods involved in learning and instruction.
Interests
People in this career are people who tend to:
- Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
- Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
- Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
- Consider good working conditions important. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay. They want employment that fits their individual work style. They may prefer doing a variety of tasks, working alone, or being busy all the time.
- Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.
- Have investigative interests. They like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking. They like to search for facts and figure out solutions to problems mentally.
- Have enterprising interests. They like work activities that involve starting up and carrying out projects, especially in business. They like to lead and persuade others, make decisions, and take risks for profit.
- Have conventional interests. They like work activities that follow set procedures, routines, and standards. They like to work with data and detail. They prefer working where there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education.
Tools & Technology for Management Analysts
Tools
Desktop computers
| Notebook computers
|
Technology
Analytical or scientific software
| Human resources software
|
Licensing / Certification
Certification Details
Certifications are examinations that test or enhance your knowledge, experience or skills in an occupation or profession.
There are 41 certifications related to this career.
Licensing Details
No State of Minnesota license requirements are found for this career.
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and CareerOneStop.
Jobs
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Hiring Practices
Educational requirements vary by employer. Employers in private industry prefer to hire analysts who have a master's degree in business administration (MBA). They also prefer applicants who have several years of experience. In contrast, government agencies will hire analysts who have only a bachelor's degree. These agencies usually will pay for analysts to take graduate classes in management analysis.
Employers look for applicants who are motivated and need little supervision. They also look for applicants who have excellent communication and analytical skills. In addition, employers look for applicants who have excellent people skills and can work well on a team.
Advancement Opportunities
Beginning analysts start with simple projects. As they gain experience, they advance to working on more difficult projects. Experienced analysts may become supervisors. Those who have exceptional skills may become partners in their firms. Some may open their own businesses.
Job Title Examples
Program Management Analyst, Quality Control Analyst, Administrative Analyst, Business Analyst, Employment Programs Analyst
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Related Industries
Below are industries related to Management Analysts you may be interested in reading about. Employers in these industries typically hire
Management Analysts. Click on the names to link to their industry profile.
Banking And Finance
Business Management And Support Services
Education
Engineering, Accounting, And Architecture
Insurance
Professional And Consulting Services
Software And Computer Services
Telecommunications
Transportation Support And Warehousing
Wholesale Trade
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Minnesota Department of Education.
