Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
Less than 5 years
None
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Management analysts focus on improving how organizations operate, using evidence-based thinking and structured problem solving. This career combines critical and analytical thinking with communication, project management, and technology skills. National employment stands at 1,075,000, with projected growth of 8.8% and about 98,000 annual openings, indicating a sizable and consistently renewing talent market. The national median salary of $101,190 places this role among higher-earning professional paths. Strong skills in problem solving and decision making, writing and reading, speaking and listening, and computers and information technology are especially important. Leadership, adaptability, mathematics, and creativity and innovation also play key roles. Related paths include purchasing managers, business operations specialists, project management specialists, industrial-organizational psychologists, and postsecondary education administrators. Overall, this career suits students, career changers, and professionals who enjoy analyzing information, making recommendations, and guiding organizational improvement while leveraging a broad mix of analytical and interpersonal skills.
Management analysts have a national median annual salary of $101,190, reflecting solid earning potential. Pay varies by location, and several states and metros show notably higher median salaries. Among states, Massachusetts stands out with a median salary of $134,720, followed by New York at $112,250, Washington at $109,170, Colorado at $104,750, and California at $101,460. At the metro level, compensation can be even higher. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro reports a median salary of $136,670, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is close behind at $135,640. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a median of $124,390, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV both sit in the mid-$120,000s. These figures suggest that workers open to specific high-opportunity metros and states may access higher salary ranges within this field.
Management analysts show a sizable employment base and projected expansion. National employment is 1,075,000, indicating that many organizations rely on this type of expertise. Projected employment growth is 8.8%, pointing to an expanding field over the projection period. In addition, there are an estimated 98,000 annual openings. This combination of existing employment, projected growth, and recurring openings suggests both ongoing replacement needs and opportunities related to new or evolving roles. The uniform 8.8% growth rate also appears across several key states and metro areas, indicating a consistent projection rather than isolated growth in just one region. For students and job seekers, these figures highlight a career path with a large current footprint and steady projected demand. For experienced professionals considering a transition, the level of openings may support both lateral moves and advancement opportunities within the occupation.
Location can make a meaningful difference for management analysts in terms of salary, employment levels, and overall opportunity scores. Among states, California leads in employment with 137,280 management analysts and a median salary of $101,460, paired with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts offers a higher median salary of $134,720 and an opportunity score of 65.87, though with fewer jobs (30,060). New York combines a median salary of $112,250, employment of 69,150, and an opportunity score of 65.78. Colorado and Washington also appear attractive, with median salaries of $104,750 and $109,170 and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest opportunity score at 77.42 and a median salary of $136,670, though with 9,020 jobs. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA pair strong opportunity scores with larger employment bases, providing different tradeoffs between scale and compensation.
The typical education for management analysts is a bachelor’s degree. This level of education aligns with the broad and analytical skill set associated with the role. Strong critical and analytical thinking underpins much of the work, supported by problem solving and decision making. Writing and reading skills matter for understanding complex information and producing clear recommendations, while speaking and listening support effective communication with stakeholders. Project management and leadership help in organizing work and guiding initiatives. Competence with computers and information technology is also highlighted, reflecting the role of digital tools in analysis and reporting. Mathematics supports quantitative aspects of analysis, and creativity and innovation contribute to generating new options and approaches. For students planning their education, aiming for a bachelor’s degree while intentionally building these specific skills can help align academic choices with the expectations of employers in this occupation.
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