Intelligence Analysts: Career Profile
Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of sources, such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks or geographic information systems. Use intelligence data to anticipate and prevent organized crime activities, such as terrorism.
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What Do Intelligence Analysts Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of intelligence analysts include:
- Validate known intelligence with data from other sources.
- Gather, analyze, correlate, or evaluate information from a variety of resources, such as law enforcement databases.
- Evaluate records of communications, such as telephone calls, to plot activity and determine the size and location of criminal groups and members.
- Gather intelligence information by field observation, confidential information sources, or public records.
- Analyze intelligence data to identify patterns and trends in criminal activity.
- Prepare comprehensive written reports, presentations, maps, or charts, based on research, collection, and analysis of intelligence data.
- Collaborate with representatives from other government and intelligence organizations to share information or coordinate intelligence activities.
- Link or chart suspects to criminal organizations or events to determine activities and interrelationships.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful intelligence analysts combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- AI Consultant (Artificial Intelligence Consultant)
- All Source Analyst
- All Source Intelligence Analyst
- Analyst
- Anti-Terrorist Analyst
- Background Specialist
- CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
- Competitive Intelligence Analyst
Job Outlook
There are roughly 280,428 intelligence analysts working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.7% over the projection horizon.
Intelligence Analysts Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $65,483 |
| Hourly median | $31.48 |
| 10th percentile | $45,268 |
| 25th percentile | $55,376 |
| 75th percentile | $75,591 |
| 90th percentile | $85,698 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $125,630 |
| California | $122,140 |
| Alaska | $121,140 |
| Washington | $116,450 |
| New Jersey | $113,830 |
| Hawaii | $112,100 |
| Massachusetts | $111,460 |
| Virginia | $110,220 |
| Oregon | $107,450 |
| Vermont | $104,330 |
| New York | $103,340 |
| Arizona | $103,270 |
| Colorado | $102,910 |
| Nebraska | $99,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,740 |
| Montana | $95,640 |
| Nevada | $95,590 |
| Connecticut | $95,420 |
| Wisconsin | $92,910 |
| Michigan | $92,560 |
| West Virginia | $90,690 |
| New Hampshire | $90,050 |
| Texas | $89,860 |
| Illinois | $89,740 |
| Rhode Island | $88,780 |
| Delaware | $88,350 |
| New Mexico | $86,840 |
| North Dakota | $84,580 |
| Minnesota | $82,330 |
| Maine | $80,750 |
| Wyoming | $80,250 |
| Missouri | $78,670 |
| Florida | $78,290 |
| Ohio | $77,940 |
| Idaho | $77,460 |
| Kentucky | $77,440 |
| Oklahoma | $77,440 |
| Iowa | $77,440 |
| South Dakota | $77,440 |
| Indiana | $74,600 |
| Utah | $74,530 |
| Tennessee | $72,800 |
| Kansas | $68,180 |
| Puerto Rico | $66,840 |
| Alabama | $66,020 |
| Georgia | $64,990 |
| South Carolina | $63,060 |
| North Carolina | $62,480 |
| Louisiana | $59,500 |
| Mississippi | $56,310 |
| Arkansas | $53,460 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for intelligence analysts shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $119,744 | 14.0% | 0.86 |
| Middle Atlantic | $105,564 | 15.5% | 1.13 |
| New England | $97,494 | 3.4% | 0.79 |
| Rocky Mountains | $93,204 | 3.5% | 0.92 |
| Southwest | $91,672 | 24.5% | 1.97 |
| Great Lakes | $86,404 | 9.2% | 0.64 |
| Plains States | $79,153 | 5.2% | 0.82 |
| Southeast | $73,501 | 24.2% | 1.01 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Intelligence Analysts
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $157,270 | 40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $156,890 | 260 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | GA | $155,110 | 220 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $153,340 | 4,760 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $143,250 | 70 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $129,880 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $129,370 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $127,980 | 3,070 |
Top Industries Employing Intelligence Analysts
Most intelligence analysts work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 440 | $115,070 |
| Educational Services | 280 | $82,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 60 | $85,650 |
Below are examples of industries where intelligence analysts work:
Software Intelligence Analysts Use
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka (hot technology)
- Business intelligence and data analysis software: Apache Spark (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Django (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for intelligence analysts tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Spend Time Sitting
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Typical intelligence analysts positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Security Management Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Financial Risk Specialists (Supplemental)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Information Security Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Penetration Testers (Supplemental)
- Information Security Engineers (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for intelligence analysts often complete programs in:
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
12 programs across 2 majors
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
Military Technologies and Applied Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-3021.06 (Detectives and Criminal Investigators).
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