Management Analysts

Management analysts, often called management consultants, recommend ways to improve an organization’s efficiency. They advise managers on how to make organizations more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenues.

Duties

Management analysts typically do the following:

• Gather and organize information about the problems to be solved or the procedures to be improved
• Interview personnel and conduct onsite observations to determine the methods, equipment, and personnel that will be needed
• Analyze financial and other data, including revenue, expenditure, and employment reports
• Develop solutions or alternative practices
• Recommend new systems, procedures, or organizational changes
• Make recommendations to management through presentations or written reports
• Confer with managers to ensure changes are working

Although some management analysts work for the organization that they analyze, many work as consultants on a contractual basis.

The work of management analysts may vary from project to project. Some projects require a team of analysts, each specializing in one area. On other projects, analysts work independently with the client organization’s managers.

Management analysts often specialize in certain areas, such as inventory control or reorganizing corporate structures for efficiency. Some focus on a specific industry, such as healthcare or telecommunications. In government, management analysts usually specialize by type of agency.

Organizations hire management analysts to develop strategies for entering and remaining competitive in the market.

Management analysts who work on contract may write proposals and bid for jobs. Typically, an organization that needs the help of a management analyst requests proposals from a number of consultants and consulting companies that specialize in the needed work. Interested companies then submit a proposal that explains details such as how the work will be completed, what the schedule will be, and how much it will cost. The organization selects the proposal that best meets its needs and budget.

Management analysts held about 1.1 million jobs in 2024. The largest employers of management analysts were as follows:

Management analysts usually divide their time between their offices and the client’s site. Because they must spend a significant amount of time with clients, analysts travel frequently. Analysts may experience stress, especially when trying to meet a client’s demands on a tight schedule.

Work Schedules

Analysts often work many hours under tight deadlines. Some work more than 40 hours per week.

Management analysts typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.

The median annual wage for management analysts was $101,190 in May 2024.

Employment of management analysts is projected to grow 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 98,100 openings for management analysts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.