Intelligence Analysts: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Job description

Intelligence Analysts 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.

• Validate known intelligence with data from other sources.
• Gather, analyze, correlate, or evaluate information from a variety of resources, such as law enforcement databases.
• Prepare comprehensive written reports, presentations, maps, or charts based on research, collection, and analysis of intelligence data.
• Study activities relating to narcotics, money laundering, gangs, auto theft rings, terrorism, or other national security threats.

Salary

Intelligence Analysts with little to no experience tend to make between $43800 and $57560 while the more experienced ones can earn over $107000 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as an Intelligence Analyst is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Intelligence Analysts are DC, AK, CA, HI and NJ.

However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as an Intelligence Analyst is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Intelligence Analysts what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by an Associate’s Degree.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being an Intelligence Analyst.

What is the job like

70% of Intelligence Analysts said they were satisfied with their job and 72% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

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