Occupation · SOC 33-3021.06
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.
Median wage
$93,580
$54,160–$159,410
Projected growth
-0.7%
Declining
Annual openings
-80
per year
Employed (US)
110,790
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
500 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingSpeakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationTime ManagementSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessPersuasionNegotiationLearning StrategiesInstructingSystems AnalysisService OrientationMathematicsOperations AnalysisManagement of Personnel ResourcesScienceProgrammingOperations MonitoringTechnology DesignManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesQuality Control AnalysisTroubleshootingRepairingOperation and ControlInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
English LanguageLaw and GovernmentPublic Safety and SecurityComputers and ElectronicsAdministrativeCommunications and MediaCustomer and Personal ServiceTelecommunicationsEducation and TrainingMathematicsGeographySociology and AnthropologyPsychologyAdministration and ManagementPhilosophy and TheologyForeign LanguageTransportationPersonnel and Human ResourcesEconomics and AccountingProduction and ProcessingHistory and ArcheologyEngineering and TechnologyDesignTherapy and CounselingChemistryPhysicsSales and MarketingMedicine and DentistryMechanicalFine ArtsBiologyBuilding and ConstructionFood Production
Technology & tools
Amazon Simple Storage Service S3Amazon Web Services AWS softwareApache HadoopApache HiveApache KafkaApache PigApache SparkArrival Departure Information System ADISAutomated Targeting System ATSBingBiometric Storage System BSSC++Chatbot softwareComputer Linked Application Information Management System CLAIMSConsular Consolidated Database CCDData mining softwareData visualization softwareDjangoESRI ArcGIS softwareESRI ArcViewEmail softwareEncryption softwareEnforcement Case Tracking System ENFORCEFacebookFirewall softwareFlowcharting softwareGeographic information system GIS softwareGeographic information system GIS systemsGoogleGoogle Cloud softwareGoogle Earth ProGraphics creation softwareHypertext markup language HTMLIBM i2 Analyst's NotebookJavaScriptLexisNexisLink analysis softwareLinkedInLinuxMcAfee
Representative tasks
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesWorking with ComputersGetting InformationProcessing InformationAnalyzing Data or InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationThinking CreativelyDocumenting/Recording InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsCoaching and Developing OthersTraining and Teaching OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleScheduling Work and ActivitiesGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesSelling or Influencing OthersEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationAssisting and Caring for OthersStaffing Organizational UnitsInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentControlling Machines and Processes
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Law enforcement and open-source databases — query and retrieve relevant records under supervisor guidance within a structured intelligence unit.Intelligence reports from multiple agencies — read and summarize key findings using standard templates in a team-based analytical environment.Known intelligence data — cross-reference with secondary sources to begin validation under direct oversight in an entry-level analyst role.Field observation logs and public records — gather and organize raw intelligence information following established collection protocols.Communication records such as call logs — review and document basic activity patterns under supervisor direction to support ongoing investigations.Criminal activity data — apply introductory pattern-recognition techniques to flag anomalies for senior analyst review.Structured written summaries — draft initial intelligence products using agency-approved formats under editorial supervision.Interagency briefing materials — assist in preparing supporting charts and maps from pre-analyzed datasets for collaborative meetings.Data mining and business intelligence software — operate under instruction to extract and organize datasets relevant to assigned cases.Analytical and scientific software tools — input data and generate standard outputs following documented procedures in a controlled analytical setting.
developing
Multi-source intelligence data — correlate and evaluate information from law enforcement databases and open-source records with limited oversight on assigned case files.Telephone and digital communication records — analyze traffic patterns to estimate the size, location, and activity of criminal networks in an operational intelligence environment.Intelligence gaps — identify and address through targeted collection from confidential sources, field observation, and public records on active investigations.Criminal activity datasets — apply trend analysis methods to identify emerging patterns and prepare findings for supervisory review.Suspect-to-organization linkage charts — construct and maintain using analytical software to map criminal associations across ongoing cases.Comprehensive written intelligence reports — produce independently, incorporating analysis, maps, and data visualizations aligned with agency standards.Cross-agency intelligence sharing sessions — participate and contribute relevant case-specific findings to support coordinated law enforcement efforts.Validated intelligence packages — compile by reconciling conflicting data from multiple sources, applying established verification frameworks.Database query and business intelligence platforms — configure and run intermediate-level queries to support time-sensitive investigative requests.Analytical judgment — exercise in prioritizing competing intelligence leads, balancing thoroughness with operational deadlines in a mid-level analyst role.
proficient
Complex multi-agency intelligence streams — independently integrate, validate, and synthesize to produce comprehensive assessments supporting high-stakes law enforcement operations.Criminal network structures — analyze and chart suspect interrelationships and organizational hierarchies across long-term investigations using advanced link-analysis tools.Non-routine communication intercept data — interpret and contextualize to reveal concealed criminal activities and organizational dynamics within a senior analytical function.Strategic and tactical intelligence products — author and deliver autonomously, including written reports, geospatial maps, and executive briefings for command-level audiences.Full-spectrum intelligence collection — manage across field observation, confidential informants, and open-source and law enforcement databases on complex, multi-jurisdictional cases.Emerging criminal trends — detect and forecast through advanced inductive and deductive reasoning applied across large, heterogeneous datasets.Interagency coordination efforts — lead information-sharing activities and represent the unit in joint intelligence working groups with other government organizations.Data mining and analytical software ecosystems — configure and optimize to support the full analytical workflow, from raw data ingestion to finished intelligence product.Ambiguous or incomplete intelligence — resolve through critical problem-solving and sound judgment, providing authoritative recommendations to investigative leadership.Intelligence validation frameworks — apply and refine independently to ensure evidentiary integrity and analytical rigor across all assigned intelligence holdings.
advanced
Organizational intelligence strategy — define and direct agency-wide analytical priorities, standards, and collection frameworks aligned with national or regional security objectives.Intelligence analyst workforce — mentor, train, and develop through structured learning strategies, feedback cycles, and performance coaching at an organizational scale.Cross-government and interagency partnerships — lead coordination and negotiation to establish formal intelligence-sharing agreements and joint operational protocols.Enterprise-level analytical software and data infrastructure — evaluate, select, and govern implementation to advance the organization's intelligence production capabilities.Complex problem-solving doctrine — author and institutionalize methodologies that set the analytical standard for multi-agency criminal intelligence operations.Executive and legislative briefings — deliver authoritative intelligence assessments and policy-relevant findings to senior government officials and oversight bodies.Emerging threats and intelligence gaps — identify at the strategic level and direct resource allocation to address systemic vulnerabilities in collection and analysis pipelines.Organizational quality and integrity standards — establish and enforce across all intelligence products, ensuring compliance with legal, ethical, and evidentiary requirements.Multidisciplinary intelligence teams — lead and integrate diverse analytical, technical, and operational specialists toward unified investigative and security outcomes.Lessons-learned and knowledge management systems — design and champion to institutionalize best practices and drive continuous improvement across the intelligence enterprise.
Also known as
50 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
AI Consultant (Artificial Intelligence Consultant)All Source AnalystAll Source Intelligence AnalystAnalystAnti-Terrorist AnalystBackground SpecialistCIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)Competitive Intelligence AnalystComputer Network Defense AnalystCounterintelligence AgentCounterintelligence AnalystCrime Analyst (Criminal Analyst)Crime and Intelligence Analyst (Criminal and Intelligence Analyst)Crime Intelligence Analyst (Criminal Intelligence Analyst)Crime Intelligence Specialist (Criminal Intelligence Specialist)Crime Research Specialist (Criminal Research Specialist)Cyber All Source Analyst (Cybersecurity All Source Analyst)Cyber All-Source Analyst (Cybersecurity All-Source Analyst)Cyber Analyst (Cybersecurity Analyst)Cyber Defense Analyst (Cybersecurity Defense Analyst)Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst (Cybersecurity Defense Forensics Analyst)Cyber Exploitation Analyst (Cybersecurity Exploitation Analyst)Cyber Intel Analyst (Cybersecurity Intelligence Analyst)Cyber Intelligence Planner (Cybersecurity Intelligence Planner)Cyber Intelligence Specialist (Cybersecurity Intelligence Specialist)Cyber Multi-Disciplined Language Analyst (Cybersecurity Multi-Disciplined Language Analyst)Cyber Ops Specialist (Cybersecurity Operations Specialist)Cyber Target Developer (Cybersecurity Target Developer)Cyber Target Network Analyst (Cybersecurity Target Network Analyst)Cyber Threat Analyst (Cybersecurity Threat Analyst)Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst (Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence Analyst)Cybersecurity Technician (Cybersecurity Tech)Data Intel Analyst (Data Intelligence Analyst)Defense AnalystIntel Agent (Intelligence Agent)Intel Analyst (Intelligence Analyst)Intel Research Specialist (Intelligence Research Specialist)Intel Specialist (Intelligence Specialist)Intelligence Ops Specialist (Intelligence Operations Specialist)Investigative Intel Analysts (Investigative Intelligence Analysts)