What Do Legislative Analysts Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for legislative analysts?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what legislative analysts do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Legislative Analysts Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about legislative analysts by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Legislative Analysts study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.
Popular Job Titles For Legislative Analysts
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Policy Analysts
- Policy Advisors
- Cybersecurity Analysts
- Policy Specialists
- Health Policy Analysts
- Legislative Analysts
- Project Policy Analysts
- Policy Associates
- Legislative Policy Analysts
- Medical Economics Analysts
- Program and Policy Analysts
- Policy Coordinators
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for legislative analysts can be found.
Best Industries for Legislative Analysts
Legislative Analysts Jobs By Industry
- Federal Government, Civilian: 67.1%
- Scientific Research and Development Services: 12.7%
- Education and Hospitals (State Government): 4.8%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 4.3%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 3.2%
- Federal Government, Military: 2.9%
- Other: 5%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of legislative analysts can be found working in the Federal Government, Civilian sector. In 2023, about 67.1% of all jobs for legislative analysts were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Scientific Research and Development Services (12.7%), Education and Hospitals (State Government) (4.8%), Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (4.3%), State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (3.2%) and Federal Government, Military (2.9%).
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Degree Options for Legislative Analysts
Learn the real-world management skills needed to be a leader in government and nonprofit organizations.
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Identify opportunities to improve the quality of life for people with a customizable major intended to help you achieve your career goals.
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Earn your master's degree online and earn real-world skills to advance your career within public service.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Earn a 14-month online Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a Specialization in Healthcare and gain interdisciplinary communication and decision-making skills alongside specialized knowledge on healthcare policies, operations and analytics.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Earn your Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a Specialization in Human Resources and build the leadership skills to advance a government or public service agency alongside an emphasis on strategic HR best practices.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
What Do Legislative Analysts Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what legislative analysts do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work legislative analysts do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that legislative analysts tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for legislative analysts, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Legislative Analysts
Based on 9,651 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Legislative Analysts
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Analysis | 3,125 | 32% |
| Public Policies | 2,892 | 30% |
| Economics | 1,975 | 20% |
| Project Management | 1,698 | 18% |
| Policy Development | 1,672 | 17% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Legislative Analysts
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 5,678 | 59% |
| Communication | 5,053 | 52% |
| Writing | 4,172 | 43% |
| Management | 3,417 | 35% |
| Leadership | 2,648 | 27% |
Based on 9,651 job postings related to legislative analysts, policy analysis was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 32% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for public policies, economics, project management, policy development and data analysis were also highly sought.
As for common skills, research was the most desired skill found in job postings for legislative analysts, followed by communication, writing, management, leadership and coordinating.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Analysis | 3,125 | 32% |
| Public Policies | 2,892 | 30% |
| Economics | 1,975 | 20% |
| Project Management | 1,698 | 18% |
| Policy Development | 1,672 | 17% |
| Data Analysis | 1,417 | 15% |
| Political Sciences | 1,132 | 12% |
| Finance | 1,021 | 11% |
| Policy Research | 988 | 10% |
| Public Administration | 912 | 9% |
| Auditing | 880 | 9% |
| Public Health | 729 | 8% |
| Statistics | 714 | 7% |
| Cyber Security | 704 | 7% |
| Legal Hearings | 701 | 7% |
| Medicaid | 649 | 7% |
| Health Policies | 635 | 7% |
| Lobbying | 623 | 6% |
| Legislation | 607 | 6% |
| Data Collection | 539 | 6% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 5,678 | 59% |
| Communication | 5,053 | 52% |
| Writing | 4,172 | 43% |
| Management | 3,417 | 35% |
| Leadership | 2,648 | 27% |
| Coordinating | 2,529 | 26% |
| Presentations | 2,376 | 25% |
| Planning | 2,361 | 24% |
| Operations | 2,009 | 21% |
| Advocacy | 1,923 | 20% |
| Detail Oriented | 1,871 | 19% |
| Microsoft Excel | 1,641 | 17% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,641 | 17% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,414 | 15% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 1,408 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 1,395 | 14% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,217 | 13% |
| Innovation | 1,172 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 995 | 10% |
| Memos | 956 | 10% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Legislative Analysts
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Analysts | 2,240 | 25.7% |
| Policy Advisors | 738 | 8.5% |
| Cybersecurity Analysts | 1,062 | 12.2% |
| Policy Specialists | 577 | 6.6% |
| Health Policy Analysts | 512 | 5.9% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was policy analysts, with 1,099 unique job postings. Policy advisors were second, with 275 postings, followed by cybersecurity analysts, policy specialists and health policy analysts.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to legislative analysts.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Analysts | 2,240 | 25.7% |
| Policy Advisors | 738 | 8.5% |
| Cybersecurity Analysts | 1,062 | 12.2% |
| Policy Specialists | 577 | 6.6% |
| Health Policy Analysts | 512 | 5.9% |
| Legislative Analysts | 358 | 4.1% |
| Project Policy Analysts | 641 | 7.3% |
| Policy Associates | 341 | 3.9% |
| Legislative Policy Analysts | 250 | 2.9% |
| Medical Economics Analysts | 251 | 2.9% |
| Program and Policy Analysts | 242 | 2.8% |
| Policy Coordinators | 189 | 2.2% |
| Policy Managers | 176 | 2% |
| Medical Policy Analysts | 182 | 2.1% |
| Cybersecurity Policy Analysts | 187 | 2.1% |
| Directors of Policy and Advocacy | 105 | 1.2% |
| Policy Fellows | 305 | 3.5% |
| Policy Administrators | 137 | 1.6% |
| Policy and Advocacy Interns | 74 | 0.8% |
| Policy Researchers | 157 | 1.8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for legislative analysts? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for legislative analysts.
How much do legislative analysts make?
Legislative Analysts: How do you become one?
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