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The differences between analysts and investment analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an analyst and an investment analyst. Additionally, an investment analyst has an average salary of $79,056, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of an analyst.
The top three skills for an analyst include customer service, troubleshoot and data analysis. The most important skills for an investment analyst are portfolio management, financial statements, and strong analytical.
| Analyst | Investment Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $73,007 | $79,056 |
| Hourly rate | $35.10 | $38.01 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 253,138 | 63,003 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
An Investment Analyst provides research and information to help traders, fund managers and stock brokers make decisions about investments. They are hired by companies, investment trusts, stock trading and brokerage firms, and insurance providers.
Analysts and investment analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Analyst | Investment Analyst | |
| Average salary | $73,007 | $79,056 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $99,000 | Between $44,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an analyst and an investment analyst in terms of educational background:
| Analyst | Investment Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Business | Finance |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between analysts' and investment analysts' demographics:
| Analyst | Investment Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |