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The differences between application programmer analysts and analyst leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an application programmer analyst and an analyst lead. Additionally, an analyst lead has an average salary of $95,264, which is higher than the $82,341 average annual salary of an application programmer analyst.
The top three skills for an application programmer analyst include C++, java and javascript. The most important skills for an analyst lead are analytics, data analysis, and project management.
| Application Programmer Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $82,341 | $95,264 |
| Hourly rate | $39.59 | $45.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 87,881 | 122,353 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Application Programmer Analysts are responsible for analyzing and implementing software programs and applications. Their duties include defining project requirements, designing new software applications and programs, conducting business system analysis, creating a software development plan, and undertaking program user research. They are also involved in writing programming scripts, carrying out software development testing, and producing statistical reports. Application programmer analysts also schedule software improvements, communicate with the vendor regarding new system implementation, develop user manuals, and perform software installations.
The duties of an analyst lead depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather leads and data, reviewing findings, and producing reports and presentations for the stakeholders and other higher-ranking officials. Through the results, an analyst lead can provide advice, devise strategies for business optimization, spearhead the development of processes, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer recommendations on areas in need of improvement. All of this is done while in adherence to the company's vision and mission.
Application programmer analysts and analyst leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Programmer Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average salary | $82,341 | $95,264 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $108,000 | Between $74,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cantor Fitzgerald | |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between an application programmer analyst and an analyst lead in terms of educational background:
| Application Programmer Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between application programmer analysts' and analyst leads' demographics:
| Application Programmer Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |