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The differences between business analysts and senior business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a business analyst and a senior business analyst. Additionally, a senior business analyst has an average salary of $96,844, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for a business analyst include project management, data analysis and business analysis. The most important skills for a senior business analyst are project management, business analysis, and data analysis.
| Business Analyst | Senior Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $74,431 | $96,844 |
| Hourly rate | $35.78 | $46.56 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 170,514 | 129,426 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
A Senior Business Analyst's responsibilities may vary upon the organization or company. However, most of the time, the duties will focus on overseeing a company's business operation to analyze risks and come up with strategies that would boost financial gains and company efficiency. A Senior Business Analyst will work closely with various teams while monitoring and evaluating their performance and progress, coordinate with departments, lead fellow skilled professionals, gather and analyze data, and identify opportunities. All while prioritizing customer satisfaction and adhering to the company policies and standards.
Business analysts and senior business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Analyst | Senior Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $74,431 | $96,844 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $103,000 | Between $72,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a business analyst and a senior business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Business Analyst | Senior Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between business analysts' and senior business analysts' demographics:
| Business Analyst | Senior Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |