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The differences between business functional analysts and functional leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a business functional analyst and a functional lead. Additionally, a functional lead has an average salary of $113,422, which is higher than the $89,264 average annual salary of a business functional analyst.
The top three skills for a business functional analyst include java, business process and ERP. The most important skills for a functional lead are ERP, client facing, and enterprise solutions.
| Business Functional Analyst | Functional Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $89,264 | $113,422 |
| Hourly rate | $42.92 | $54.53 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 116,341 | 33,917 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A business functional analyst's role focuses on helping companies utilize and implement software and systems in various operations. They conduct initial assessments, gather and analyze data from different departments, perform risk assessments, and create plans for system implementation and integration. They also conduct extensive research and analyses to determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, developing solutions to optimize operations. Moreover, besides performing analytical tasks, a business functional analyst may also provide technical support to staff by troubleshooting complex issues and performing corrective measures when necessary.
Functional leads are professionals who analyze business requirements and provide system design while implementing system solutions for various business initiatives. These professionals must work with clients and internal stakeholders to identify and understand the functional or business requirements. They must analyze and solve complex system problems so that they can improve the organization's overall Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) development and support process. Functional leads must also facilitate a team to design document control procedures that can significantly reduce process cycle time and cost.
Business functional analysts and functional leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Functional Analyst | Functional Lead | |
| Average salary | $89,264 | $113,422 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $122,000 | Between $85,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Children's Place | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a business functional analyst and a functional lead in terms of educational background:
| Business Functional Analyst | Functional Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between business functional analysts' and functional leads' demographics:
| Business Functional Analyst | Functional Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 23.8% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 24.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |