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The differences between buying analysts and policy analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a buying analyst, becoming a policy analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a buying analyst has an average salary of $77,425, which is higher than the $66,359 average annual salary of a policy analyst.
The top three skills for a buying analyst include purchase orders, delivery schedules and MRP. The most important skills for a policy analyst are public policy, policy analysis, and policy issues.
| Buying Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $77,425 | $66,359 |
| Hourly rate | $37.22 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 22,966 | 69,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A buying analyst specializes in conducting extensive market research and analysis to develop conclusions and recommendations that will help companies in making purchase decisions. They focus on studying the suppliers and competing companies, gathering and analyzing consumer feedback, performing audits and risk assessments, and making forecast models. They may also assess and evaluate external parties, such as vendors and distributors. Through the findings of their research, a buying analyst may also help in establishing guidelines, protocols, and methods to optimize business operations and develop solutions against problem areas.
Policy analysts are responsible for developing government policies and providing advice and briefing to senior management. These professionals work to influence both social and political decisions. They typically work in four key areas, including collecting information, analyzing policies, providing recommendations, and sharing information with government officials and the public. Additionally, they are also expected to consult with stakeholders to provide quantitative evidence supporting their policy. The rest of their time is spent on writing, reading, and analyzing information.
Buying analysts and policy analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Buying Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Average salary | $77,425 | $66,359 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $113,000 | Between $47,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | YellowHammer | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a buying analyst and a policy analyst in terms of educational background:
| Buying Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between buying analysts' and policy analysts' demographics:
| Buying Analyst | Policy Analyst | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.4% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 12% |