Data analyst vs business process analyst

The differences between data analysts and business process 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 data analyst and a business process analyst. Additionally, a business process analyst has an average salary of $78,215, which is higher than the $74,342 average annual salary of a data analyst.

The top three skills for a data analyst include data analysis, python and power bi. The most important skills for a business process analyst are process improvement, project management, and subject matter experts.

Data analyst vs business process analyst overview

	Data Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Yearly salary	$74,342	$78,215
Hourly rate	$35.74	$37.60
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	167,520	160,260
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a data analyst do?

Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources. They are in charge of studying the available data, spotting trends, interpreting what the data and the trends mean, and recommending suggestions that will help the organization perform better. Their recommendations should also be relevant and backed up with strong analyses. Data analysts are expected to have a good grasp of the current market trends in the industry.

What does a business process analyst do?

The business process analysts are responsible for producing, managing, and enhancing business processes to improve business performance using data. They gather, analyze, and transcribe information about internal processes to obtain a comprehensive picture of the company's internal workings. Their responsibilities include developing strategies, identifying the needs of the user, and communicating compound data in a comprehensible way. Also, they identify, implement, and assess business metrics that are essential to the end-users. Additionally, they may act as consultants to project teams providing them with recommendations for product or service improvement.

Data analyst vs business process analyst salary

Data analysts and business process analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Average salary	$74,342	$78,215
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $103,000	Between $57,000 And $106,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	The Citadel	Google
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between data analyst and business process analyst education

There are a few differences between a data analyst and a business process analyst in terms of educational background:

	Data Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Data analyst vs business process analyst demographics

Here are the differences between data analysts' and business process analysts' demographics:

	Data Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between data analyst and business process analyst duties and responsibilities

Data analyst example responsibilities.

Manage patient s data in UNIX system.
Manage loan performance in Hyperion Financials using SQL and PL/SQL tools.
Manage and contribute to EDI processes ensuring HIPAA compliance and access to clearing house review on individual case status.
Develop Java application to automate reformatting of text files for an internal application.
Execute deterministic modeling and Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB to achieve greater mathematical confidence in results obtain from analysis.
Manage weapon system project websites via SharePoint, including troubleshooting technical issues and developing guidelines for public/private information and user permissions.

Business process analyst example responsibilities.

Apply control concepts to develop and manage KPIs and establish internal processes.
Program manage the roll-out of new and efficient solution that house all SOX documentation.
Upgrade programs from FoxPro to SQL server to automate and streamline the assumption update process with SQL procedures and DTS packages.
Manage technical design and architecture sessions to ensure functionality deliverables meet business requirements.
Manage the Salesforce preparation for migration from GreatPlains to PeopleSoft and successfully execute said migration.
Collaborate with project manager in tracking and managing project development process following RUP base SDLC methodologies.

Data analyst vs business process analyst skills

Common data analyst skills

Data Analysis, 10%
Python, 7%
Power Bi, 6%
Data Management, 6%
Visualization, 5%
Data Quality, 4%

Common business process analyst skills

Process Improvement, 9%
Project Management, 8%
Subject Matter Experts, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Lean Six Sigma, 4%

Data Analyst vs. similar jobs

Data Analyst related careers

Data Analyst related jobs

Data Analyst jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Data Analyst
Data Analyst vs Business Process Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs