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The differences between data analysts and software engineers 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 software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Data Analyst | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,342 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $35.74 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 167,520 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Data analysts and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Analyst | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,342 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $103,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a data analyst and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Data Analyst | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between data analysts' and software engineers' demographics:
| Data Analyst | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |