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The differences between data processing analysts and systems analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a data processing analyst and a systems analyst. Additionally, a data processing analyst has an average salary of $76,487, which is higher than the $75,383 average annual salary of a systems analyst.
The top three skills for a data processing analyst include data analysis, process improvement and visualization. The most important skills for a systems analyst are customer service, project management, and troubleshoot.
| Data Processing Analyst | Systems Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $76,487 | $75,383 |
| Hourly rate | $36.77 | $36.24 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 128,197 | 141,289 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Data Processing Analysts are responsible for analyzing and maintaining the data systems of an organization. Their duties include interpreting data, analyzing statistical results, creating databases, identifying patterns from data sets, and undertake data filtering. They are also involved in preparing analytics reports, developing data visualizations, and mining data sets from primary or secondary sources. Data Processing Analysts also execute process automation, data validation, and documenting client's business requirements. They continuously monitor the performance metric of a project.
A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes. Other tasks include managing the system's workflow, diagnosing and detecting malfunctions, performing troubleshooting, and assisting clients' with their concerns. A systems analyst must have excellent command with programming languages and the knowledge with the technology industry to understand systems' complexities and processes.
Data processing analysts and systems analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Processing Analyst | Systems Analyst | |
| Average salary | $76,487 | $75,383 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $107,000 | Between $58,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a data processing analyst and a systems analyst in terms of educational background:
| Data Processing Analyst | Systems Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between data processing analysts' and systems analysts' demographics:
| Data Processing Analyst | Systems Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.4% Female, 45.6% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |