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The differences between data specialists and data analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a data specialist, becoming a data analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, which is higher than the $68,326 average annual salary of a data specialist.
The top three skills for a data specialist include data analysis, data entry and data collection. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Data Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $68,326 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $32.85 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 100,301 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A data specialist's role is to process data, transferring them into an electronic platform or database for record-keeping or creating systems. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the accuracy of every inputted data point and verify its authenticity by reaching out to clients or using specific software. There are also instances when they must perform various analyses or take part in different product development processes. Furthermore, it is crucial to be able to identify any anomalies or inconsistencies; this way, corrective measures can be quickly implemented.
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.
Data specialists and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $68,326 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $116,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a data specialist and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Data Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between data specialists' and data analysts' demographics:
| Data Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.6% Female, 59.4% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 9.9% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 12% |