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The differences between functional analysts and business analyst/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a functional analyst, becoming a business analyst/project manager takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a business analyst/project manager has an average salary of $99,882, which is higher than the $96,841 average annual salary of a functional analyst.
The top three skills for a functional analyst include business process, lifecycle management and HR. The most important skills for a business analyst/project manager are project management, business stakeholders, and business process.
| Functional Analyst | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,841 | $99,882 |
| Hourly rate | $46.56 | $48.02 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 52,085 | 173,827 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Functional analysts are professionals specializing in a specific line of business, technology, and industry. They collect information by interviewing managers and employees and studying the company's systems and procedures. They design computer systems that meet business requirements and prepare reports for the managers. Additional duties for this role include installing and configuring new systems, running tests to ensure that specifications are met, and writing user manuals. Functional analysts are also responsible for conducting training on new capabilities to existing end-users.
A business analyst/project manager is responsible for developing project management procedures, analyzing processes, and ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of project deliverables, following clients' specifications and requirements to meet their highest satisfaction. Business analysts/project managers manage project resources, delegate tasks to project staff, setting deadlines, and coordinating with the clients for regular updates and suggest strategic adjustments as needed. They also mitigate potential risks and manage changes during the project execution, maintaining the quality of the outputs, and balancing costs to meet the clients' budget goals.
Functional analysts and business analyst/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Analyst | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,841 | $99,882 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $72,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a functional analyst and a business analyst/project manager in terms of educational background:
| Functional Analyst | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between functional analysts' and business analyst/project managers' demographics:
| Functional Analyst | Business Analyst/Project Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 19.5% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 12% |