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The differences between functional analysts and business & data analysts 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 & data analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a functional analyst has an average salary of $96,841, which is higher than the $75,461 average annual salary of a business & data analyst.
The top three skills for a functional analyst include business process, lifecycle management and HR. The most important skills for a business & data analyst are data analysis, power bi, and visualization.
| Functional Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $96,841 | $75,461 |
| Hourly rate | $46.56 | $36.28 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 52,085 | 188,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 and data analyst is an individual who specializes in utilizing different data-centered strategies in providing analytical services to a company or an organization. Their duties focus on conducting extensive market research and assessments, organizing studies using various techniques and approaches, gathering and analyzing data, performing risk assessments, and spearheading activities such as interviews and surveys. They use their research findings to create plans, establish business forecasts and models, and recommend solutions to optimize business operations.
Functional analysts and business & data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $96,841 | $75,461 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $55,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a functional analyst and a business & data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Functional Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between functional analysts' and business & data analysts' demographics:
| Functional Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| 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, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |