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The differences between functional analysts and business intelligence 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 intelligence analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a functional analyst has an average salary of $96,841, which is higher than the $80,249 average annual salary of a business intelligence analyst.
The top three skills for a functional analyst include business process, lifecycle management and HR. The most important skills for a business intelligence analyst are business intelligence, analytics, and power bi.
| Functional Analyst | Business Intelligence Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $96,841 | $80,249 |
| Hourly rate | $46.56 | $38.58 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 52,085 | 124,916 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
The primary job of business intelligence (BI) analysts is to analyze data and identify areas of improvement for an organization. These professionals are responsible for identifying trends that may help managers, executives, and other departments make better decisions to improve company processes and modernization. Other duties include identifying areas of revenue loss and ways to maximize profit, analyzing competitors' use of BI, and implementing new methodologies and data analysis. This role is particularly analytical and needs a balance of communication, information technology, and problem-solving skills.
Functional analysts and business intelligence analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Analyst | Business Intelligence Analyst | |
| Average salary | $96,841 | $80,249 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $59,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a functional analyst and a business intelligence analyst in terms of educational background:
| Functional Analyst | Business Intelligence Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between functional analysts' and business intelligence analysts' demographics:
| Functional Analyst | Business Intelligence Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 65.5% Female, 34.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |