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The differences between geospatial analysts and data analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a geospatial analyst and a data analyst. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, which is higher than the $62,823 average annual salary of a geospatial analyst.
The top three skills for a geospatial analyst include geospatial data, geospatial analysis and remote sensing. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Geospatial Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $62,823 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $30.20 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,496 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A geospatial analyst specializes in analyzing aerial imagery to develop geographic data that provides essential information about a ground or land's condition. They can find employment in different fields and industries such as agriculture, urban planning, mining, and even military intelligence. Although the extent of their duties varies upon their organization of employment, they typically involve creating maps and reports that highlight essential information, identifying geographical elements and structures, and providing recommendations to solve different issues and concerns.
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.
Geospatial analysts and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Geospatial Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $62,823 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $81,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Annapolis, MD | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Gap Inc. | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a geospatial analyst and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Geospatial Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Geography | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between geospatial analysts' and data analysts' demographics:
| Geospatial Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 9% | 12% |