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The differences between information analysts and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information analyst, becoming a business analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an information analyst has an average salary of $75,933, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for an information analyst include patients, data entry and data analysis. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Information Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $75,933 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $36.51 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 141,418 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Information Analysts are employees who collect data and analyze the information from the data they collected. They are usually found in companies with information technology departments. They collect network, software, or hardware performance data and analyze these data. The data that Information Analysts collect would help in identifying and anticipating problems in the system. As such, they will be able to troubleshoot and provide a sound analysis of the systems and networks. They would then be able to give recommendations to address problems, based on what they analyzed.
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
Information analysts and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $75,933 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $104,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Washington |
| Best paying company | Putnam Investments | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an information analyst and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Information Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information analysts' and business analysts' demographics:
| Information Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.0% 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% |