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The differences between intelligence analysts and imagery analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an intelligence analyst and an imagery analyst. Additionally, an intelligence analyst has an average salary of $77,752, which is higher than the $60,703 average annual salary of an imagery analyst.
The top three skills for an intelligence analyst include government agencies, national security and ISR. The most important skills for an imagery analyst are geospatial data, geospatial intelligence, and imagery exploitation.
| Intelligence Analyst | Imagery Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $77,752 | $60,703 |
| Hourly rate | $37.38 | $29.18 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 21,390 | 4,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An intelligence analyst is responsible for collecting information from various sources, including security databases, law surveillance networks, past intelligence reports, geographic and mapping tools, and communication records to locate threats and prevent crime and terrorist activities. Intelligence analysts work with different national organizations to gather information on related criminal activities and determine patterns and support investigations. An intelligence analyst must be highly critical and analytical to connect data and capture enemies to ensure the public's safety and security.
An imagery analyst is responsible for interpreting information by analyzing photographs and images to provide solutions for industrial and community issues. Imagery analysts must have excellent technical skills and the knowledge of computer navigation to utilize various software tools and applications to generate clear results and analysis. They help environmental organizations to identify potential concerns needing immediate resolution by analyzing satellites and other technological equipment. An imagery analyst must have excellent organizational and critical-thinking skills to access images and provide comprehensive evidence and research to support claims.
Intelligence analysts and imagery analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Intelligence Analyst | Imagery Analyst | |
| Average salary | $77,752 | $60,703 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $106,000 | Between $42,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Meta | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an intelligence analyst and an imagery analyst in terms of educational background:
| Intelligence Analyst | Imagery Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Intelligence Operations |
| Most common college | York College of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between intelligence analysts' and imagery analysts' demographics:
| Intelligence Analyst | Imagery Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |