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The differences between policy analysts and 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 policy analyst and an analyst. Additionally, an analyst has an average salary of $73,007, which is higher than the $66,359 average annual salary of a policy analyst.
The top three skills for a policy analyst include public policy, policy analysis and policy issues. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Policy Analyst | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $66,359 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 69,173 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Policy analysts are responsible for developing government policies and providing advice and briefing to senior management. These professionals work to influence both social and political decisions. They typically work in four key areas, including collecting information, analyzing policies, providing recommendations, and sharing information with government officials and the public. Additionally, they are also expected to consult with stakeholders to provide quantitative evidence supporting their policy. The rest of their time is spent on writing, reading, and analyzing information.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Policy analysts and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Policy Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $66,359 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $92,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a policy analyst and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Policy Analyst | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between policy analysts' and analysts' demographics:
| Policy Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |