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The differences between policy analysts and business & 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 policy analyst and a business & data analyst. Additionally, a business & data analyst has an average salary of $75,461, 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 a business & data analyst are data analysis, power bi, and visualization.
| Policy Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $66,359 | $75,461 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $36.28 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 69,173 | 188,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A business and data analyst is an individual who specializes in utilizing different data-centered strategies in providing analytical services to a company or an organization. Their duties focus on conducting extensive market research and assessments, organizing studies using various techniques and approaches, gathering and analyzing data, performing risk assessments, and spearheading activities such as interviews and surveys. They use their research findings to create plans, establish business forecasts and models, and recommend solutions to optimize business operations.
Policy analysts and business & data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Policy Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $66,359 | $75,461 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $92,000 | Between $55,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a policy analyst and a business & data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Policy Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between policy analysts' and business & data analysts' demographics:
| Policy Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |