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The differences between policy analysts and business process 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 process analyst. Additionally, a business process analyst has an average salary of $78,215, 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 process analyst are process improvement, project management, and subject matter experts.
| Policy Analyst | Business Process Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $66,359 | $78,215 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $37.60 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 69,173 | 160,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
The business process analysts are responsible for producing, managing, and enhancing business processes to improve business performance using data. They gather, analyze, and transcribe information about internal processes to obtain a comprehensive picture of the company's internal workings. Their responsibilities include developing strategies, identifying the needs of the user, and communicating compound data in a comprehensible way. Also, they identify, implement, and assess business metrics that are essential to the end-users. Additionally, they may act as consultants to project teams providing them with recommendations for product or service improvement.
Policy analysts and business process analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Policy Analyst | Business Process Analyst | |
| Average salary | $66,359 | $78,215 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $92,000 | Between $57,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a policy analyst and a business process analyst in terms of educational background:
| Policy Analyst | Business Process Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between policy analysts' and business process analysts' demographics:
| Policy Analyst | Business Process Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |