Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between policy analysts and control 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 control analyst. Additionally, a control analyst has an average salary of $69,598, 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 control analyst are internal controls, risk assessments, and SOX.
| Policy Analyst | Control Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $66,359 | $69,598 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $33.46 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 69,173 | 133,321 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 control analyst is an individual who is responsible for identifying weaknesses in the work process of an organization and implement methods to minimize risks. Control analysts are required to supervise the process for incident reports and provide technical guidance to their personnel. They must prepare monthly general ledger account analysis and balance sheets reconciliations that are according to the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Control analysts should also assist with the organization's ISO audit procedures and findings.
Policy analysts and control analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Policy Analyst | Control Analyst | |
| Average salary | $66,359 | $69,598 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $92,000 | Between $50,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a policy analyst and a control analyst in terms of educational background:
| Policy Analyst | Control Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between policy analysts' and control analysts' demographics:
| Policy Analyst | Control Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% |
| 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, 8.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 11.7% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |