Policy analyst vs finance management analyst

The differences between policy analysts and finance management 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 finance management analyst. Additionally, a finance management analyst has an average salary of $71,934, 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 finance management analyst are financial management, financial issues, and management reports.

Policy analyst vs finance management analyst overview

	Policy Analyst	Finance Management Analyst
Yearly salary	$66,359	$71,934
Hourly rate	$31.90	$34.58
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	69,173	184,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a policy analyst do?

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.

What does a finance management analyst do?

A finance management analyst specializes in performing extensive research and analysis to devise strategies that can help a company achieve its long-term financial goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around having an in-depth understanding of the company and its services, gathering and reviewing its financial history and other portfolios, and determining investment opportunities to earn a significant profit. Furthermore, a finance management analyst must report their findings and present action plans, providing a comprehensive explanation to officials, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Policy analyst vs finance management analyst salary

Policy analysts and finance management analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Policy Analyst	Finance Management Analyst
Average salary	$66,359	$71,934
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $92,000	Between $49,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New York
Best paying company	Apple	Apple
Best paying industry	Insurance	Government

Differences between policy analyst and finance management analyst education

There are a few differences between a policy analyst and a finance management analyst in terms of educational background:

	Policy Analyst	Finance Management Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Political Science	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Policy analyst vs finance management analyst demographics

Here are the differences between policy analysts' and finance management analysts' demographics:

	Policy Analyst	Finance Management Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9%	Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8%
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, 14.3% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between policy analyst and finance management analyst duties and responsibilities

Policy analyst example responsibilities.

Develop comprehensive consumer education material around the changes to behavioral health services in Medicaid manage care.
Manage all issues relate to high quality survey administration including training and approval/certification, performance oversight and data collection.
Process data using STATA statistical software to get it ready for regressions.
Develop research and programmatic reports create in SAS to be used for analysis.
Work to maintain, update, and correct SalesForce database for pertinent mailings.
Develop PowerPoint presentations on trends for use with legislature, law enforcement, and the public.

Finance management analyst example responsibilities.

Investigate and manage accounting reconciliations or discrepancies, including auditing and verifying daily transactions with cash balances for correlations and accuracy.
Review DTS authorizations for every traveler belonging to AEC.
Communicate daily with the accounting department to derive amounts and invoice numbers for DOD and non DOD customers.
Serve as the primary GFEBS user for the LRC and act as the coordinator for training and access to GFEBS.
Calculate salaries in preparation to cost transfer in GFEBS to the correct cost centers/ WBS elements (cost collectors).
Maintain accounting practices for the ambulatory surgery center in QuickBooks.

Policy analyst vs finance management analyst skills

Common policy analyst skills

Public Policy, 7%
Policy Analysis, 6%
Policy Issues, 6%
Public Health, 5%
Health Policy, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%

Common finance management analyst skills

Financial Management, 13%
Financial Issues, 10%
Management Reports, 9%
Financial Policies, 9%
DOD, 9%
Budget Estimates, 8%

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Policy Analyst vs Finance Management Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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