Policy analyst vs human resources analyst

The differences between policy analysts and human resources 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 human resources analyst. Additionally, a human resources analyst has an average salary of $69,001, 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 human resources analyst are HRIS, customer service, and powerpoint.

Policy analyst vs human resources analyst overview

	Policy Analyst	Human Resources Analyst
Yearly salary	$66,359	$69,001
Hourly rate	$31.90	$33.17
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	69,173	90,211
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
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 human resources analyst do?

A human resources (HR) analyst is an individual who collaborates with a company's HR staff members to identify and assist in solving HR-related issues. HR analysts must provide advice and support to numerous departments in the organization regarding HR policies and best practices. They assist the HR team in the moderation of operating policies, guidelines, and systems to encourage best practices in the company. HR analysts also review data of employees and job candidates while inputting them into the HR database.

Policy analyst vs human resources analyst salary

Policy analysts and human resources analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Policy Analyst	Human Resources Analyst
Average salary	$66,359	$69,001
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $92,000	Between $49,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Washington
Best paying company	Apple	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Insurance	Finance

Differences between policy analyst and human resources analyst education

There are a few differences between a policy analyst and a human resources analyst in terms of educational background:

	Policy Analyst	Human Resources 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

Policy analyst vs human resources analyst demographics

Here are the differences between policy analysts' and human resources analysts' demographics:

	Policy Analyst	Human Resources Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9%	Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 12.0% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between policy analyst and human resources 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.

Human resources analyst example responsibilities.

Manage ADP implementation through completion.
Lead overall Kronos implementation as in-house lead consultant.
Manage annual affirmative action plan including ongoing tracking of EEO information and annual reporting.
Manage leave-of-absence program and work with corporate benefits to administer FMLA notifications and assist with disability relate issues.
Perform weekly quality audit checks for KRONOS to ensure update records are accurate and correct.
Prepare written and electronic reports and presentations in PowerPoint.

Policy analyst vs human resources analyst skills

Common policy analyst skills

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

Common human resources analyst skills

HRIS, 11%
Customer Service, 8%
PowerPoint, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Data Integrity, 4%
Process Improvement, 4%

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Policy Analyst vs Human Resources Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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