Principal analyst vs applications analyst

The differences between principal analysts and applications analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a principal analyst and an applications analyst. Additionally, a principal analyst has an average salary of $114,156, which is higher than the $80,144 average annual salary of an applications analyst.

The top three skills for a principal analyst include portfolio, ERP and project management. The most important skills for an applications analyst are healthcare, customer service, and patients.

Principal analyst vs applications analyst overview

	Principal Analyst	Applications Analyst
Yearly salary	$114,156	$80,144
Hourly rate	$54.88	$38.53
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	158,160	110,833
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a principal analyst do?

A principal analyst is responsible for evaluating the project management and product development procedures of an organization by analyzing data statistics and market trends. Principal analysts conduct operational audits to identify inconsistencies and defects, including the networks and system database. They create reports on their findings, as well as recommendations to improve optimization and maximum productivity. A principal analyst should be highly communicative and analytical as they also analyze sales reports and financial transactions to develop techniques for increasing profits and revenues.

What does an applications analyst do?

An applications analyst is an individual hired by a company to administer, monitor, and maintain all its software infrastructure and applications. Applications analysts must ensure the integrity and safety of all data and applications so that the company business can run smoothly and succeed. They are required to collaborate with applications developers and software engineers to provide a diagnosis of application errors and create long- and short-term resolutions. Applications analysts should also provide training and support of staff in using applications.

Principal analyst vs applications analyst salary

Principal analysts and applications analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Principal Analyst	Applications Analyst
Average salary	$114,156	$80,144
Salary range	Between $87,000 And $149,000	Between $58,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Google	Ceridian
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Retail

Differences between principal analyst and applications analyst education

There are a few differences between a principal analyst and an applications analyst in terms of educational background:

	Principal Analyst	Applications Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Principal analyst vs applications analyst demographics

Here are the differences between principal analysts' and applications analysts' demographics:

	Principal Analyst	Applications Analyst
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 75.6% Female, 24.4%	Male, 55.4% Female, 44.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.6% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between principal analyst and applications analyst duties and responsibilities

Principal analyst example responsibilities.

Develop EVM analysis reports and access reports on a monthly basis for the use of the IPT leads.
Manage administration and supervise development of logistics policies and programs to ensure they meet the changing conditions in program requirements.
Mine CRM software and leverage professional network for high quality referrals.
Maintain defect-free deployment of software solutions through thorough planning, testing and QA efforts.
Create performance metrics to measure effectiveness of SAR program and training within DHS components.
Team member for the QA testing on the product releases, including installations and upgrades.

Applications analyst example responsibilities.

Manage the RFI and RFP process for new business managers.
Lead multiple web projects using PHP and PostgreSQL, including company's website.
Update build process by setting up enterprise level Jenkins server to automate build production and deployment.
Manage ticket queue providing direct communications and resolutions to client's ad appeals inquiries concerning disable accounts.
Attain knowledge of ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS codes and benefit configuration as elements of the claims processing.
Lead end-to-end iterative design and analysis of functional features with hand-in-hand collaboration with product managers, engineers, analysts and QA.

Principal analyst vs applications analyst skills

Common principal analyst skills

Portfolio, 16%
ERP, 8%
Project Management, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
Process Improvement, 4%
Risk Assessments, 4%

Common applications analyst skills

Healthcare, 17%
Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Technical Support, 3%

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Principal Analyst vs Applications Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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