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The differences between principal analysts and planning analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a principal analyst, becoming a planning analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal analyst has an average salary of $114,156, which is higher than the $68,137 average annual salary of a planning analyst.
The top three skills for a principal analyst include portfolio, ERP and project management. The most important skills for a planning analyst are project management, customer service, and data analysis.
| Principal Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $114,156 | $68,137 |
| Hourly rate | $54.88 | $32.76 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 158,160 | 92,380 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
As a planning analyst, you will be responsible for designing and implementing a company's business and marketing strategies with the goal of driving profits and reducing costs. You will propose measures to enhance an organization's overall efficiency, and guide managers on ways to strengthen profit margins through risk awareness reduced costs, and increased revenues. Other duties include conducting risk analyses to identify areas of potential failure, maintaining the business continuity program, and handling internal and external corporate communications with the investment community and industry analysts.
Principal analysts and planning analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Average salary | $114,156 | $68,137 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $149,000 | Between $49,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal analyst and a planning analyst in terms of educational background:
| Principal Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal analysts' and planning analysts' demographics:
| Principal Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.6% Female, 24.4% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |