Principal analyst vs process analyst

The differences between principal analysts and process 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 process analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal analyst has an average salary of $114,156, which is higher than the $73,233 average annual salary of a process analyst.

The top three skills for a principal analyst include portfolio, ERP and project management. The most important skills for a process analyst are process improvement, project management, and customer service.

Principal analyst vs process analyst overview

	Principal Analyst	Process Analyst
Yearly salary	$114,156	$73,233
Hourly rate	$54.88	$35.21
Growth rate	9%	11%
Number of jobs	158,160	123,238
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	6	4

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 a process analyst do?

A process analyst is also known as an operations research analyst, who evaluates in detail the steps in producing products and making important decisions as well as providing recommendations on how to enhance them. They are IT specialists that analyze the business process and workflows to determine how they can be computerized and improved. Responsibilities include identifying problems and risks as well as engaging in problem resolution. Important skills to consider for applicants include being innovative thinkers and goal-oriented.

Principal analyst vs process analyst salary

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

	Principal Analyst	Process Analyst
Average salary	$114,156	$73,233
Salary range	Between $87,000 And $149,000	Between $49,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Connecticut
Best paying company	Google	Apple
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Finance

Differences between principal analyst and process analyst education

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

	Principal Analyst	Process Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Principal analyst vs process analyst demographics

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

	Principal Analyst	Process Analyst
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 75.6% Female, 24.4%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
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, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	8%	12%

Differences between principal analyst and process 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.

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Process analyst example responsibilities.

Lead the development and implementation of application and infrastructure solutions that are stable, operationally healthy, and supportable in production.
Develop and manage department SharePoint site to use as a collaborative document management tool.
Collaborate with project manager in tracking and managing project development process following RUP base SDLC methodologies.
Used Visio for process mapping to review operational procedures when determining areas of improvement.
Look at Java code to help debug it.
Test CRM platform through complex use of matrices to be able to segment a database for a more applicable personal contact.

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Principal analyst vs process analyst skills

Common principal analyst skills

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

Common process analyst skills

Process Improvement, 9%
Project Management, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Sigma, 4%
Business Processes, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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