Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal analysts and staff 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 staff analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal analyst has an average salary of $114,156, which is higher than the $99,158 average annual salary of a staff analyst.
The top three skills for a principal analyst include portfolio, ERP and project management. The most important skills for a staff analyst are project management, process improvement, and technical support.
| Principal Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $114,156 | $99,158 |
| Hourly rate | $54.88 | $47.67 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 158,160 | 174,178 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Staff Analysts are employees who oversee the activities related to the employees. They monitor the performance of the employees and assess whether particular employees suit the role they have. They also assess the current roles in the company to see if those roles are really needed. Staff Analysts ensure that the manpower allocation in the company is efficient. They analyze staff-related data to check whether there are more areas for improvement. Staff Analysts may also be assigned to come up with projects related to improving productivity.
Principal analysts and staff analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Average salary | $114,156 | $99,158 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $149,000 | Between $71,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bayer | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal analyst and a staff analyst in terms of educational background:
| Principal Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal analysts' and staff analysts' demographics:
| Principal Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.6% Female, 24.4% | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% |
| 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, 12.1% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |