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What does a principal analyst do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Erik Johnson Ph.D.

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.

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Principal analyst responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real principal analyst resumes:

  • 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.
  • Identify other agencies' equities in DIA documents and prepare the documents for external referral.
  • Assist SAS administrator in installation, maintaining users, servers and deploying jobs on management console.
  • Work with the resident director to create SAS code and pull data for the resident's requests.
  • Subject matter expert (SME) liaison for applications and data used by business to expand marketing campaigns.
  • Perform research, collect, and collate DHS SBIR data, interpret the data to assess program performance.
  • Deveop CRM reports, survey email program, debug Bdoc errors and used Middleware filters to replicate equipment records.
  • Key change management role providing weekly communications to end-users (through a variety of methods) during all phases of SDLC.
  • Review sensitive material to determine what agencies have equities in the material and if the material are releasable to the public.
  • Provide GIS technical leadership and improve departmental services.

Principal analyst skills and personality traits

We calculated that 16% of Principal Analysts are proficient in Portfolio, ERP, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Principal Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Portfolio, 16%

    Created the acquisition strategy for a beverage manufacturer looking to diversify their product portfolio.

  • ERP, 8%

    Supported the SAP ERP implementation as a Basis Administrator monitoring system activity, performing backups, and resolving system issues.

  • Project Management, 5%

    Presented findings in an executive briefing identifying the perceived impacts of re-organization to IT project management processes and personnel.

  • Data Analysis, 5%

    Provide technical support to data analysis and R&M computer modeling efforts.

  • Process Improvement, 4%

    Implement process improvements to eliminate obsolete procedures and automate manual processes to reduce LAUF.

  • Risk Assessments, 4%

    Perform information & physical security risk assessments, security scans and penetration tests on assets and processes.

Common skills that a principal analyst uses to do their job include "portfolio," "erp," and "project management." You can find details on the most important principal analyst responsibilities below.

Creativity. The most essential soft skill for a principal analyst to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "because analysts are tasked with finding innovative solutions to computer problems, an ability to “think outside the box” is important." Additionally, a principal analyst resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "manage creative deliverables for bi-annual sas hosted analyst relations conferences. "

Analytical skills. Many principal analyst duties rely on analytical skills. "analysts must interpret complex information from various sources and decide the best way to move forward on a project," so a principal analyst will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways principal analyst responsibilities rely on analytical skills: "lead development of xplor [4 member team], an r based proteomics data exploration and visualization software package. "

Communication skills. principal analysts are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to principal analyst responsibilities, because "analysts work as a go-between with management and the it department and must explain complex issues in a way that both will understand." A principal analyst resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "established dod policy on communication between osd and combatant command commanders. "

All principal analyst skills

The three companies that hire the most principal analysts are:

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Compare different principal analysts

Principal analyst vs. Analyst internship

An analyst internship is a student program where an intern is assigned to assist analyst professionals by analyzing business goals, objectives, and needs. Analyst interns assist in the planning and designing of business processes and suggest recommendations for improvement. They conduct research and analysis to support business operations and resolve issues using systems and data. They also help estimate the costs and benefits of multiple business actions and help the business organization launch new initiatives.

The annual salary of analyst interns is $75,587 lower than the average salary of principal analysts.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both principal analyst and analyst internship positions are skilled in erp, data analysis, and windows.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, principal analyst responsibilities require skills like "portfolio," "project management," "process improvement," and "risk assessments." Meanwhile a typical analyst internship has skills in areas such as "financial statements," "python," "data entry," and "strong analytical." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Analyst interns earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $41,723. On the other hand, principal analysts are paid more in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $112,404.analyst interns tend to reach lower levels of education than principal analysts. In fact, analyst interns are 6.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Principal analyst vs. Business systems senior analyst

Business systems senior analysts are responsible for resolving problems and requirements related to organizational information. They perform various duties that include determining operational objectives, designing computer programs, and improving business systems by designing modifications and studying current practices. Additionally, they are responsible for defining project requirements, maintaining user confidence and information confidentiality, and preparing technical reports. These professionals are also expected to maintain their knowledge by participating in professional associations or attending educational workshops. The skills and qualifications required for this position include previous work experience, software design and development, and problem-solving skills.

On average, business systems senior analysts earn a $11,058 lower salary than principal analysts a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both principal analysts and business systems senior analysts have skills such as "erp," "project management," and "data analysis. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real principal analyst resumes. While principal analyst responsibilities can utilize skills like "portfolio," "process improvement," "risk assessments," and "dod," business systems senior analysts use skills like "scrum," "user acceptance," "business stakeholders," and "user stories."

Business systems senior analysts earn a lower average salary than principal analysts. But business systems senior analysts earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $108,902. Additionally, principal analysts earn the highest salaries in the pharmaceutical with average pay of $112,404 annually.In general, business systems senior analysts achieve similar levels of education than principal analysts. They're 2.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for principal analysts in the next 3-5 years?

Erik Johnson Ph.D.Erik Johnson Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Economics, Carthage College

Two technologies are likely to become more critical in the next 3-5 years: First, much more videoconferencing and remote meetings are likely here to stay. Be sure you can communicate effectively through these mediums. Secondly, using large amounts of numerical and textual data will become increasingly crucial for businesses and policy analysis. Learning how to sift through these data and glean insights from them are likely essential skills to develop and will allow you to grow in your career.

Principal analyst vs. Analyst lead

The duties of an analyst lead depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather leads and data, reviewing findings, and producing reports and presentations for the stakeholders and other higher-ranking officials. Through the results, an analyst lead can provide advice, devise strategies for business optimization, spearhead the development of processes, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer recommendations on areas in need of improvement. All of this is done while in adherence to the company's vision and mission.

An average analyst lead eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of principal analysts. The difference in salaries amounts to analyst leads earning a $18,892 lower average salary than principal analysts.principal analysts and analyst leads both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "project management," "data analysis," and "process improvement," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from principal analyst resumes include skills like "portfolio," "erp," "risk assessments," and "windows," whereas an analyst lead is more likely to list skills in "analytics," "customer service," "powerpoint," and "cloud security. "

Analyst leads earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $110,488. Principal analysts earn the highest pay from the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $112,404.When it comes to education, analyst leads tend to earn lower degree levels compared to principal analysts. In fact, they're 5.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Principal analyst vs. Systems analyst

A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes. Other tasks include managing the system's workflow, diagnosing and detecting malfunctions, performing troubleshooting, and assisting clients' with their concerns. A systems analyst must have excellent command with programming languages and the knowledge with the technology industry to understand systems' complexities and processes.

Systems analysts average a lower salary than the annual salary of principal analysts. The difference is about $38,773 per year.While both principal analysts and systems analysts complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like erp, project management, and data analysis, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "portfolio," "process improvement," "risk assessments," and "dod" are skills that commonly show up on principal analyst resumes. On the other hand, systems analysts use skills like customer service, troubleshoot, c++, and c # on their resumes.systems analysts enjoy the best pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $86,904. For comparison, principal analysts earn the highest salary in the pharmaceutical industry.systems analysts reach lower levels of education compared to principal analysts, in general. The difference is that they're 10.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of principal analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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