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The differences between principal business analysts and business analyst-consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal business analyst and a business analyst-consultant. Additionally, a principal business analyst has an average salary of $115,081, which is higher than the $90,127 average annual salary of a business analyst-consultant.
The top three skills for a principal business analyst include provide management, shared services and project management. The most important skills for a business analyst-consultant are strong analytical, business process, and data analysis.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst-Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $115,081 | $90,127 |
| Hourly rate | $55.33 | $43.33 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 164,208 | 166,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A principal business analyst provides analytical services to recommend strategies that will optimize business operations. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, understanding the purpose and needs of daily operations, performing market research and analysis to identify trends and opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current procedures, and develop solutions against problem areas. They must also conduct risk assessments, maintain documentation, and present findings through reports and presentations. Moreover, a principal business analyst must lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
A business analyst-consultant is responsible for overseeing the project management and ensuring that the operations meet the agreed-upon project deliverables. Business analyst-consultants closely coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, monitoring the resources and processes for the project completion, and aligning those to the clients' budget goals. A business analyst-consultant helps the development team on strategizing techniques for brand promotions with minimal costs with maximum quality and productivity. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on identifying business opportunities to drive revenues and increase profitability.
Principal business analysts and business analyst-consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst-Consultant | |
| Average salary | $115,081 | $90,127 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $150,000 | Between $66,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a principal business analyst and a business analyst-consultant in terms of educational background:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst-Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal business analysts' and business analyst-consultants' demographics:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business Analyst-Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |