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The differences between principal business analysts and business & data analysts 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 & data analyst. Additionally, a principal business analyst has an average salary of $115,081, which is higher than the $75,461 average annual salary of a business & data analyst.
The top three skills for a principal business analyst include provide management, shared services and project management. The most important skills for a business & data analyst are data analysis, power bi, and visualization.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $115,081 | $75,461 |
| Hourly rate | $55.33 | $36.28 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 164,208 | 188,716 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 and data analyst is an individual who specializes in utilizing different data-centered strategies in providing analytical services to a company or an organization. Their duties focus on conducting extensive market research and assessments, organizing studies using various techniques and approaches, gathering and analyzing data, performing risk assessments, and spearheading activities such as interviews and surveys. They use their research findings to create plans, establish business forecasts and models, and recommend solutions to optimize business operations.
Principal business analysts and business & data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Business Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $115,081 | $75,461 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $150,000 | Between $55,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a principal business analyst and a business & data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal business analysts' and business & data analysts' demographics:
| Principal Business Analyst | Business & Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| 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, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |