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The differences between processing specialists and data 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 processing specialist, becoming a data analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, which is higher than the $55,587 average annual salary of a processing specialist.
The top three skills for a processing specialist include customer service, data entry and quality standards. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Processing Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $55,587 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $26.72 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 41,858 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 51 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A processing specialist mainly functions to extend and relay information within a company or organization. Most of the time, they are responsible for gathering, verifying, processing, and analyzing data from various aspects such as clients and sales. Aside from this, they perform research and analysis, utilizing the results to develop strategies and plans to help the company pursue deals and provide optimum services. Furthermore, a processing specialist needs to coordinate with managers and be equipped with communication skills as there are instances where they must engage with clients.
Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources. They are in charge of studying the available data, spotting trends, interpreting what the data and the trends mean, and recommending suggestions that will help the organization perform better. Their recommendations should also be relevant and backed up with strong analyses. Data analysts are expected to have a good grasp of the current market trends in the industry.
Processing specialists and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Processing Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $55,587 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $98,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a processing specialist and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Processing Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between processing specialists' and data analysts' demographics:
| Processing Specialist | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 51 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 7% | 12% |