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The differences between production support analysts and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production support analyst, becoming a business analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a production support analyst has an average salary of $74,571, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for a production support analyst include application support, management system and java. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Production Support Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $74,571 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $35.85 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 178,536 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A production support analyst is responsible for supporting the information technology team on improving network infrastructures, performing systems configurations, and resolving technical issues. Production support analysts inspect inconsistencies on network systems, strategizing techniques to stabilize and maintain the efficiency of various software applications and hardware tools. They analyze the current technology trends and look for opportunities to design new technology solutions that would maximize the company's productivity and improve business operations. A production support analyst also creates reports on system findings for reference, including recommendations to prevent the reoccurrence of glitches and defects.
Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.
Production support analysts and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Support Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $74,571 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $90,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a production support analyst and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Production Support Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between production support analysts' and business analysts' demographics:
| Production Support Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |