Program analyst vs business process analyst

The differences between program analysts and business process 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 program analyst and a business process analyst. Additionally, a business process analyst has an average salary of $78,215, which is higher than the $75,039 average annual salary of a program analyst.

The top three skills for a program analyst include veterans, program management and project management. The most important skills for a business process analyst are process improvement, project management, and subject matter experts.

Program analyst vs business process analyst overview

	Program Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Yearly salary	$75,039	$78,215
Hourly rate	$36.08	$37.60
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	156,716	160,260
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a program analyst do?

The job of program analysts is to plan, manage, and evaluate a company's computer programs. They usually perform different tasks, including researching and analyzing complex data to identify trends and offer the best recommendations for improvements. Other duties for this position may include creating policies and procedures, monitoring and evaluating program performance, and resolving any issues. This role's skills and requirements include a bachelor's degree in computer science, business, or related field. Previous work experience as a program analyst and critical thinking skills are also valued.

What does a business process analyst do?

The business process analysts are responsible for producing, managing, and enhancing business processes to improve business performance using data. They gather, analyze, and transcribe information about internal processes to obtain a comprehensive picture of the company's internal workings. Their responsibilities include developing strategies, identifying the needs of the user, and communicating compound data in a comprehensible way. Also, they identify, implement, and assess business metrics that are essential to the end-users. Additionally, they may act as consultants to project teams providing them with recommendations for product or service improvement.

Program analyst vs business process analyst salary

Program analysts and business process analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Average salary	$75,039	$78,215
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $106,000	Between $57,000 And $106,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Maryland	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Apple	Google
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between program analyst and business process analyst education

There are a few differences between a program analyst and a business process analyst in terms of educational background:

	Program Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Program analyst vs business process analyst demographics

Here are the differences between program analysts' and business process analysts' demographics:

	Program Analyst	Business Process Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 13.3% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between program analyst and business process analyst duties and responsibilities

Program analyst example responsibilities.

Attain NIH seed money to coordinate activities to improve rates of screening for diabetic retinopathy.
Achieve an understanding of the funding policy for the NASA programs and relate it to the EVM reporting.
Manage staff of project controllers to perform monthly close, reconciliations, general ledger review and invoice generation.
Support and manage projects utilizing agile and scrum methodology.
Manage all technical documentation for PMI's certification program.
Clean up and debug code in Html, Javascript, Actionscript, and Ajax.

Business process analyst example responsibilities.

Apply control concepts to develop and manage KPIs and establish internal processes.
Program manage the roll-out of new and efficient solution that house all SOX documentation.
Upgrade programs from FoxPro to SQL server to automate and streamline the assumption update process with SQL procedures and DTS packages.
Manage technical design and architecture sessions to ensure functionality deliverables meet business requirements.
Manage the Salesforce preparation for migration from GreatPlains to PeopleSoft and successfully execute said migration.
Collaborate with project manager in tracking and managing project development process following RUP base SDLC methodologies.

Program analyst vs business process analyst skills

Common program analyst skills

Veterans, 9%
Program Management, 7%
Project Management, 7%
Logistics, 6%
DOD, 6%
Customer Service, 4%

Common business process analyst skills

Process Improvement, 9%
Project Management, 8%
Subject Matter Experts, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Lean Six Sigma, 4%

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Program Analyst vs Business Process Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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