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The differences between program analysts and 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 program analyst and a data analyst. Additionally, a program analyst has an average salary of $75,039, which is higher than the $74,342 average annual salary of a data analyst.
The top three skills for a program analyst include veterans, program management and project management. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Program Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $75,039 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 156,716 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Program analysts and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $75,039 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $106,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a program analyst and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Program Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program analysts' and data analysts' demographics:
| Program Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| 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, 7.5% 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% |