Program analyst vs process analyst

The differences between program analysts and 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 process analyst. Additionally, a program analyst has an average salary of $75,039, which is higher than the $73,233 average annual salary of a process analyst.

The top three skills for a program analyst include veterans, program management and project management. The most important skills for a process analyst are process improvement, project management, and customer service.

Program analyst vs process analyst overview

	Program Analyst	Process Analyst
Yearly salary	$75,039	$73,233
Hourly rate	$36.08	$35.21
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	156,716	123,238
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
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 process analyst do?

A process analyst is also known as an operations research analyst, who evaluates in detail the steps in producing products and making important decisions as well as providing recommendations on how to enhance them. They are IT specialists that analyze the business process and workflows to determine how they can be computerized and improved. Responsibilities include identifying problems and risks as well as engaging in problem resolution. Important skills to consider for applicants include being innovative thinkers and goal-oriented.

Program analyst vs process analyst salary

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

	Program Analyst	Process Analyst
Average salary	$75,039	$73,233
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $106,000	Between $49,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Connecticut
Best paying company	Apple	Apple
Best paying industry	Professional	Finance

Differences between program analyst and process analyst education

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

	Program Analyst	Process Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Program analyst vs process analyst demographics

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

	Program Analyst	Process Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
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, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between program analyst and 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.

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Process analyst example responsibilities.

Lead the development and implementation of application and infrastructure solutions that are stable, operationally healthy, and supportable in production.
Develop and manage department SharePoint site to use as a collaborative document management tool.
Collaborate with project manager in tracking and managing project development process following RUP base SDLC methodologies.
Used Visio for process mapping to review operational procedures when determining areas of improvement.
Look at Java code to help debug it.
Test CRM platform through complex use of matrices to be able to segment a database for a more applicable personal contact.

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Program analyst vs process analyst skills

Common program analyst skills

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

Common process analyst skills

Process Improvement, 9%
Project Management, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Sigma, 4%
Business Processes, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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