Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between program analysts and staff 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 staff analyst. Additionally, a staff analyst has an average salary of $99,158, 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 staff analyst are project management, process improvement, and technical support.
| Program Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $75,039 | $99,158 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $47.67 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 156,716 | 174,178 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Staff Analysts are employees who oversee the activities related to the employees. They monitor the performance of the employees and assess whether particular employees suit the role they have. They also assess the current roles in the company to see if those roles are really needed. Staff Analysts ensure that the manpower allocation in the company is efficient. They analyze staff-related data to check whether there are more areas for improvement. Staff Analysts may also be assigned to come up with projects related to improving productivity.
Program analysts and staff analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Average salary | $75,039 | $99,158 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $106,000 | Between $71,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Bayer |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a program analyst and a staff analyst in terms of educational background:
| Program Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program analysts' and staff analysts' demographics:
| Program Analyst | Staff Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.1% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |