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Program finance analyst vs program/project manager

The differences between program finance analysts and program/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program/project manager has an average salary of $101,850, which is higher than the $57,254 average annual salary of a program finance analyst.

The top three skills for a program finance analyst include financial analysis, variance analysis and program management. The most important skills for a program/project manager are project management, program management, and PMP.

Program finance analyst vs program/project manager overview

Program Finance AnalystProgram/Project Manager
Yearly salary$57,254$101,850
Hourly rate$27.53$48.97
Growth rate9%16%
Number of jobs154,305243,017
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4047
Years of experience4-

What does a program finance analyst do?

A program finance analyst is an individual who supports the execution of program financial services to ensure effective and transparent utilization of financial resources. Program finance analysts must obtain and compile information regarding the credit history of loan applicants, corporate financial statements, and other financial information. They communicate with faculty members and business administrators about the company's financial status and provide recommendations for strategic planning. Program finance analysts must also monitor the financial performance of a project and provide analysis for project managers concerning burn rates and potential overruns.

What does a program/project manager do?

The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget. Program managers are responsible for the conveyance of the company goals and generally act as a customer interface that helps clients get their desired update and change of a project. Project managers, on the other hand, focus on the project's schedule, scope, and resources needed to complete it on time.

Program finance analyst vs program/project manager salary

Program finance analysts and program/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Program Finance AnalystProgram/Project Manager
Average salary$57,254$101,850
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $76,000Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMicrosoftMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyProfessional

Differences between program finance analyst and program/project manager education

There are a few differences between a program finance analyst and a program/project manager in terms of educational background:

Program Finance AnalystProgram/Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Program finance analyst vs program/project manager demographics

Here are the differences between program finance analysts' and program/project managers' demographics:

Program Finance AnalystProgram/Project Manager
Average age4047
Gender ratioMale, 53.5% Female, 46.5%Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%10%

Differences between program finance analyst and program/project manager duties and responsibilities

Program finance analyst example responsibilities.

  • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
  • Prepare monthly accounts payable accruals as well as researching and analyzing account variances.
  • Provide monthly and quarterly accruals of channel programs and MDF to revenue accounting team.
  • Ensure accurate forecasting in using Hyperion.
  • Perform monthly contract invoicing/billings, program account reconciliations, and sales forecasting.
  • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
  • Show more

Program/project manager example responsibilities.

  • Plan and manage infrastructure installations and enterprise hardware and software upgrades of classify systems while balancing resources to manage troubleshooting/maintenance actions.
  • Facilitate daily scrum meetings and collaborate with product owners to prioritize and manage backlog.
  • Utilize SharePoint, the company's document repository engine to manage access and documentation reviews.
  • Manage, monitors and measures project portfolio status, recommending corrective action as necessary and communicate portfolio status to their management.
  • Promote to positions base on demonstrate skills in business analysis, project management, portfolio management and customer relationship management.
  • Provide program and project management support for applications and infrastructure systems monitoring as well as enhancements and maintenance of existing systems.
  • Show more

Program finance analyst vs program/project manager skills

Common program finance analyst skills
  • Financial Analysis, 13%
  • Variance Analysis, 5%
  • Program Management, 5%
  • Financial Data, 4%
  • Earned Value Management, 3%
  • Strong Analytical, 3%
Common program/project manager skills
  • Project Management, 18%
  • Program Management, 7%
  • PMP, 6%
  • Status Reports, 5%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Portfolio, 4%

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