Post job

Program manager vs business analyst

The differences between program managers and business analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program manager has an average salary of $96,084, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.

The top three skills for a program manager include project management, program management and oversight. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.

Program manager vs business analyst overview

Program ManagerBusiness Analyst
Yearly salary$96,084$74,431
Hourly rate$46.19$35.78
Growth rate12%9%
Number of jobs197,556170,514
Job satisfaction54
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4744
Years of experience-4

What does a program manager do?

A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result. A program manager should regularly connect with the different teams of every project under the program to keep track of the processes and procedures for the timely delivery of the product.

What does a business analyst do?

Business analysts are employees who are responsible for interpreting business data and coming up with business solutions. They are well-versed in whatever business the company is in, and they have strong business acumen. They collect data related to the business and then interpret and analyze the data. Business analysts should be able to conduct different levels of analyses and must also be able to create a sound study. Once the analysis is done, they provide recommendations or strategic direction to decision-makers that will help the business become sustainable and grow.

Program manager vs business analyst salary

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

Program ManagerBusiness Analyst
Average salary$96,084$74,431
Salary rangeBetween $65,000 And $141,000Between $53,000 And $103,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAMountain View, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyMetaThe Citadel
Best paying industryTechnologyFinance

Differences between program manager and business analyst education

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

Program ManagerBusiness Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Program manager vs business analyst demographics

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

Program ManagerBusiness Analyst
Average age4744
Gender ratioMale, 52.9% Female, 47.1%Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage10%11%

Differences between program manager and business analyst duties and responsibilities

Program manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead managed services provider engagement of onshore and offshore interactive development and QA for pharmaceutical marketing department.
  • Lead multiple team workshops and initiate RFP proposals.
  • Manage the work process across projects as per PMI standards.
  • Develop, manage, and oversee EMBA study abroad in-residencies to Asia.
  • Manage content updates for all salesforce marketing materials, print and digital.
  • Manage the service level expectations with client agencies by monitoring and assessment establish KPIs, agreements and contracts.
  • Show more

Business analyst example responsibilities.

  • Lead the implementation of a web-base application in an UNIX environment for an organization that manages pharmacy claims data.
  • Lead CRP sessions during implementation, design and testing.
  • Manage the resolution of forty plus software issues with PeopleSoft's design and development teams.
  • Used ALM as the requirements management tool to capture, prioritize, and manage requirements.
  • Complete updated version of website and provide CMS system to internal staff to manage website content.
  • Manage PeopleSoft security audits, end-user support for security issues, and security changes to role and permission lists.
  • Show more

Program manager vs business analyst skills

Common program manager skills
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Program Management, 11%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Infrastructure, 3%
  • Excellent Organizational, 3%
Common business analyst skills
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Business Analysis, 6%
  • User Stories, 5%
  • User Acceptance, 4%
  • Test Cases, 3%

Browse executive management jobs