Program research specialist vs research analyst

The differences between program research specialists and research analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a program research specialist and a research analyst. Additionally, a research analyst has an average salary of $70,232, which is higher than the $60,904 average annual salary of a program research specialist.

The top three skills for a program research specialist include data analysis, data collection and mathematics. The most important skills for a research analyst are data analysis, data collection, and research projects.

Program research specialist vs research analyst overview

	Program Research Specialist	Research Analyst
Yearly salary	$60,904	$70,232
Hourly rate	$29.28	$33.77
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	115,466	81,374
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	6	6

What does a program research specialist do?

Program research specialists are professionals who are responsible for performing duties related to the business research program of an organization. These specialists must manage several major marketing research projects that aim to assess CRM solutions, marketing automation, and customer service processes. They must collect qualitative data and perform data analysis to create internal reports and provide recommendations to clients to improve services. Program research specialists must also use various software packages that can summarize and interpret statistical results.

What does a research analyst do?

A research analyst is responsible for providing a company with insights and advice concerning finance, investments, and expenditures. Utilizing their analytical skills and extensive expertise in marketing, they analyze the trends and significant factors to conclude which decision should be the best to make. They can also take part in conducting an in-depth analysis of a business and examine which areas require improvement or has potential. Furthermore, they may work with a company or independently as a freelance analyst.

Program research specialist vs research analyst salary

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

	Program Research Specialist	Research Analyst
Average salary	$60,904	$70,232
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $90,000	Between $45,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Washington
Best paying company	SAP	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between program research specialist and research analyst education

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

	Program Research Specialist	Research Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Georgia

Program research specialist vs research analyst demographics

Here are the differences between program research specialists' and research analysts' demographics:

	Program Research Specialist	Research Analyst
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between program research specialist and research analyst duties and responsibilities

Program research specialist example responsibilities.

Manage study documentation throughout study life cycle including IRB annual renewals, modifications, patient study charts and regulatory binder.
Used SAS to review further information for merging projects.
Time code numerous videos for postdoctoral research on developmental behavior and violence -convert subject data into statistical input using IBM SPSS.
Evaluate antibodies by sandwich ELISA to determine their ability to capture or detect proteins.
Modify ELISA and western-blotting protocols to investigate biotin-labele protein-DNA complexes.
Participate in and run biofeedback experiments in the field of psychophysiology.

Research analyst example responsibilities.

Develop VBA to automate the analysis of website data, which save staff labor time.
Manage medication studies, and ensury clinical trial centers conduct studies in accordance with GCP standards.
Manage project team meetings using SharePoint calendars.
Work with engineering teams to troubleshoot issues.
Design and code windows in PowerBuilder for EMPRV application.
Assist with ongoing implementation of POS and PC systems for upgrades and new locations.

Program research specialist vs research analyst skills

Common program research specialist skills

Data Analysis, 14%
Data Collection, 10%
Mathematics, 10%
Public Health, 7%
Research Program, 6%
Research Studies, 5%

Common research analyst skills

Data Analysis, 6%
Data Collection, 6%
Research Projects, 5%
PowerPoint, 5%
Market Research, 4%
Python, 4%

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Program Research Specialist
Program Research Specialist vs Research Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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