Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between programmer analysts and data analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a programmer analyst, becoming a data analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, which is higher than the $71,563 average annual salary of a programmer analyst.
The top three skills for a programmer analyst include sql server, C++ and java. The most important skills for a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.
| Programmer Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $71,563 | $74,342 |
| Hourly rate | $34.41 | $35.74 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 248,781 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A programmer analyst is responsible for monitoring database performance and software applications, performing basic troubleshooting, and improving program operations as needed. Programmer analysts' duties also include making adjustments on the system based on client's specifications, creating reports for any updates and new system procedures, designing specific technology solutions to improve the business operations, and performing necessary code adjustments. A programmer analyst must have extensive knowledge of computer systems and procedures, as well as critical-thinking skills to perform complex tasks under minimal supervision.
Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources. They are in charge of studying the available data, spotting trends, interpreting what the data and the trends mean, and recommending suggestions that will help the organization perform better. Their recommendations should also be relevant and backed up with strong analyses. Data analysts are expected to have a good grasp of the current market trends in the industry.
Programmer analysts and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Programmer Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average salary | $71,563 | $74,342 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $91,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a programmer analyst and a data analyst in terms of educational background:
| Programmer Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between programmer analysts' and data analysts' demographics:
| Programmer Analyst | Data Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |