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The differences between project analysts and analyst leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a project analyst, becoming an analyst lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an analyst lead has an average salary of $95,264, which is higher than the $71,174 average annual salary of a project analyst.
The top three skills for a project analyst include project management, data analysis and customer service. The most important skills for an analyst lead are analytics, data analysis, and project management.
| Project Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $71,174 | $95,264 |
| Hourly rate | $34.22 | $45.80 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 207,513 | 122,353 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A project analyst is responsible for overseeing the development of new projects upon completion of data gathering. A project analyst must provide plans and design the project to its full potential. For this, it is essential to conduct extensive research and coordinate with all staff and departments involved through regular reports and various forms of communication. Furthermore, a project analyst must devise strategies to improve particular projects for it to succeed and achieve better results, all in adherence to the company policies and regulations.
The duties of an analyst lead depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather leads and data, reviewing findings, and producing reports and presentations for the stakeholders and other higher-ranking officials. Through the results, an analyst lead can provide advice, devise strategies for business optimization, spearhead the development of processes, identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer recommendations on areas in need of improvement. All of this is done while in adherence to the company's vision and mission.
Project analysts and analyst leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average salary | $71,174 | $95,264 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $97,000 | Between $74,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a project analyst and an analyst lead in terms of educational background:
| Project Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project analysts' and analyst leads' demographics:
| Project Analyst | Analyst Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 13.7% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |