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Project analyst vs data analyst

The differences between project analysts and data analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a project analyst and a data analyst. Additionally, a data analyst has an average salary of $74,342, 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 a data analyst are data analysis, python, and power bi.

Project analyst vs data analyst overview

Project AnalystData Analyst
Yearly salary$71,174$74,342
Hourly rate$34.22$35.74
Growth rate11%11%
Number of jobs207,513167,520
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a project analyst do?

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.

What does a data analyst do?

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.

Project analyst vs data analyst salary

Project analysts and data analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project AnalystData Analyst
Average salary$71,174$74,342
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $97,000Between $53,000 And $103,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJRichmond, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyGoogleThe Citadel
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between project analyst and data analyst education

There are a few differences between a project analyst and a data analyst in terms of educational background:

Project AnalystData Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Project analyst vs data analyst demographics

Here are the differences between project analysts' and data analysts' demographics:

Project AnalystData Analyst
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 57.7% Female, 42.3%Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between project analyst and data analyst duties and responsibilities

Project analyst example responsibilities.

  • Develop infrastructure to enable clients to better understand and manage risks associate with their decision environment to capture opportunities.
  • Develop and maintain VISIO process diagrams.
  • Coordinate system upgrades, interface development, QA testing and end-user training.
  • Originate, track, and submit final samples of promotional materials to FDA.
  • Team member that implement bar code system, close reductions and Hyperion software.
  • Project utilize DB2, CICS, MQ-Series software in a mainframe/NT workstation environment.
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Data analyst example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient s data in UNIX system.
  • Manage loan performance in Hyperion Financials using SQL and PL/SQL tools.
  • Manage and contribute to EDI processes ensuring HIPAA compliance and access to clearing house review on individual case status.
  • Develop Java application to automate reformatting of text files for an internal application.
  • Execute deterministic modeling and Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB to achieve greater mathematical confidence in results obtain from analysis.
  • Manage weapon system project websites via SharePoint, including troubleshooting technical issues and developing guidelines for public/private information and user permissions.
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Project analyst vs data analyst skills

Common project analyst skills
  • Project Management, 22%
  • Data Analysis, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Status Reports, 5%
  • SharePoint, 4%
  • PMP, 4%
Common data analyst skills
  • Data Analysis, 10%
  • Python, 7%
  • Power Bi, 6%
  • Data Management, 6%
  • Visualization, 5%
  • Data Quality, 4%

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