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The differences between requirements analysts and business 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 requirements analyst, becoming a business analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a requirements analyst has an average salary of $86,493, which is higher than the $74,431 average annual salary of a business analyst.
The top three skills for a requirements analyst include DOD, architecture and project management. The most important skills for a business analyst are project management, data analysis, and business analysis.
| Requirements Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $86,493 | $74,431 |
| Hourly rate | $41.58 | $35.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 112,266 | 170,514 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
To make programs and projects work, a requirements analyst must perform extensive research and analysis to identify and understand its needs. In the information technology industry, a requirements analyst is primarily in charge of gathering and analyzing feedback from clients, producing comprehensive reports, and presenting them to the software development teams. Moreover, a requirements analyst is also in charge of bridging the communication between stakeholders and information technology workforce for an efficient and smooth workflow, updating them with progress reports as needed.
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.
Requirements analysts and business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Requirements Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $86,493 | $74,431 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $118,000 | Between $53,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Finance |
There are a few differences between a requirements analyst and a business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Requirements Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between requirements analysts' and business analysts' demographics:
| Requirements Analyst | Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.7% Female, 49.3% | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 Percentage | 8% | 11% |