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The differences between research analysts and data scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a research analyst, becoming a data scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a data scientist has an average salary of $106,104, which is higher than the $70,232 average annual salary of a research analyst.
The top three skills for a research analyst include data analysis, data collection and research projects. The most important skills for a data scientist are python, data science, and visualization.
| Research Analyst | Data Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $70,232 | $106,104 |
| Hourly rate | $33.77 | $51.01 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 81,374 | 106,973 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A Data Scientist analyzes information from multiple sources in order to gain maximum insight that can give the company a competitive advantage. They work in different domains, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and finance.
Research analysts and data scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Analyst | Data Scientist | |
| Average salary | $70,232 | $106,104 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $107,000 | Between $75,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a research analyst and a data scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Analyst | Data Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between research analysts' and data scientists' demographics:
| Research Analyst | Data Scientist | |
| Average age | 37 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 18.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |