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The differences between senior business analysts and principal business 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 senior business analyst and a principal business analyst. Additionally, a principal business analyst has an average salary of $115,081, which is higher than the $96,844 average annual salary of a senior business analyst.
The top three skills for a senior business analyst include project management, business analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a principal business analyst are provide management, shared services, and project management.
| Senior Business Analyst | Principal Business Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $96,844 | $115,081 |
| Hourly rate | $46.56 | $55.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 129,426 | 164,208 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Senior Business Analyst's responsibilities may vary upon the organization or company. However, most of the time, the duties will focus on overseeing a company's business operation to analyze risks and come up with strategies that would boost financial gains and company efficiency. A Senior Business Analyst will work closely with various teams while monitoring and evaluating their performance and progress, coordinate with departments, lead fellow skilled professionals, gather and analyze data, and identify opportunities. All while prioritizing customer satisfaction and adhering to the company policies and standards.
A principal business analyst provides analytical services to recommend strategies that will optimize business operations. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, understanding the purpose and needs of daily operations, performing market research and analysis to identify trends and opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current procedures, and develop solutions against problem areas. They must also conduct risk assessments, maintain documentation, and present findings through reports and presentations. Moreover, a principal business analyst must lead and encourage staff to reach goals while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
Senior business analysts and principal business analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Business Analyst | Principal Business Analyst | |
| Average salary | $96,844 | $115,081 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $129,000 | Between $88,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior business analyst and a principal business analyst in terms of educational background:
| Senior Business Analyst | Principal Business Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior business analysts' and principal business analysts' demographics:
| Senior Business Analyst | Principal Business Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0% | Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 11% | 12% |