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The differences between senior policy associates and policy 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 policy associate and a policy analyst. Additionally, a senior policy associate has an average salary of $83,938, which is higher than the $66,359 average annual salary of a policy analyst.
The top three skills for a senior policy associate include project management, medicare and data analysis. The most important skills for a policy analyst are public policy, policy analysis, and policy issues.
| Senior Policy Associate | Policy Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $83,938 | $66,359 |
| Hourly rate | $40.35 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,313 | 69,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior policy associate primarily performs clerical tasks to support an office or department. They typically work under the supervision of a senior policy analyst. Their duties usually include conducting extensive research and analysis, facilitating surveys and interviews, preparing and processing documents, and handling calls and other forms of correspondence. Additionally, they lead junior associates in a joint effort to reach project goals.
Policy analysts are responsible for developing government policies and providing advice and briefing to senior management. These professionals work to influence both social and political decisions. They typically work in four key areas, including collecting information, analyzing policies, providing recommendations, and sharing information with government officials and the public. Additionally, they are also expected to consult with stakeholders to provide quantitative evidence supporting their policy. The rest of their time is spent on writing, reading, and analyzing information.
Senior policy associates and policy analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Policy Associate | Policy Analyst | |
| Average salary | $83,938 | $66,359 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $129,000 | Between $47,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | APCO Worldwide | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a senior policy associate and a policy analyst in terms of educational background:
| Senior Policy Associate | Policy Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Political Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between senior policy associates' and policy analysts' demographics:
| Senior Policy Associate | Policy Analyst | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 46.1% Female, 53.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |