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The differences between senior program analysts and programmer analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior program analyst and a programmer analyst. Additionally, a senior program analyst has an average salary of $93,415, which is higher than the $71,563 average annual salary of a programmer analyst.
The top three skills for a senior program analyst include project management, DOD and logistics. The most important skills for a programmer analyst are sql server, C++, and java.
| Senior Program Analyst | Programmer Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $93,415 | $71,563 |
| Hourly rate | $44.91 | $34.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 132,578 | 248,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior program analyst specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the operations of different programs in a company. They coordinate with various departments to collect and analyze data, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing programs, perform extensive research and analysis, conduct risk assessments, determine the trends, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a senior program analyst, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior analysts, all while promoting the company's policies and regulations.
A programmer analyst is responsible for monitoring database performance and software applications, performing basic troubleshooting, and improving program operations as needed. Programmer analysts' duties also include making adjustments on the system based on client's specifications, creating reports for any updates and new system procedures, designing specific technology solutions to improve the business operations, and performing necessary code adjustments. A programmer analyst must have extensive knowledge of computer systems and procedures, as well as critical-thinking skills to perform complex tasks under minimal supervision.
Senior program analysts and programmer analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Analyst | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average salary | $93,415 | $71,563 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $126,000 | Between $55,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior program analyst and a programmer analyst in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Analyst | Programmer Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior program analysts' and programmer analysts' demographics:
| Senior Program Analyst | Programmer Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2% | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 19.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |